In her newest exploration, Anna Deavere Smith is using her signature form of documentary theater to investigate the school-to-prison pipeline – the cycle of suspension from school to incarceration that is prevalent among low-income Black, Brown, Latino, and Native-American youth. In the preliminary stages of this project, Ms. Smith is conducting interviews with hundreds of people who are involved in the Pipeline at all levels: students, teachers, parents, police, thought and policy leaders, psychologists, community activists, and many more. Performances of these stories will take place at Center Stage and Berkeley Rep. Each presentation will be accompanied by a dynamic town hall, generating conversation, ideas, and partnerships. At the conclusion of the research, readings, and town-halls, Smith will create a full-length play for production across America.
- $37,000 to support The Pipeline Project (MAP 2015)
- $4,684 to general operating support for Center Stage Associates, Inc.
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