The Avon Theatre proudly presents AN EVENING WITH KAREN ALLEN featuring her directorial debut film A TREE. A ROCK. A CLOUD followed by a Q&A with Ms. Allen and introduction to a special screening of her 1984 film STARMAN on Wednesday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m.
Based on the short story by groundbreaking southern American writer Carson McCullers, written when she was just 25, the film A TREE. A ROCK. A CLOUD, is set at a roadside café in the early morning in the Spring of 1947. A young boy and an older man meet by chance. The man relates a luminous tale of personal heartbreak and loss, and of his hard won understanding of the nature of love. The film, starring Jeffrey DeMunn, James McMenamin, and Jackson Smith, is the directorial debut of award-winning actor/director Karen Allen.
Not Rated | In English | 20 minutes
STARMAN, from director John Carpenter, is a science fiction romance film. In 1977, a space probe carries a message of peace inviting alien civilizations to visit Earth. The probe is intercepted by an alien ship which then sends a small scout vessel to establish contact with Earth. The alien craft is shot down over Wisconsin by the U.S. government. The lone alien occupant or Starman (Jeff Bridges) winds up at the remote cabin of recently widowed Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen), and takes the form of her dead husband. The alien convinces Jenny to drive him to Arizona, explaining that if he isn't picked up by his mothership in three days, he'll die. Hot on their trail are government agents, intent on capturing the alien. Soon he and Jenny form a united front against a mean-spirited National Security Council agent (Richard Jaeckel), who intends to seize the starman and turn him over for scientific scrutiny. Jeff Bridges was nominated for the 1985 Academy® Award for Best Actor for his leading role in STARMAN.
Karen Allen is an award-winning actor/director working in film, television and theatre for over 35 years. She has starred in more than 45 films including ANIMAL HOUSE, THE WANDERERS, A SMALL CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, SHOOT THE MOON, CRUISING, SPLIT IMAGE, STARMAN ,UNTIL SEPTEMBER, SCROOGED, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, MALCOLM X, KING OF THE HILL, THE PERFECT STORM, INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, WHITE IRISH DRINKERS, BAD HURT and most recently A YEAR BY THE SEA based on the memoir by Joan Anderson. She has also starred in numerous television films. In the New York theater she has performed both On and Off Broadway. Her work as a director has been focused in the theatre for the past ten years. She most recently directed the Obie Award-winning world premiere of Lucy Thurber’s, ASHVILLE at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City. A TREE. A ROCK. A CLOUD., her short film based on a story by American writer Carson McCullers, is her first film as a director. Ms. Allen is on the faculty of the Theatre Department at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, and has taught at New York University. She is a lifetime member of the Actors Studio, and on the Board of the Berkshire International Film Festival and the Amazon Conservation Team.