Anna Deavere Smith to Open William Paterson Lecture Series

Anna Deavere Smith, best known for her portrayal of the national security advisor on the hit TV show, "The West Wing," will present the opening lecture of William Paterson University’s Distinguished Lecturer Series on October 11.

Tickets for the lecture are available at the Shea Center Box Office. To purchase tickets, please call the box office at 973-720-2371 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.; prices are $26 standard; $24 for senior citizens, William Paterson faculty, staff and alumni; $10 for William Paterson students; and $14 for students from other schools. All lectures begin at 8 p.m. in Shea Center on campus; parking is free.

In addition to her recurring role on "The West Wing," Deavere Smith is currently starring in the new CBS series, "Presidio Med." Her film credits include "Dave," "Philadelphia," and "The American President." In 1996 she was awarded a prestigious MacArthur "genius" Fellowship for "creating a new brand of theater—a blend of theatrical art, social commentary, journalism and intimate reverie."

Also a playwright and performance artist, Deavere Smith, whose presentation is titled "Snapshots: Glimpses of America in Change," has made a name for herself in the theater through her performance pieces, which explore issues of race, community and character. Unafraid of controversy, she creates shows by interviewing subjects from all walks of life, and recreates their words in performance thereby presenting events from different points of view.

Deavere Smith is the founder of the Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue based at Harvard. She is a tenured professor in the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, with an affiliation at the NYU School of Law.

The series continues on November 22 with a program on CIA/FBI cooperation in the face of terrorism featuring Stansfield Turner, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and Louis Freeh, former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Terrorism and threats to America are topics of discussion for Senator Fred Thompson on February 14. Financial services visionary Christos M. Cotsakos, chairman of the board and CEO of E*TRADE Group, Inc., will present a lecture on changing the rules of engagement on March 28. The Capitol Steps, a comedy team made up of Capitol Hill staffers, will perform on May 2.

William Paterson's Distinguished Lecturer Series is presented by the William Paterson University Foundation, the Student Government Association and the Student Activities Programming Board. Distinguished Partners include: Automatic Data Processing Inc. Benefactors include: Bacon & Graham, Inc.; BAE Systems-CNI; The CIT Group; Interchange Bank; Mercedes-Benz USA LLC; Nicholas Martini Foundation; Pfizer; PSE&G; Record/Herald News; and the William Paterson University Alumni Association. Patrons include: Aventis Pharmaceuticals; Castrol Consumer North America; Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc.; ITT Avionics; and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Sponsors include: AAA-NJ Automobile Club; Becton Dickinson and Co.; Bograds; Bristol-Myers Squibb; CAN; Commerce Bank; Commerce and Industry Association; Barbara and Robert Evans; Facile Holdings, Inc.; Joan and Robert Ferris; First Institutional Securities, LLC; Gerber & Samson, Attorneys; Honeywell, Inc.; JVC Americas Corp.; McBride Enterprises, Inc.; Merrill Lynch; Minolta; The Opper Group; Passaic County Educational Council; Prudential; Resort Condominiums International, A Cendant Company; Leon and Paula Rosenblum; Daryl and Stephen Roth; State Farm Insurance Companies; Toshiba America Consumer Products, Inc.; United Water New Jersey; United Yarn Products Company, Inc.; Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company (VALIC); Valley National Bank; Verizon; Wakefern Food Corporation; and Washington Mutual.

9/25/02
For Further Information, contact:

Mary Beth Zeman, Director, Public Relations 973-720-2966