On The Road With Anna Deavere Smith

Abstract

This thesis examines Anna Deavere Smith's contribution to American theatre with regard to her life and artistic practice. The first chapter examines Smith's development of her theatrical project, On The Road: The Search for American Character with its approach to acting that emphasizes empathetic listening to the speech patterns, rhythm, cadence and physicality of the the “other” in order to identify with them. Chapter two offers a close reading of Fires in the Mirror as a theatrical presentation that examines racialized identities as process-orientated and intensified by tragic incidents. Chapter three looks at Smith's next success, Twilight, Los Angeles, 1992 and focuses on tensions and differences between racially opposed characters in an effort to open up a democratizing space in the midst of the race riots. Chapter four considers Smith's latest play Let Me Down Easy as a departure from her previous work on race relations, but shows how she continues to deal with the struggle of human beings to perform their identities around issues of access to universal healthcare.