Playwright Anna Deavere Smith turns to her family’s history for inspiration
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 s
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Playwright Anna Deavere Smith turns to her family’s history for inspiration
Welcome to the program. I'm your host.
Welcome to the program. I'm your host.
0:00Today we look at the major stories shaping the news cycle.
Today we look at the major stories shaping the news cycle.
0:04We start in Europe, where leaders met in Brussels.
We start in Europe, where leaders met in Brussels.
0:09The summit focused on energy policy and migration.
The summit focused on energy policy and migration.
0:14Reporting from the ground, our correspondent has more.
Reporting from the ground, our correspondent has more.
0:19Thank you. The mood here was tense but constructive.
Thank you. The mood here was tense but constructive.
0:24