Anna Deavere Smith is the 2015-16 Margaret M. Hill Endowed Visiting Artist

February 1, 2016 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—The Saint Mary’s College Department of Communication Studies, Dance and Theatre is proud to welcome award-winning actress, playwright, professor, and social commentator Anna Deavere Smith to campus for a second time as a Margaret M. Hill Endowed Visiting Artist. She was the first visiting artist in this series when it debuted 10 years ago. Smith will work with Saint Mary’s students in private master classes beginning on Friday, February 19 and end her visit with a public event, “An Evening with Anna Deveare Smith” on Monday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m. in O’Laughlin Auditorium. Smith’s talk and one-woman performance is titled “From Rodney King to Michael Brown: The Narrative of Ferguson.” Ticket information is available below and at moreaucenter.com.

“We are beyond thrilled to welcome Anna Deavere Smith to the College once more,” said Katie Sullivan, associate professor of theatre. “This visiting artist series provides a unique and invaluable experience for our theatre students. They are able to visit with, learn from, and be inspired by nationally and internationally, renowned theatre artists whose talents have entertained and moved us all.”

Smith is well known for her unique, one-person shows that bring to the stage contemporary American social issues. She creates scripts based on interviews with real people from all walks of life and, on stage, transforms herself into an astonishing number of characters. For this work, Smith received the 2013 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, one of the largest and most prestigious awards in the arts, as well as the National Humanities Medal. The MacArthur Foundation honored Smith with the Genius Fellowship for creating a “new form of theatre—a blend of theatrical art, social commentary, journalism, and intimate reverie.” On Sunday, February 21 Smith will instruct a master class for invited guests from the South Bend community interested in bringing their activist causes to theatre audiences.

Smith’s breakthrough plays, Fires in the Mirror, and the Tony-nominated Twilight: Los Angeles, which dramatized the riots in L.A. in the days that followed the Rodney King trial, tackled issues of race and social inequality that have become touchstones of her work. Her new play on the school-to-prison pipeline, Notes from the Field: Doing Time in Education, continues in this tradition by exploring the cycle of suspension from school to incarceration prevalent in low-income communities.

In addition to appearing on Showtime’s Nurse Jackie, Smith’s television credits include The West Wing, Black-ish, and Madame Secretary. She has appeared in films, including Rachel Getting Married, Philadelphia, and The American President.

In 1997 Smith founded Anna Deavere Smith Works at Harvard. Now part of the Aspen Institute, where Smith is on the Board of Trustees, ADS Works “cultivates artistic excellence that embraces the social issues of the day.” Smith is a professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and an affiliate with the university’s School of Law.

The Margaret M. Hill Endowed Visiting Artist Series is an annual event made possible by a generous gift from Hill, a Saint Mary’s College alumna and a Broadway producer. Recent artists to visit the College as part of the series include The Second City (spring 2015), Audra McDonald (spring 2013), Sigourney Weaver (fall 2011), Lily Tomlin (fall 2010), and Glenn Close (spring 2010).

“Saint Mary’s is forever grateful to Peggy Hill for her gift to the College which allows us to, year after year, host artists who coach and instruct our students. The students receive advice about how to make their way in the professional theatre world. They also have the opportunity to ask the artists various questions about their technique, particular roles or scripts or shows, how to balance career and personal life, and how to take the first steps after college,” Sullivan added.

“An Evening with Anna Deavere Smith” is a free event for Saint Mary’s College, University of Notre Dame, and Holy Cross College students, faculty, and staff, but tickets are required. Admission is $12 for the general public and senior citizens, and can be purchased by visiting moreaucenter.com, calling (574) 284-4626, or stopping by the box office in O’Laughlin. 

About Saint Mary's College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. Saint Mary’s College also offers two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a Doctorate. All programs that fall under these degrees are co-educational and include a Master of Science in Data Science, a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College seeks, according to its mission statement, to educate students, develop their talents, and prepare them to make a difference in the world. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2016 published by U.S. News & World Report. Follow Saint Mary's College on Twitter @saintmarys and @saintmarysnews. 

Contact for News Media: Gwen O’Brien, director of media relations, Saint Mary’s College, gobrien@saintmarys.edu (574) 284-4579