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Paul Loosley brings to klpac more of the hard-hitting American zeitgeist in a new series: ‘American Playwrights on Film’. Paul will present films dealing with angst, stress and the pressure of living in a huge, bubbling melting pot of a society. Films that are angry, dark, sexy, confrontational and occasionally hilariously funny. We will get to see all these things and more; tears, temptations, bitterness and frustration; all larger than life and twice as much fun.

19th September 2010
Edward Albee's 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' (1966)
- A play that most famously expresses Albee’s typical view of the American condition. A husband and wife barely tolerating each other; no love, no compassion; a relationship turned into a cruel and spiteful game of who can hurt who the most. The film is surely one of the finest real husband and wife film acting performances ever. Screaming, spitting, cursing, humiliating; minute after vicious minute. One might believe they really didn’t get along! Starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor

26th September 2010
David Mamet's 'Edmond' (2005)
- Amongst all of Mamet’s many disturbed Americans, Edmond is perhaps the saddest. A man who leaves his dull life; leaves his unsympathetic wife and spirals down into a cesspit of illicit sex, gambling, murder, jail and homosexual rape. The film opens up the play with typically seedy locations, graphic and outstanding cameo performances. Plus an outstanding portrayal of a man’s pathetic weakness, misplaced trusts and simple naiveté. Starring William H. Macy and Denise Richards

3rd October 2010
Eugene O'Neill's 'The Emperor Jones' (1933)
- The play that launched O’Neill’s career as the early 20th century’s great American playwright. Bravely exploring the relatively unheard of themes of race and power, Rufus Jones gains and then loses control of a Caribbean island. A landmark performance by one of the few great pre-war African-American actors and the extra scenes written by DuBose Heyward (famed writer of Porgy and Bess) makes this a film deemed by the Library of Congress a cultural icon. Starring Paul Robeson.

10th October 2010
Tennessee Williams' 'Baby Doll' (1956)
- Williams wrote this first as a screenplay by combining two early, short, one-act plays. Only later did he turn it into a full-length play in its own right. This racy movie about a 19 year old girl who marries an older man and proceeds to manipulate both him and his enemy with her nymph-like sexuality was a sensation. Despite many attempts to ban the film as ‘one of the dirtiest ever made’, it won a slew of awards, in particular for its famous director, Elia Kazan. Starring Caroll Baker, Karl Malden and Eli Wallach

17th October 2010
Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible' (1996)
- Miller wrote this in 1953 as a thinly veiled metaphor for the insidious and cowardly communist witch-hunts of post WWII America. The play is set during the infamous Salem witch trials of the 17th Century as land-owners and even young women use religion and fear to wrongly accuse people or simply to settle scores. The relatively new movie demonstrates that moral corruption and religious paranoia are sadly as evident and prevalent today as they were in the past. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Scofield and Winona Ryder.

24th October 2010
Neil Simon's 'The Odd Couple' (1968)
- Possibly America’s most famous comedy playwright’s most famous play. Some of his finest and most memorable, witty and cutting verbal fencing. Two totally mismatched friends live in constant friction in the same New York apartment. The film created a celluloid comedy partnership that probably has no equal. The performances of the prissy house-proud Felix and the grouchy slob Oscar bring the delivery of veiled, and not so veiled, insult to hilarious new levels. Starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon.

The film screenings are free of charge. No tickets needed, just walk right in (seats on first-come-first-serve). Paul will host a Q&A session after each screening. All screenings are at 3.00pm in indicine, klpac.

For more information, please visit www.klpac.org