ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.— The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College presents “An Evening with Anna Deavere Smith” on Saturday, February 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Sosnoff Theater. Widely acclaimed as one of the most provocative writers and performers of our time, Anna Deavere Smith is as celebrated for her investigative “documentary style” theater (Fires in the Mirror, Twilight: Los Angeles 1992) as for her starring roles on The West Wing and Nurse Jackie. Join her for an intimate evening in which she shares portraits of real people she has embodied over the past two decades. Tickets start at $25 and are available at the Fisher Center box office at fishercenter.bard.edu or by calling 845-758-7900.

Anna Deavere Smith is an actress and playwright who is said to have created a new form of theater.  She has won numerous awards, among them two Obies, two Tony nominations, a Drama Desk Award, the Susan V. Berresford Fellowship from United States Artists, a MacArthur fellowship, and the prestigious Gish Prize in 2013. She was also awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama last summer.  She was runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize for her play Fires in the Mirror.  Her work, in a series called “On The Road: A Search for American Character,” combines the journalistic technique of interviewing her subjects with the art of interpreting their words through performance.  She currently plays hospital administrator Gloria Akalitus on Showtime’s hit series Nurse Jackie.  Additional screen credits include The West Wing, The American President, Rachel Getting Married, Life Support, and others. Honorary degrees include those from Juilliard, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Northwestern, Haverford, and Radcliffe.  She has served as artist in residence at several organizations as varied as MTV Networks and Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. She is a professor at New York University. She founded and directs Anna Deavere Smith Works: A Place for Artistic Excellence and Social Change, dedicated to convening and supporting artists whose work addresses the world’s most pressing challenges.
To download high-resolution images go to fishercenter.bard.edu/press.

For tickets and additional information contact the Fisher Center box office at [email protected], or call 845-758-7900.

About The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College

Named for the late Richard B. Fisher, the former chair of Bard’s Board of Trustees, the Fisher Center has become an influential force in performing arts programming, earning critical acclaim for innovative productions of opera, orchestral, chamber, dance, and theater programs. The Center was designed by legendary architect Frank Gehry and distinguished acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, and has received international praise for its breathtaking architecture and superb sound.

Each summer the Fisher Center presents the Bard SummerScape festival, eight weeks of performing arts programs reflecting the life and times of the featured composer of the esteemed Bard Music Festival, now celebrating its 25th year. Fall and spring seasons include original productions, special one-night-only concerts, and touring artists from around the globe.

The Fisher Center is home to the Bard College Theater & Performance and Dance Programs, providing students access to exceptional theater facilities and opportunities to work with professional directors and dramaturges on publicly attended productions throughout the year. Live Arts Bard, a residency and commissioning program, is a laboratory for professional artists in theater, dance, and performance to test ideas and develop new projects, many of which premiere at the Fisher Center. The Bard College Conservatory of Music and the Bard College Music Program stage regular orchestral and chamber concerts.

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January 28, 2014