Anna Deavere Smith

Anna Deavere Smith is an actress and playwright. Smith is said to have created a new form of theater. Prizes include the National Humanities Medal presented by President Obama, a MacArthur fellowship, two Tony nominations, and two Obie awards. She has created over 15 one-person shows based on hundreds of interviews. Her plays include Fires in the Mirror, Twilight: Los Angeles, and Let Me Down Easy. In film and television, you have seen her in Nurse Jackie, The West Wing, and Rachel Getting Married. Books include Letters to a Young Artist and Talk to Me: Listening Between the Lines. Smith is director of Anna Deavere Smith Works at the Aspen Institute – a place for artistic excellence and social change, dedicated to artists whose work shines a light on complex social issues. She is University Professor at New York University.