Some people study a text very deeply. The people are my text. I study their words and what their words sound like, over and over again. When I was a kid, my grandfather said that "if you say a word often enough, it becomes you." Thinking of that later in life gave me this idea that I could try to become America by learning the words of people from many aspects of the country. It doesn't matter how educated they are. By living in the world and living their experiences, they bring extraordinary truths. I try to do those truths justice.
Anna Deavere SmithI see myself as not a typical theater person, but a person who uses the theater as a place to meet people and explore ideas.
Anna Deavere SmithPeople who are sick, or who have been sick, or have come close to death have a lot to say - and they want you to hear it.
Anna Deavere SmithMy work is about giving voice to the unheard, and reiterating the voice of the heard in such a way that you question, or re-examine, what is the truth.
Anna Deavere Smith