Anna Deavere Smith. Four American Characters

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Hailed by Newsweek as "the most exciting individual in American theater," Anna Deavere Smith uses her solo performances as a public medium to explore issues of race, identity, and community in America. Inspired by her grandfather who told her, "Say a word often enough, and it becomes you," Deavere Smith has interviewed more than 2,000 people across the country for 20 years. Without props, sets, or costumes, she translates these encounters into profound performances, each drawing verbatim from the original recorded interview. Her uncanny ability to inhabit the characters she's representing onstage regardless of race, gender, or age has made her the master of the form. She was the recipient of two Obies, a MacArthur "genius" grant, and several Tony nominations. This writer and actor gives life to author Studs Terkel, convict Paulette Jenkins, a Korean shopkeeper, and a bull rider from her show "On the Road: A Search for American Character" in this animated TEDTalk.