Janis Ian to discuss documentary at the Kate on July 27

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence
Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center • 300 Main St, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
July 27, 2025
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Janis Ian: Breaking Silence

The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, “the Kate”, is pleased to present the documentary film “Janis Ian: Breaking Silence” followed by a conversation and question and answer session with Janis Ian on Sunday, July 27, 2025 at 6:30 pm.

“Janis Ian: Breaking Silence” chronicles the life, music, and times of maverick singer-songwriter Janis Ian, beginning with her teen years as a precocious member of the vibrant Greenwich Village folk scene jamming with such legends as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. In the mid-70s, she ascends to international stardom with such hits as “Stars,” about the transient nature of fame (covered by Nina Simone and Cher), and “Jesse,” the wistful lament of a lonely person waiting for their lover to return home (covered to great success by the R&B singer Roberta Flack and folk icon Joan Baez). With her megahit “At Seventeen,” her masterful take on adolescent pain and alienation, Ian cements her place as a voice for outsiders everywhere. In the 1980s, beset by financial difficulties, Ian moves to Nashville and reinvents herself as primarily a songwriter, collaborating and falling in love with the great songwriter Kye Fleming. With the release of her album “Breaking Silence,” she begins to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.

Ian eventually returns to performing and continues to write songs that address challenging subject matter, such as the Holocaust, the murder of Matthew Shepard, and gay marriage. In 2022, she releases her final album, “Light at the End of the Line,” and launches her bittersweet final tour. Ian’s music endures attracting new fans, inspiring listeners with her disarmingly candid lyrics and unwavering resilience in the face of personal and professional challenges.

“Janis Ian: Breaking Silence” features interviews with Ian’s extraordinary community of friends and collaborators, including folk luminaries Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, and Tom Paxton, as well as Hollywood

greats Lily Tomlin, Jean Smart, and Laurie Metcalf. Her notable work has earned her an honored place in folk and pop music history. Janis Ian continues to influence new generations of artists and activists. While she embraces her Jewish upbringing, upholds feminist values, and advocates for LGBQT+ rights, her story and music transcend the boundaries of identity politics, making her career a universal story relatable to all.

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Janis Ian to discuss documentary at the Kate on July 27