Let Me Down Easy: a play in evolution

Well known to A.R.T. audiences as the creator of Fires in the Mirror, Anna Deavere Smith is one of the most acclaimed and provocative writers and performers of our time. Her latest one-woman show, Let Me Down Easy, is a journey in search of human qualities that are too seldom in the news —compassion, generosity, and grace.

Channeling a dramatic range of interview subjects, from artists and philosophers to healthcare professionals and survivors of the Rwandan genocide, Anna Deavere Smith asks a question for our age: how do we pursue grace and kindness in a competitive and sometimes distressing world? Generous and powerful in its vision, Let Me Down Easy is a virtuosic exploration of the resourcefulness of the human spirit.

Let Me Down Easy was first produced as series of staged readings at the Zachary Scott Theatre in Austin, followed by a production last winter at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven.

Major Production Sponsors: Paul and Katie Buttenwieser