Citizen Kane (1941) was written and directed by Orson Welles. The plot traces the life and career of Charles Foster Kane, a man whose career in the publishing world is born of idealistic social service but gradually evolves into a ruthless pursuit of power. Citizen Kane unfolds in a series of vignettes from the perspective of a newspaper reporter seeking to solve the mystery of the newspaper magnate's dying word, "Rosebud".
Upon the s release, William Randolph Hearst, who was the real- life inspiration for Kane's character, prohibited mention of the film in any of his newspapers. Regardless of Hearst's aversion, Citizen Kane is considered to be an American classic whose innovative and influential presence has helped to define the history of film.
Karen Henderson is a professor in the Theatre and Speech Department at UTC. She teaches Introduction to Film, Introduction to Performance, and Improvisational classes. Her film class focuses on the classics, including Gold Rush by Charlie Chaplin, Citizen Kane by Orson Welles, Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock, and Dr. Strangelove by Stanley Kubrick, just to name a few. She also exposes her students to contemporary foreign films in order to give them a more global perspective on film. Karen has two bachelor degrees, a graduate degree, and will add an M.A. in Film Studies from Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, once her thesis is completed.