Acclaimed Actor and Playwright Anna Deavere Smith on Art in a Time of War

Almost 30 years ago Smith began traveling across the United States interviewing people from all walks of life. Her encounters became an ongoing series of one-woman performances called “On the Road: A Search for American Character.”

Smith is best known for two plays examining race relations. “Fires in the Mirror: Crown heights, Brooklyn, and Other Identities” is based on Smith"s interviews with over 50 participants, observers, politicians, and activists about the 1991 race riots in Brooklyn, New York. “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992” draws from the 175 interviews she conducted in the wake of the Los Angeles riots following the verdict in the first Rodney King trial.

Smith is currently a professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and is the founding director of the Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue. She is also well-known for her roles in television shows like “The West Wng” and “Life Support.” Her latest solo show is called “Let Me Down Easy” and her most recent book is “Letters to a Young Artist: Straight Up Advice on Making a Life in the Arts.” Anna Deavere Smith joins me in Aspen, Colorado.

Anna Deavere Smith, award winning actor, playwright, teacher and author. Her best known plays include “Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and other Identities,” and “Twilight Los Angeles, 1992.” She has acted on television shows such as West Wing and Life Support and is also a professor at New York University"s Tisch School of the Arts. Her latest book is called “Letters to a Young Artist.”