AC Off Broadway

Is this for real?! I know Anderson will not be ON STAGE himself; but how will he be included in the story, by dialogue alone? I guess.

He was not included in the masthead of the theater organization; as usual, I put him there. The rest is real.


Wed 12 Aug 2009

Let Me Down Easy at Second Stage Theatre


Second Stage Theatre will launch its 31st season this fall with the New York premiere of Anna Deavere Smith's Let Me Down Easy.

Conceived, written, and performed by Smith and directed by Leonard Foglia, Let Me Down Easy opens at Second Stage Theatre on 7 Oct 2009, following previews from 15 Sep and runs through to 8 Nov 2009.

Let Me Down Easy is an exploration of the power of the body and the resilience of the human spirit, featuring first person accounts from a wide variety of sources, including Lance Armstrong, Anderson Cooper [emphasis mine], and former Texas Governor Ann Richards. The play explores the world of healthcare from both the patient and practitioner perspective.

The show features scenic design by Riccardo Hernandez, costume design by Ann Hould-Ward and lighting design by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhaue.

During the eight-year development of this project, Smith interviewed hundreds of subjects, including doctors and patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine and Stanford School of Medicine and Hospital, as well as healthcare practitioners in Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa and in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

Working closely with director Leonard Foglia, Smith has re-conceived Let Me Down Easy from the earlier developmental versions presented at New Haven's Long Wharf Theatre (winter 2008) and Boston's American Repertory Theatre (summer 2008).

Anna Deavere Smith's work in the theater explores American character and our multifaceted national identity. She has won numerous awards, among them two Obies, two Tony nominations and a MacArthur fellowship. She was runner up for the Pulitzer Prize for her play 'Fires In the Mirror.' Her work combines the journalistic technique of interviewing her subjects with the art of interpreting their words through performance.

Leonard Foglia (Director) most recently directed Laurence Fishburne on Broadway in 'Thurgood' Other Broadway credits include 'Master Class' with Zoe Caldwell, 'On Golden Pond' with Leslie Uggams and James Earl Jones, and 'Wait Until Dark' with Quentin Tarantino and Marisa Tomei. Off-Broadway credits include 'Encores! One Touch of Venus' (City Center), 'The Stendahl Syndrome' by Terrence McNally (Primary Stages), 'By the Sea' (Manhattan Theatre Club).


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