Anna Deavere Smith's Let Me Down Easy Extends Again

Anna Deavere Smith's new solo show Let Me Down Easy has extended for a second time at Second Stage. Conceived, written and performed by Smith and directed by Leonard Foglia, the show opened off-Broadway on October 7 and had been sheduled to run through November 8 before extending through December 6. The new extension continues the run for three extra weeks, through January 3, 2010.

The acclaimed production will not be performed December 14-20 due to Smith's previous commitment to perform Hymn with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at New York City Center.

Channeling a range of interview subjects, from artists and athletes to doctors and those they treat, Let Me Down Easy explores the power of the body, the price of health, and the resilience of the spirit. Combining the journalistic technique of interviewing her subjects with the art of interpreting their words through performance, Smith performs first-person accounts from sources that include Lance Armstrong, former Texas Governor Ann Richards, supermodel Lauren Hutton and film critic Joel Siegel.

Smith’s plays include Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, Fires in the Mirror and House Arrest. As an actress, she has appeared on TV's Nurse Jackie, The West Wing, Presidio Med and The Practice. Her films include Rachel Getting Married, The American President, Philadelphia, The Human Stain, Life Support and Dave.