Speaker Profile Thumbnail for Anna Deavere Smith

Playwright, Actor, Professor

Anna Deavere Smith Speaking Fee: $30,000 to $50,000

Playwright, Actor, Professor

Speaker Profile Thumbnail for Anna Deavere Smith
Speaking Fee:
$30,000 to $50,000

Travels From:
DCA - Washington, DC

Primary Topic Category:
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) / Social Justice

Secondary Topic Category:
Authors & Storytellers

 

Anna Deavere Smith Speaker Profile: At A Glance

Anna Deavere Smith is a playwright, actor and educator. Her work combines the journalistic technique of interviewing her subjects with the art of interpreting their words through performance. President Obama awarded Smith the National Humanities Medal in 2013. Her most recent play, Notes from the Field, looks at the School-to-Prison Pipeline and injustice and inequality in low-income communities. Winner of an Obie Award and the 2017 Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show, Notes from the Field was named one of the Top 10 Plays of the year by Time magazine.

Anna Deavere Smith is a multifaceted artist and educator whose work transcends conventional theater boundaries. Born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1950, Smith's journey began in an era deeply marked by race relations and societal change. This environment fueled her curiosity about identity and communication, two themes that would become central to her artistic endeavors. She is widely recognized for creating a unique form of theater that marries journalism with performance, a technique she began developing in the 1980s and has refined throughout her illustrious career. Smith's groundbreaking style involves conducting extensive interviews with people from varied walks of life and transforming their words and emotions into compelling solo performances. Her work delves deep into the complexities of American life, often exploring challenging societal issues, such as race, class, and the quest for democracy. Her influential plays, "Fires in the Mirror" and "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992," are poignant examples of her commitment to storytelling that sparks dialogue and fosters understanding. A recipient of the prestigious National Humanities Medal in 2013, awarded by President Obama, Smith's contributions extend beyond theater into academia and community engagement. She has been a professor at Stanford University, Tisch School of the Arts, and Carnegie Mellon University, among other institutions. Throughout her academic career, Smith has been dedicated to nurturing new talent and encouraging students to explore the intersection of social issues and the arts. Her recent work, "Notes from the Field," continues her exploration of systemic inequities. The critically acclaimed play addresses the School-to-Prison Pipeline and highlights injustices faced by low-income communities. It garnered an Obie Award and the 2017 Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show and was hailed by Time magazine as one of the Top 10 Plays of the year. This play, like much of her work, calls for empathy and action, inviting audiences to engage with the experiences of those often marginalized in society. Smith’s impact is profound, spanning across theater, education, and activism. Her ability to weave authentic human experiences into transformative art challenges audiences to confront difficult truths and inspires meaningful dialogue and change. Through her work, Anna Deavere Smith continues to exemplify the power of storytelling as a tool for social change and underscores the importance of listening as a catalyst for understanding.
Gotham Artists