Playwright, Actor and Professor Anna Deavere Smith Notes From the Field / Snapshots: Portraits of a World in Transition

Anna Deavere Smith uses her singular brand of theater to explore issues of community, character and diversity in America. Honored by the MacArthur Foundation for creating “a new form of theatre – a blend of theatrical art, social commentary, journalism and intimate reverie,” Smith 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,” she performs portrayals of people she has interviewed, recreating a diversity of emotions and points of view on controversial issues.

This 45-minute presentation will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Stephanie Leigh Batiste, UC Santa Barbara Professor of English.

This public event is the culmination of an extensive residency working with students and faculty in the UC Santa Barbara Department of Theater and Dance.

Date: Feb. 2, 2021
Time: 7:00 PM
Price: $10 (Free for UCSB Students)
Link: https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/SelectTickets.aspx?PerfNum=4554