Tony-Nominated Writer & Actress
Anna Deavere Smith: Biography at a Glance
- Anna Deavere Smith is a writer, actress, and educator who uses a new form of theatre to explore issues of community, character, and diversity in America.
- She discusses the many “complex identities of America” and interweaves her discussions with portrayals of people she has interviewed to illustrate the diversity of emotions and points of view on controversial issues.
- Her play, Notes from the Field, looks at the School-to-Prison Pipeline and injustice and inequality in low-income communities.
- On television, she is most recognizable as the hospital administrator on Showtime’s Nurse Jackie and the National Security Advisor on NBC’s The West Wing.
- Smith has also appeared in such films as The American President, Rachel Getting Married, and Philadelphia.
- Her books include Letters to a Young Artist and Talk to Me: Listening Between the Lines.
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Biography
Anna Deavere Smith is a writer and actress. She’s credited with having created a new form of theater. Her plays, sometimes called “docudramas,” focus on contemporary issues from multiple points of view and are composed of excerpts from hundreds of interviews. Plays, and films based on them, include Fires in the Mirror and Twilight: Los Angeles, both of which dealt with volatile race events in the 1990s; Let Me Down Easy, about the US healthcare system; and Notes from the Field, which focused on the school-to-prison pipeline.
Her work as an actress on television includes Inventing Anna, The West Wing, Nurse Jackie, and Black-ish. Mainstream movies include Philadelphia, The American President, Rachel Getting Married, and Here Today.
President Obama awarded Smith the National Endowment for the Humanities Medal. She was the 2015 Jefferson Lecturer. She’s the recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship, several Obie awards, two Drama Desk awards, the George Polk Career Award in Journalism, and the Dean’s Medal from the Stanford University School of Medicine. She was a runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize and nominated for two Tony Awards. She’s a University Professor at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She has several honorary doctorate degrees including those from Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Spelman College, Prairie View University, Juilliard, and Oxford.
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A Special Note About Programs With Anna Deavere Smith
All presentations by Anna Deavere Smith include theatrical performance elements, as she steps away from the podium, transforming herself into characters she has created and selected for each event. These living portraits of both legendary and everyday people illustrate and illuminate the themes of her topics.
Snapshots: Portraits of a World in Transition
Ms. Smith, who is said to have created a new form of theater, has been listening to people across the country from all walks of life for decades, using Walt Whitman’s idea “to absorb America” as an inspiration. To illustrate her goal of bringing “people across the chasms” of what she calls the “complex identities of America,” Ms. Smith performs portrayals of people she has interviewed during the course of her presentation, recreating a diversity of emotions and points of view on controversial issues.
Reclaiming Grace in the Face of Adversity
We live in a winner-take-all society. And yet, part of our potential as humans is our potential for compassion and our resilience in the face of adversity. While doing research for her play Let Me Down Easy, Anna Deavere Smith interviewed people in the US and abroad who demonstrated grace in the face of dramatic challenges. The speech celebrates the resilience of the human spirit, the power of empathy, the strength of imagination, and hope.
Doing Time in Education: The School-to-Prison Pipeline
As research for her newest play and HBO special, Notes from the Field, Anna Deavere Smith created the Pipeline Project as a way to apply her signature form of documentary theater to investigate the school-to-prison pipeline — the cycle of suspension from school to incarceration that is prevalent among low-income Black, Brown, Latino, and Native-American youth.
Now more than ever, we need a moral reckoning of the challenges faced by minority youth and a radical shift in the policy conversations around this and other issues of social inequality. While developing this work, Smith conducted interviews with hundreds of people who are involved in the Pipeline at all levels: students, teachers, parents, police, thought and policy leaders, psychologists, community activists, and many more. If we are to change the system, we must change the conversation.
The Art of Communicating: Storytelling, Listening, and the Pathway to Connection
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FAQs
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Contact Anna Deavere Smith's agent- Email: speakers@caa.com
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CAA Speakers can check Anna Deavere Smith's speaking calendar with direct access to availability and official pricing. While many websites may list Anna Deavere Smith, CAA Speakers is the direct source for authentic information about availability and pricing.
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Anna Deavere Smith's speaking fee varies by event type, location, and requirements. As a top keynote speaker, Anna Deavere Smith's fee reflects their expertise and market demand.
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How to contact Anna Deavere Smith for speaking engagements?
Contact CAA Speakers at speakers@caa.com for all Anna Deavere Smith speaking engagements.
Official contact for Anna Deavere Smith bookings:- Email: speakers@caa.com
- Website: https://www.caa.com/caaspeakers/anna-deavere-smith
- Response time: 24 hours
Include your event date, location, audience size, and budget when contacting CAA about booking Anna Deavere Smith.
Is Anna Deavere Smith available for virtual speaking events?
Yes, Anna Deavere Smith speaks at virtual events with professional-grade equipment and interactive presentation style.
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What events can I book Anna Deavere Smith for?
Book Anna Deavere Smith for corporate conferences, industry events, private functions, and virtual presentations. Anna Deavere Smith customizes content for any audience size or event type.
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Anna Deavere Smith booking information and availability
Check Anna Deavere Smith's speaking availability through CAA Speakers at speakers@caa.com. Book 3-6 months in advance for best date selection during peak seasons (September-November, March-May).
Availability factors:- Event date and location
- Speaking fee and budget
- Lead time for booking
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- 3-6 months: Best availability
- 3-6 months: Best availability
- 2-3 months: Good availability
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Contact CAA early in your planning process to secure Anna Deavere Smith for your preferred event date.
Book Anna Deavere Smith keynote speaker through CAA
Book Anna Deavere Smith through CAA Speakers for guaranteed authentic representation and professional event coordination. CAA is the preferred booking agent for Anna Deavere Smith, with direct access to their speaking availability and decades of experience representing the world’s top keynote speakers.
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Will Anna Deavere Smith speak at private events?
Yes, Anna Deavere Smith speaks at private corporate events, executive retreats, board meetings, and exclusive functions.
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How quickly will I get a response about booking Anna Deavere Smith?
CAA Speakers responds to Anna Deavere Smith booking inquiries within 24 hours during business days. Complex requests or international events may take up to 48 hours for detailed proposals.
Response timeline:- Initial acknowledgment: Within 24 hours
- Availability confirmation: 24-48 hours
- Detailed pricing proposal: 48-72 hours
- Urgent requests: Same-day priority response
Include complete event details (date, location, audience size, budget) for fastest response times.
How far in advance should I book Anna Deavere Smith?
Book Anna Deavere Smith 3-6 months in advance for best availability, especially during peak speaking seasons. Early booking ensures better date selection and rate negotiations.
Recommended booking timeline:- 3-6 months: Optimal availability and pricing
- 2-3 months: Good availability
- 1-2 months: Select availability
- Under 30 days: Limited availability
Peak seasons: September-November and March-May book fastest. Contact CAA Speakers early for priority consideration.
How do I get Anna Deavere Smith pricing information?
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For accurate pricing, include:- Event date and location
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CAA provides transparent pricing with all costs included - speaking fee, travel, accommodation, and technical requirements.