Silent film star Buster Keaton gets a starring role with chamber ensemble Agarita
By Jack Morgan
September 8, 2026 at 1:46 PM CDT
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Chamber ensemble Agarita continues to create events built around an interesting premise. In fact, their latest performance will feature a popular character from about 100 years ago.
Marisa Bushman is a violist with Agarita.
“On Friday, September 11, we will be at the Carver Community Cultural Center, presenting a silent film by Buster Keaton called Seven Chances with live music, with Agarita playing it and two amazing guests joining us,” said Bushman.
The Keaton silent film has a whopper of a premise.
“Keaton plays Jimmy Shannon, who learns on his 27th birthday that he will inherit $7 million, but only if he's married by 7 p.m. that evening,” Bushman said. “So there's just a lot of Buster Keaton classic chaos in this film, and brides running after him, and it is just — it's a real feel-good film to bring the whole family to.”
Untitled
In Keaton’s era, silent films were all the rage, because musicians provided their art live, playing along as the movie was projected on the screen.
“It's really a neat experience. It kind of transports us back to 100 years ago when this is how silent films were actually presented to the public,” she said. “You go to the theater and you'd have musicians, usually an organist or pianist, kind of watching the film and playing along to it.”
For this particular performance, you don’t want to be late.
“We will be presenting it at 7:30 p.m. And if you show up a little bit early, we're actually going to be setting the tone by playing some of the Joplin rags before, sort of as people come in and sit down,” she said. “So try not to be too late, or else you might miss out on some really amazing background music from Agarita.”
This kind of performance makes someone appreciate both history and music.
“It's really a neat experience. It kind of transports us back to 100 years ago when this is how silent films were actually presented to the public,” Bushman said. “You go to the theater and you'd have musicians, usually an organist or pianist, kind of watching the film and playing along to it.”
Bushman said she saw a performance like this one a few years back.
"I actually saw this live one summer in Colorado. I was just so blown away. I said (that) we have to bring this to San Antonio.”
Given that the film is about a hundred years old, she said their wardrobe might also be a factor.
Agarita members (5472x3648, AR: 1.5)
“So you can expect, you know, Agarita up there maybe having a nod to that 1920s look in what we're wearing, and I think it's going to be a really enjoyable and fun evening.”
It’s happening Friday night at the Carver Community Cultural Center, and like all performances by Agarita, it’s free.
Agarita Poster (1152x581, AR: 1.9827882960413081)
Chamber ensemble Agarita continues to create events built around an interesting premise. In fact, their latest performance will feature a popular character from about 100 years ago.
Marisa Bushman is a violist with Agarita.
“On Friday, September 11, we will be at the Carver Community Cultural Center, presenting a silent film by Buster Keaton called Seven Chances with live music, with Agarita playing it and two amazing guests joining us,” said Bushman.
The Keaton silent film has a whopper of a premise.
“Keaton plays Jimmy Shannon, who learns on his 27th birthday that he will inherit $7 million, but only if he's married by 7 p.m. that evening,” Bushman said. “So there's just a lot of Buster Keaton classic chaos in this film, and brides running after him, and it is just — it's a real feel-good film to bring the whole family to.”
Untitled
In Keaton’s era, silent films were all the rage, because musicians provided their art live, playing along as the movie was projected on the screen.
“It's really a neat experience. It kind of transports us back to 100 years ago when this is how silent films were actually presented to the public,” she said. “You go to the theater and you'd have musicians, usually an organist or pianist, kind of watching the film and playing along to it.”
For this particular performance, you don’t want to be late.
“We will be presenting it at 7:30 p.m. And if you show up a little bit early, we're actually going to be setting the tone by playing some of the Joplin rags before, sort of as people come in and sit down,” she said. “So try not to be too late, or else you might miss out on some really amazing background music from Agarita.”
This kind of performance makes someone appreciate both history and music.
“It's really a neat experience. It kind of transports us back to 100 years ago when this is how silent films were actually presented to the public,” Bushman said. “You go to the theater and you'd have musicians, usually an organist or pianist, kind of watching the film and playing along to it.”
Bushman said she saw a performance like this one a few years back.
"I actually saw this live one summer in Colorado. I was just so blown away. I said (that) we have to bring this to San Antonio.”
Given that the film is about a hundred years old, she said their wardrobe might also be a factor.
Agarita members (5472x3648, AR: 1.5)
“So you can expect, you know, Agarita up there maybe having a nod to that 1920s look in what we're wearing, and I think it's going to be a really enjoyable and fun evening.”
It’s happening Friday night at the Carver Community Cultural Center, and like all performances by Agarita, it’s free.
Agarita Poster (1152x581, AR: 1.9827882960413081)