Westport, CT - Tobacco has a long, storied, and complicated history in the United States, most regularly attributed to plantations and the Virginia-Carolina tobacco belt.
Stepping Into the Shade, the highly anticipated documentary series set to debut Saturday, June 1, at The Westport Library, tells the story of tobacco from a Connecticut perspective, illuminating the Nutmeg State’s integral role in the U.S.’s history of tobacco and tobacco farming. The series is a production of the Eastern Connecticut State University Department of Communication, Film, and Theatre.
“All around the world you will find Connecticut’s mark on cigars,” said June Archer, the entrepreneur, music industry executive, and community leader who hosts and narrates the series. “In fact, the gold standard for cigar wrappers comes from tobacco grown in Connecticut.”
The June 1 event (free to attend; click here to register) will kick off at 5 pm with a reception. An exclusive screening of select scenes from the series will start at 6 pm in the Trefz Forum, shown on the Library’s state-of-the art, 18-foot videowall, followed by a panel discussion and interactive audience Q&A hosted by acclaimed journalist Leslie Mayes-Low and featuring Michael Chambers Sr., historian and co-founder of the Cricket Hall of Fame; Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar, professor of history and founding director, Center for the Study of Popular Music at the University of Connecticut; Jason Chang, associate professor of history at the University of Connecticut; and more.
The evening closes with a VIP reception featuring food representing the cultures and ethnicities presented in the series.
“We’re thrilled to be able to offer our community a first look at this remarkable documentary series,” Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer said. “This is an important Connecticut story that many people may not know about, and we are proud to partner to present it. The story of Connecticut is brilliantly told and impeccably executed in this series. It promises to be a wonderful evening — and will surely make anyone who comes want to watch the entire compilation immediately.”
Click here to watch the trailer for Stepping Into the Shade
The producers of the Stepping Into the Shade — Archer, alongside co-directors Brian Day and Kristen Morgan of Eastern Connecticut State — describe the docuseries as “a love story about the people who toiled in the soil on the Connecticut tobacco farms.”
The series explores the history of Connecticut tobacco farming and the various stories of the people who worked on the farms and changed culture and Civil Rights. It began with a short film by Andrew Ellison, a student of Day’s and Morgan’s at Eastern Connecticut State, with the three then teaming up to create the episodic series.
The full documentary series will be available by September, with a distributor still to be decided.
Event Information
Stepping Into the Shade Premiere
Saturday, June 1
5-9 pm
Trefz Forum, The Westport Library
Event link: https://westportlibrary.org/event/stepping-into-the-shade-documentary-series-premiere/
Registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stepping-into-the-shade-documentary-series-premiere-tickets-891062390597
More information: https://www.steppingintotheshade.com/
About The Westport Library
Founded in 1886, built in 1908, and transformed in 2019, The Westport Library is one of the most active and innovative public libraries in the nation, devoted to enriching the intellectual and creative lives of the community. Among its many highlights are a full collection of books for children, teens, and adults; an engaging and colorful Children’s Library; a MakerSpace; a Library of Things; a Seed Library; a robust café and store; and professional art installations that rotate throughout the year. The Westport Library is also home to Verso Studios, replete with an SSL hybrid analog sound studio and broadcast control suite featuring a state-of-the-art console and six robotic cameras, and the Trefz Forum, an open, flexible space that can accommodate up to 600 patrons and features an 18-foot video wall, 35-foot stage, state-of-the-art sound, and theatrical lighting. Situated in the heart of downtown Westport overlooking the scenic Saugatuck River, The Westport Library annually hosts StoryFest, the largest literary festival in Connecticut, and VersoFest, its multi-day music and media festival. Above all, the Library strives to serve the whole community as a vibrant gathering spot where people of all ages come to seek information, gain knowledge, exchange ideas, and share experiences. For more information, visit westportlibrary.org.