Berkeley Rep Adds Dates To LET ME DOWN EASY

In 1994, Anna Deavere Smith set the Bay Area ablaze with her solo show Fires in the Mirror, the first production in Berkeley Repertory Theatre's history to sell every ticket before it opened. Two years later, Smith was back with Twilight: Los Angeles, which shattered the attendance record at Berkeley Rep before touring to Boston, Houston, New Haven, Seattle, and Washington, DC. Now Smith is scheduled to perform on a local stage for the first time in 15 years - and the demand for tickets to her new show is so high that Berkeley Rep is adding two weeks to the run before it even opens! In the Theatre's 43-year history, the advance sale for Let Me Down Easy is second only to the blockbuster premiere of Green Day's American Idiot.

Conceived, written, and performed by Anna Deavere Smith and staged by esteemed director Leonard Foglia, Let Me Down Easy is an electrifying one-woman show that explores the depths of human strength. Originally scheduled to close on June 26, Let Me Down Easy will now play 14 additional performances. Seats are selling fast - and the show must close on July 10 - so buy tickets now!

"It comes as no surprise to me that so many people want to see Anna Deavere Smith on stage," said Tony Taccone, artistic director of Berkeley Rep. "Millions of Americans have watched her on The West Wing and Nurse Jackie, but the alchemy she creates in the theatre has no parallel. She engages in a multifaceted dialogue - with herself, with her characters, and with each of us in the audience. It is an exhilarating experience, and we are delighted to have her return to our stage."

Let Me Down Easy examines the body and the body politic, as only Anna Deavere Smith can. Called "the most exciting individual in American theater" by Newsweek, Smith conducted 320 interviews on three continents to create this show - and now she paints indelible portraits of more than 20 unforgettable individuals. Using her unique performance style, she introduces you to a rodeo rider, a prize fighter, and an altruistic doctor - as well as legendary cyclist Lance Armstrong, supermodel Lauren Hutton, and former Texas Governor Ann Richards. Together, their voices tell a stunning story about the vulnerability of the human body, the resilience of the spirit, and the price of care. Don't miss the latest work from this remarkable performer.

NBC's Today raves, "Run - do not walk - to see this play! Watching Anna Deavere Smith on stage is magical. One minute you are laughing, the next you are crying. It is truly brilliant and stunning." The New York Times calls it "a continually engaging and engrossing collection of testimonials," and Variety heralds the work as "a totally vital piece of theater, mixing a standup comic's instincts with a great reporter's keen eye."

Berkeley Rep presents Let Me Down Easy as part of Arena Stage's national tour of the production from New York's Second Stage Theatre. The executive producers of the local run are John and Helen Meyer and the Strauch Kulhanjian Family. BART and Wells Fargo continue their commitment as season sponsors at Berkeley Rep; the 2010-11 season producers are Marjorie Randolph and Wayne Jordan and Quinn Delaney.

It's easy to get to Let Me Down Easy. The Roda Theatre is located at 2015 Addison Street, near bus lines, bike routes, and parking lots - and only half a block from BART. Tickets range from $17 to $93. To purchase seats, or for more information, call (510) 647-2949 or toll-free at (888) 4-BRT-Tix - or simply click berkeleyrep.org.

ABOUT BERKELEY REP

Berkeley Repertory Theatre has grown from a storefront stage to a national leader in innovative theatre. Known for its core values of imagination and excellence, as well as its educated and adventurous audience, the nonprofit has provided a welcoming home for emerging and established artists since 1968. The Theatre welcomes an annual audience of 180,000, serves 20,000 students, and hosts dozens of community groups, thanks to 1,000 volunteers and more than 400 artists, artisans, and administrators. With two stages, a school, and a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Berkeley Rep is proud to premiere exhilarating new plays. In the last six years alone, the company has helped send six shows to Broadway: American Idiot, Bridge & Tunnel, Ghetto Klown, In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), Passing Strange, and Wishful Drinking. Come see tomorrow's plays today at Berkeley Rep.

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