Anna Deavere Smith (05/04/1995)

Anna Deavere Smith frequently credits Studs Terkel’s book Working for revealing to her the dramatic power of spoken language, and for inspiring her groundbreaking plays such as Fires in the Mirror and Let Me Down Easy. The trailblazing actor and author – who spoke with Studs in 1995 – created the libretto for The Walkers, a new one-act opera with music composed by Daniel Bernard Roumain. The Walkers is part of Proximity, a gripping trio of new works presented by the Lyric Opera of Chicago in March 2023.