Sherlock Jr.: Silent Film Screening with Live Music Accompaniment

The nonprofit Guarneri Hall, a state-of-the-art, custom-built classical music venue in the heart of downtown Chicago, celebrates the work of legendary silent film star Buster Keaton (1895-1966) via a screening of his work Sherlock Jr. (1924) with live accompaniment of the Chicago premiere of Stephen Prutsman’s original score. The one-night-only performance takes place on Wednesday, November 15 at 6:30 p.m. at Guarneri Hall, 11 E. Adams St., and will feature a pre-show lecture, a post-show Q&A, and a silent film themed reception where audience members interact with the performers.

Pianist and composer Stephen Prutsman will be joined by violinist Steven Copes and members of Guarneri Hall’s resident ensemble NEXUS Chamber Music for the screening, with live accompaniment featuring Prutsman’s original score. Before the performance, John C. Tibbets, Professor Emeritus at the University of Kansas, will share context on the silent film era and what makes Keaton the greatest American filmmaker of the 1920s, and lead a Q&A after the performance. The post-show reception will be a silent film era inspired party with special themed refreshments and a speakeasy-like ambiance, offering audience members the opportunity to interact directly with the artists and scholars.