Anna Deavere Smith Discusses The Evolution Of LET ME DOWN EASY From Its Original Interview

Anna Deavere Smith's new play, LET ME DOWN EASY, currently playing off-Broadway, evolved from an original set of interviews done by Smith. While at Yale, the chairman of the department of medicine asked her to produce a play based on interviews with patients and doctors to present to the medical staff.

The New York Times said of Smith writing the play, "When she finally came, she was struck by the sort of conversations she had with her subjects. She had just finished a play, House Arrest involving interviews with politicians. Those subjects were guarded, careful with their words, aware of their message." Smith found the medical patients able to speak freely and open up.

To read the full article from the New York Times, click here.

Channeling a dramatic range of interview subjects, from artists and athletes to doctors and those they treat, LET ME DOWN EASY is a virtuosic and moving exploration of the power of the body and the resilience of the human spirit, featuring first person accounts from a wide variety of sources, including Lance Armstrong and former Texas Governor Ann Richards. With her trademark journalistic precision, Anna Deavere Smith, one of the most acclaimed and provocative theater artists of our time, explores the world of healthcare from both the patient and practitioner perspective in this timely and absorbing new play.

LET ME DOWN EASY will have scenic design by Riccardo Hernandez, costume design by Ann Hould-Ward, and lighting design by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer.

During the eight-year development of this project, Ms. Smith interviewed hundreds of subjects, including doctors and patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine and Stanford School of Medicine and Hospital, as well as healthcare practitioners in Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa and in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

Working closely with director Leonard Foglia, Ms. Smith has re-conceived LET ME DOWN EASY from the earlier developmental versions presented at New Haven's Long Wharf Theatre (winter 2008) and Boston's American Repertory Theatre (summer 2008).

Anna Deavere Smith's work in the theater explores American character and our multifaceted national identity. She has won numerous awards, among them two Obies, two Tony nominations and a MacArthur fellowship. She was runner up for the Pulitzer Prize for her play Fires In the Mirror. She is said to have created a new form of theater. Her work combines the journalistic technique of interviewing her subjects with the art of interpreting their words through performance. The New York Times called her "the ultimate impressionist, she does people's souls." She has appeared on the television shows The West Wing, Presidio Med, The Practice, and the new Showtime television series, Nurse Jackie. Films include Rachel Getting Married, The American President, Philadelphia, The Human Stain, Life Support, and Dave. Her plays include Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; Fires in the Mirror; and House Arrest. Her books include Talk To Me and Letters to A Young Artist. A professor at New York University, she is also the founding director of the Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue, a center for artistic excellence addressing social change. She is the recipient of several honorary degrees.

LET ME DOWN EASY will be performed through Sunday, December 6, 2009 at Second Stage Theatre (307 West 43rd Street, just west of 8th Avenue) on the following schedule: Tuesday at 7:00pm, Wednesday - Saturday at 8:00pm, Wednesday and Saturday at 2:00pm, and Sunday at 3:00pm.

All weekday evening performances the week of October 20 will begin at 7:00pm. Weekend curtain times remain the same. There will be no 2:00pm performance on Wednesday, September 16 and 23, and October 7. There will be an added 7:00pm performance on Sunday, October 11.

Tickets are $70 and may be purchased by phoning 212-246-4422 or 800-766-6048 or online at www.2ST.com. Patrons age 30 and under may purchase a limited number of specially-priced $30 tickets in advance. A limited number of student rush tickets are $15 and are available 30 minutes prior to curtain.

Group tickets are available by phoning 212-889-4300 or (800) 331-0472. Box-office hours are Monday, 10:00am - 6:00pm, Tuesday 10:00am - 7:00pm, Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00am to 8:00pm, and Sunday, 10:00am to 3:00pm.

For more information, visit www.2ST.com.

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