Westport Library Packed For Conversation With Shonda Rhimes In Honor Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Westport Library in association with the Westport Country Playhouse held their 19th annual celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Sunday.PIctured here is Ms. Rhimes, one of Hollywoood’s greatest success stories and a proud Westport resident in conversation with fellow Westporter Trey Ellis, a novelist, screenwriter, playwright, essayist and professor at Columbia University.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Above: Shonda Rhimes speaking with Try Ellis on a variety of issues in relation to the celebration of MLK, Jr. and on a wide range of topics on hee own achievements and success in the entertainment industry, and how she came to make Westport her home. Bottom: Getting ready to begin the program Ms. Rhimes pauses for a photograph with Westport First Selectwoman Jen Tooker, TEAM Westport Chair Harold Bailey, U.S. Senator from Connecticut Richard Blumenthal, Start-Up Co-Founder Jay Norris, Ms. Rhimes and Trey Ellis. At right, the program began with remarks from Harold Bailey.
The YouTube link to the entire event is posted at the end of the story.
Two things became abundantly clear on Sunday. Shonda Rhimes loves Westport and Westport loves Shonda Rhimes. Within an hour of the announcement of the Shondaland creator’s appearance at this years MLK celebration, more than 400 ticket’s were sold and overflow requests began to fill a wait list. The threatening storm did little to curtail the attendance with few seats unfilled even as the snow was falling outside.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Above: (L to R) the program began with Harold Bailey introducing Senator Blumenthal, followed by Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn, Westport-Weston Clergy Association and Westport Country Playouse artistic director Mark Shanahan.
Rabbi Weiderhorn told of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, his involvement in the civil rights movement and when he marched in Selma, Alabama with Dr. King. He repeated Clarence Jones', the keynote speaker from last year's celebration who said of Heschel, "he felt like his legs were praying" Mr. Shanahan spoke of his pride and that of the Playhouse in supporting this event and the "No Place For Hate Initiative" in Westport schools.
Above: (L to R) Comments by the Senator and Shanahan who invited the audience to attend the screening of King, Into The Wilderness at the Playhouse on Monday. Next, Library Executive Director Bill Harmer gave remarks and then introduced Christian Servance to perform. Servance, an alumnus of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston for an outstanding performance of "Someday We'll All Be Free" by Donny Hathaway. Mr. Servance was invited back again this year by TEAM Westport's Harold Bailey to assist in honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this year and once again thrilled the crowd with his superb vocals and passionate performance and showmanship.
Mr. Ellis in conversation with Ms. Rhimes with the live video being projected on the giant screen behind them.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Shonda Rhimes, a prominent figure in the television industry, is renowned as the CEO of Shondaland, a groundbreaking storytelling company. She has established herself as the creator, head writer, and executive producer of several hit television series, including "Grey’s Anatomy," "Private Practice," "Scandal," and "Inventing Anna." Additionally, she has contributed as a producer to popular shows like "How to Get Away with Murder" and "Bridgerton."
Rhimes is notable for being the first woman to create three television dramas that have surpassed the 100-episode mark, a significant achievement that underscores her influence in the field. Her work has garnered a multitude of accolades, including a Golden Globe, the Peabody Award, and lifetime achievement recognitions from the Directors Guild of America, Writers Guild, and Producers Guild. She has also received numerous AFI Awards for Television Program of the Year and NAACP Image Awards.
In 2017, Rhimes was inducted into the Television Academy of Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame. That same year, she made a significant shift in her career by leaving traditional television to partner with Netflix, where Shondaland now produces content exclusively for the streaming platform. She has been a highly visible figure in Westport and appeared in the Library’s annual “Booked For The Evening” event in June of 2023: WestportLocalPress, Shonda Rhimes: Booked For The Evening
Mr. Ellis asked about how Shonda began, to which she replied "I always have a hard time talking about how I began, at this point I don't even really know..." drawing laughter from the audience, and she continued "I was always writing, I've been writing since I was a child" The laughter continued when she spoke of always wanting to be "Beloved" author Toni Morrison, saying "...can't be Toni Morrison 'cause only Toni Morrison is Toni Morrison." She added that she "always wanted to do something with words" and after arriving in L.A. she discovered television writing and how much she enjoyed it and how she wanted to find "a place where my voice could be heard.
When queried about future endeavors Rhimes responded that although just because she can do almost anything, she is interested only in doing shows that she would want to watch. She added that she discovered that shows, such as she produces that feature diversity make more money.
They touched upon the current state of politics, briefly and Rhimes said she "campaigned like crazy for Kamala Harris", going all over the country. She added that "we can't tell people what to do, or vote", but as in her productions, she can show people a different reality, saying "I always want our shows to be both a window and a mirror."
There is far more than we can cover here, so for a fascinating insight into Shonda Rhimes and to learn more about her many viewpoints on a wide array of topics we suggest viewing the entire event on The Westport Library YouTube channel, Shonda Rhimes Martin Luther King, Jr. event.
Among the many very enthusiastic young people in attendance were Engineering Science University Magnet School Students Grades 9-12 with Technology Teacher Lakesha Kirkland (4th from left in all black)
Almost all available seating was filled. Cell phones were kept very busy during the entire presentation, preserving the special moments.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The Trefz Forum is filled nearly to capacity for the 19th Annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
At the conclusion of the conversation between Ms. Rhimes and Trey Ellis, Christian Servance once again turned to the enthusiastic and appreciative audience to perform "Better Days" by Le'Andria Johnson.
When Mr. Bailey inquired as to his selection of songs, Servance said, " because of what the event represented I wanted to sing songs that inspired me to keep moving forward through all trials and tribulations. These selections were particularly important to Mr. Servance as he told WestportLocalPress that they were, "Absolutely an acknowledgment to (my) life experiences. Also an acknowledgment to all the tragedies that may still take place all over the world. From the fires in LA to just dealing with everyday struggles we all have as humans reminding ourselves through everything negative that happens out of our control, that better days are coming and someday we’ll all be free from the burdens we may carry." Christian will continue to pursue his career in music which began at Trumbull's Regional Center for the Arts as a high school student with his desire to take his career to the next level by recording and performing his original music.
The Engineering Science University Magnet School Students were thrilled by Servance’s closing performance. At right, we could not help but notice Shonda’s fabulous shoes, catching the lights.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The entire event is available online: Westport Library YouTube Channel