Christopher Plummer to Speak at Westport Malloy Lecture in the Arts, 9/16

Westport Public Library is pleased to announce that The Malloy Lecture in the Arts will be held on Thursday, September 16, at 7:00 pm. The event will take place at Westport Country Playhouse (25 Powers Court, Westport). Entitled "The Malloy Lecture in the Arts: Remembering Archie (Archibald MacLeish-The Poet and the Man), as told by Christopher Plummer," the evening will feature Emmy and Tony award-winning actor Christopher Plummer, who will combine MacLeish's poetry with his personal reminiscences of the poet. In addition, Plummer will be interviewed by Westport Country Playhouse Artistic Advisor Anne Keefe about his own career and memoir, "In Spite of Myself."

Books will be available afterward for purchase and signing. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required through online registration (go to www.westportlibrary.org, and click on "Malloy Lecture in the Arts"), by calling The Westport Country Playhouse box office at 203-227-4177, or visiting www.westportplayhouse.org. Seating will be assigned; limit four tickets per reservation.

Christopher Plummer has enjoyed almost 60 years as one of the theatre's most respected actors and as a veteran of well over 100 motion pictures. Raised in Montreal, he began his professional career on stage and radio in both French and English. After Eva Le Gallienne gave him his New York debut (1954), he went on to star in many celebrated productions on Broadway and London's West End, winning accolades on both sides of the Atlantic. He has won two Tony Awards for the musical "Cyrano" and for "Barrymore" plus seven Tony nominations, his latest for his King Lear (2004) and for his Clarence Darrow in "Inherit the Wind" (2007); also three Drama Desk Awards and the National Arts Club Medal. A former leading member of the Royal National Theater under Sir Laurence Olivier and the Royal Shakespeare Company under Sir Peter Hall, where he won London's Evening Standard Award for Best Actor in "Becket," he has also led Canada's Stratford Festival in its formative years under Sir Tyrone Guthrie and Michael Langham. He is widely recognized as one of the finest classical actors of his time.

Since Sidney Lumet introduced him to the screen in "Stage Struck" (1958), his range of notable films include "The Man Who Would Be King," "Battle of Britain," "Waterloo," "Fall of the Roman Empire," "Star Trek VI," "Twelve Monkeys," and the 1965 Oscar-winning "The Sound of Music"; more recently, Oscar-nominated "The Insider" (as Mike Wallace, he won the National Film Critics Award), the Oscar-winning "A Beautiful Mind," "Man in the Chair," "Must Love Dogs," "National Treasure," "Syriana," and "Inside Man." His TV appearances, which number close to 100, include the Emmy-winning BBC "Hamlet at Elsinore" playing the title role; the Emmy-winning productions "The Thornbirds," "Nuremberg," "Little Moon of Alban" and many others. He has himself won two Emmys plus six Emmy nominations. Mr. Plummer has also written for the stage, television, and concert-hall.
Apart from honors in the UK, USA, Austria, and Canada, he was the first performer to receive the Jason Robards Award in memory of his great friend, the Edwin Booth Award, and the Sir John Gielgud Quill Award. In 1968, sanctioned by Elizabeth II, he was invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada (an honorary knighthood). An Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts at Juilliard, he also received the Governor General's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. In 1986, he was inducted into the Theatre's Hall of Fame and, in 2000, Canada's Walk of Fame. His self-written memoir, "In Spite of Myself" (Alfred A. Knopf Publishers), is being much lauded by critics and public alike.
His most recent roles include Pixar's "Up," "9," and "My Dog Tulip," all animated film projects, and also the title role of "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," directed by Terry Gilliam. Also, he received nominations from the Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globes, and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for "The Last Station" in which he plays the great novelist Tolstoy opposite Helen Mirren, written and directed by Michael Hoffman.

The Westport Public Library began The Malloy Lecture in the Arts in 2002 with a generous gift from local resident Susan Malloy. Open to the public, the lecture presents an individual who has had a significant cultural influence and whose work has enhanced the understanding and appreciation of the arts. In previous years the lecture has been given by Philippe de Montebello, Arthur Miller, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Joshua Bell, Billy Collins, Vartan Gregorian, Joyce Carol Oates, and Roz Chast.

For further information, phone 203-291-4800, or check the library web site www.westportlibrary.org.

Photo Credit: Richard Bain

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