presents

“A MANY-SPLINTERED THING:
LOVE IN TWO REELS”
Silent Films with Live Musical Accompaniment

Auditorium, APS Conference Center, Argonne National Laboratory

Friday February 25, 2005 at 7:30 p.m.

[William S. Hart] [Dorothy Devore] [Lloyd Hamilton]
William S. Hart Dorothy Devore Lloyd Hamilton

More on the program, the artist, the location, and ordering tickets below.

This program is partially supported by The University of Chicago and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency

  • About the Program

    • In this selection of short films, love is indeed a many-splintered thing. Whether it's the ponderous flirtations of the “Ton of Fun” lads or the chivalrous self-sacrifice of William S. Hart, the Old West's gallant knight of the trail, the road to romance never runs smooth. Although most of the evening's offerings maintain a light-hearted tone, viewers will discover once again that there is nothing new under the sun — comediennes Fay Tincher and Dorothy Devore play unconventional gender roles, “poor soul” Lloyd Hamilton portrays hand-to-mouth life on the streets, and Harry Langdon and Vernon Dent team up to explore the darker side of marriage.

  • About the Artist

    • [David Drazin]
    David Drazin

    Live piano accompaniment for the films is provided by Chicago musician David Drazin, official silent-film accompanist for the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute at Chicago.

    Pianist/composer David Drazin's keyboard command and creative musical accompaniments enhance performances of film, theater, and dance. An adventurous improviser with a solid foundation in musical structure, he shifts easily from dramatic classical style to lively jazz. Mr. Drazin's repertoire includes modern and traditional jazz, boogie-woogie and blues, and original novelty compositions. He has a strong flair for Harlem stride piano style.

    A native of Cleveland, Ohio, David Drazin received his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Ohio State University. He has played live improvised piano accompaniment for silent-film screenings at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival, Sacile, Italy; Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute, Chicago (where he has been staff accompanist since 1985); Silent Film Society of Chicago; Cinevent, Columbus, Ohio; Arts at Argonne, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois; North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, North Carolina; Cleveland, Ohio, Museum of Art and the Cleveland Cinematheque; and many universities, libraries, and churches.

    Mr. Drazin is notable among contemporary film accompanists for his use of 1920s-era jazz and blues, rather than classic ragtime, to play for silent comedies. His dance-accompaniment improvisational skills serve him well in developing music for dramas. He has accompanied ballet classes for Evanston School of Ballet, Gus Giordano Dance Center, Northwestern University, Hubbard Street Dance, and the Lou Conte School.

    Mr. Drazin's recordings include ballet improvisations, modern and traditional jazz, original comedy songs with vocals and piano accompaniment, and a live nightclub performance featuring Chicago blues guitar legend Floyd McDaniel.

  • Location

    • The Silent-Film Night will be presented in the Auditorium of the APS Conference Center (Bldg. 402) at Argonne. The event is open to the public. For US citizens, photo identification is required to enter the laboratory site. Non-US citizens need to register prior to the event by calling 630-252-3751 during regular working hours.

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  • Tickets

    • Admission to the silent-film night is $5. Order your tickets by phone (630-252-3751); VISA and MasterCard accepted.

    Remaining tickets will be sold in the lobby of the Argonne Cafeteria (Bldg. 213) in the week of February 21 between noon and 1:00 p.m. The Auditorium Box Office will be open on the day of the performance at 7:00 p.m.

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