DATE: January 12, 2007
MEDIA CONTACT: Melanie McDonald, director of media relations
PHONE: 574-284-4579
E-MAIL: mmcdonal@saintmarys.edu

Former “West Wing” Star at Saint Mary’s College

NOTRE DAME, Ind.—Anna Deavere Smith, who once played National Security Advisor Nancy McNally on “The West Wing,” will be on the Saint Mary’s College campus for three days this month as part of a lecture series, which is open to the public. The series is sponsored by the Margaret M. Hill Chair in Theatre, named for Broadway theatre producer and Saint Mary’s College alumna Margaret “Peggy” Hill, who endowed the chair.

Events include:

• Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Little Theatre, Moreau Center for the Arts: “The Art of Listening” workshop. Free of charge.

• Thursday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Little Theatre, Moreau Center for the Arts: “Claiming Your Voice Through Failure and Success” presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session. Free of charge.

• Friday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Little Theatre, Moreau Center for the Arts: “Snapshots: Glimpses of America in Change” presentation, followed by a reception and book signing. Books will be available for purchase. Ticket prices: $9 for the general public; $8 for senior citizens; $7 for faculty and staff; and $6 for students. Tickets are available through the Saint Mary’s College Box Office by calling 574-284-4626.

In addition to “The West Wing,” Smith has appeared in many films including “Philadelphia,” “Dave,” and “The American President.” She is also an accomplished playwright and stage actor. Smith is the author and performer of two one-woman plays about racial tensions in American cities: “Fires in the Mirror,” an Obie Award-winner and runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize, and “Twilight: Los Angeles 1992,” an Obie Award-winner and Tony Award nominee. Smith is currently a tenured professor at the Tisch School of the Arts and New York University and is affiliated with the NYU School of Law.

Margaret Hill, Saint Mary’s class of 1961, endowed the Margaret M. Hill Chair in Theatre in 1994. It is intended to continue to advance the prominence of the theatre department by bringing accomplished, prominent individuals to the College. Hill is the Tony Award-winning producer of “Jelly’s Last Jam,” about the life of Jelly Roll Martin starring Gregory Hines. Other producing credits include “Marvin’s Room,” “Oleanna,” and “Raft of the Medusa.”

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