This undated publicity photo released by the Sundance Institute shows a scene from the documentary film, "The Crash Reel," directed by Lucy Walker, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. The festival for independent cinema begins Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, in Park City, Utah. This year's lineup of 119 feature films includes, Ashton Kutcher as Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in director Joshua Michael Stern's film biography “jOBS”; Amanda Seyfried as porn star Linda Lovelace in Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's “Lovelace”; Daniel Radcliffe as Allen Ginsberg in John Krokidas' beat-poet story “Kill Your Darlings”; and Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in Richard Linklater's “Before Midnight,” a follow-up to “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset,” among others. (AP Photo/Sundance Institute, Dean Blotto Gray)
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This undated publicity photo released by the Sundance Institute shows a scene from the documentary film, "The Crash Reel," directed by Lucy Walker, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. The festival for independent cinema begins Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, in Park City, Utah. This year's lineup of 119 feature films includes, Ashton Kutcher as Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in director Joshua Michael Stern's film biography “jOBS”; Amanda Seyfried as porn star Linda Lovelace in Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's “Lovelace”; Daniel Radcliffe as Allen Ginsberg in John Krokidas' beat-poet story “Kill Your Darlings”; and Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in Richard Linklater's “Before Midnight,” a follow-up to “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset,” among others. (AP Photo/Sundance Institute, Dean Blotto Gray)
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This undated publicity photo released by the Sundance Institute shows, Ethan Hawke, left, and Julie Delpy, in a scene from the film, "Before Midnight," directed by Richard Linklater. The Sundance Film Festival begins Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, in Park City, Utah. This year's lineup of 119 feature films includes, Ashton Kutcher as Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in director Joshua Michael Stern's film biography “jOBS”; Amanda Seyfried as porn star Linda Lovelace in Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's “Lovelace”; Daniel Radcliffe as Allen Ginsberg in John Krokidas' beat-poet story “Kill Your Darlings”; and Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in Richard Linklater's “Before Midnight,” a follow-up to “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset,” among others. (AP Photo/Sundance Institute, Despina Spyrou)
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This undated publicity photo released by the Sundance Institute shows Amanda Seyfried as Linda Lovelace in the film, "Lovelace," directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. The Sundance Film Festival begins Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, in Park City, Utah. This year's lineup of 119 feature films includes, Ashton Kutcher as Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in director Joshua Michael Stern's film biography “jOBS”; Amanda Seyfried as porn star Linda Lovelace in Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's “Lovelace”; Daniel Radcliffe as Allen Ginsberg in John Krokidas' beat-poet story “Kill Your Darlings”; and Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in Richard Linklater's “Before Midnight,” a follow-up to “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset,” among others. (AP Photo/Sundance Institute, Dale Robinette)
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This undated publicity photo released by the Sundance Institute shows Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs in the film, "jOBS," directed by Joshua Michael Stern. The Sundance Film Festival begins Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, in Park City, Utah. This year's lineup of 119 feature films includes, Ashton Kutcher as Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in director Joshua Michael Stern's film biography “jOBS”; Amanda Seyfried as porn star Linda Lovelace in Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's “Lovelace”; Daniel Radcliffe as Allen Ginsberg in John Krokidas' beat-poet story “Kill Your Darlings”; and Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in Richard Linklater's “Before Midnight,” a follow-up to “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset,” among others. (AP Photo/Sundance Institute, Glen Wilson)
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FILE - In this Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 file photo, director Kathryn Bigelow participates in a "Zero Dark Thirty" photo call in New York. The film was nominated for an Academy Award and Mark Boal was nominated for best original screenplay for the film but Bigelow was not nominated for best director. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
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FILE - This undated publicity film image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Bryan Cranston, left, as Jack OíDonnell and Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez in "Argo," a rescue thriller about the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. Best-picture prospects for Oscar Nominations on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, include, “Lincoln,” directed by Steven Spielberg; “Zero Dark Thirty,” directed by Kathryn Bigelow; “Les Miserables,” directed by Tom Hooper; “Argo,” directed by Ben Affleck; “Django Unchained,” directed by Quentin Tarantino; and “Life of Pi,” directed by Ang Lee. (AP Photo/Warner Bros., Claire Folger, File)
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Anne Hathaway, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Chastain, Sally Field and more share their happy Oscar nomination stories outside the Critics' Choice Awards. (Jan. 11)
Playwright Anna Deavere Smith wins Gish Prize
NEW YORK (
AP) —
Anna Deavere Smith has won one of the largest and most prestigious awards in the arts.
The committee that awards the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize announced Friday that the actress and playwright known for pioneering a form of theatrical journalism is this year's winner.
"Anna opens our eyes, ears and minds to some of the most challenging aspects of our lives, and in so doing helps give others the courage to do the same," said Darren Walker, of the Ford Foundation, who was on the selection committee.
The Gish Prize, now in its 19th year, recognizes leading artists in such fields as drama, music and dance, as well as literature. Smith joins past winners including Bob Dylan, Arthur Miller, Chinua Achebe and Robert Redford. The prize, from silent film stars Dorothy and Lillian Gish, comes with $300,000.
In a statement, Smith said: "I am deeply honored and can't imagine a greater honor than having my name linked with the incomparable Dorothy and Lillian Gish."
Smith creates one-woman documentary-style works such as "Fires in the Mirror" about a 1991 riot in New York and "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992," about the 1992 Rodney King case. She recently tackled health care in "Let Me Down Easy."
As an actress, Smith has appeared on TV in "Nurse Jackie" and "The West Wing" and in films including "The American President," ''The Human Stain," ''Life Support" and "Rachel Getting Married."
Among her other honors are a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant," two Tony Award nominations, an Obie and a Drama Desk Award. Her writings include the book "Talk to Me: Listening Between the Lines and Letters to a Young Artist."
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Online:
http://www.gishprize.com
Tags:
paul newman, rodney king, anna deavere smith, lillian gish, chinua achebe, arts_entertainment, theatre, new york, gish prize, lillian gish prize, playwright anna deavere, film stars dorothy, one-woman documentary-style works, rodney king case, rachel getting married, drama desk award, tony award nominations, incomparable dorothy, prestigious awards, silent film, macarthur fellows program
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