Playwright Anna Deavere Smith Announced as Prairie View A&M University's 2021 Fall Commencement Speaker

Award-winning actress, playwright, and scholar Anna Deavere Smith will serve as the keynote speaker for Prairie View A&M University's (PVAMU) 26th Fall Commencement Convocation ceremony on Saturday, December 11.

The ceremony will be held on the main campus in the William "Billy" J. Nicks, Sr. Building at 9 a.m. for all fall 2021 candidates for graduation.

Known for her keen ability to combine theater arts and journalism, Smith's unique interpretation of "words through performance" has garnered critical acclaim from The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards, Time Magazine, The New York Times, and the Critics' Choice Awards. Her most recent original work, Notes from the Field: Doing Time in Education, is a one-woman show that looks at the vulnerability of youth, the criminal justice system, and contemporary activism.

In addition to her work on stage, Smith has numerous film and television credits. She had recurring roles on The West Wing, The Practice, and Nurse Jackie and has appeared in the movies Philadelphia, Dave, Human Stain, The American President, Rent, and Rachel Getting Married.

Smith holds an appointment in the Department of Arts and Public Policy at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where she is the founding director of the Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue. She holds degrees from Beaver College (now Arcadia University) (BA) and the American Conservatory Theater (MFA).

PVAMU expects to award degrees to nearly 600 undergraduate and graduate students.

For more information on the 26th Fall Commencement Convocation, please visit pvamu.edu/commencement.