In the News: Anna Deavere Smith appears on Fresh Air

World-renowned playwright, actor, and professor Anna Deavere Smith brought a piece of her family history to the stage. She spoke about the process behind Basil Biggs, which premiered as part of What Now: 2026, on NPR's Fresh Air.

For more than 50 years, Anna Deavere Smith has pioneered a type of theater built from real people's words, interviewing hundreds of Americans and then performing their words verbatim. Now she's telling a story from her own family with ‘Basil Biggs.’ It’s about her great-great-grandfather, a free Black man, who reburied the Union dead at Gettysburg and prepared the ground for Lincoln's most famous speech. Smith spoke with Tonya Mosley about how ‘Finding Your Roots’ led her to this story and why she sees herself as an Americanist.

Hear the whole episode HERE.

Image of Basil Biggs dress rehearsal, via REC Philly