By Ernio Hernandez
26 Oct 2009

Anna Deavere Smith
photo by Mary Ellen Mark

Actress-playwright Anna Deavere Smith — currently seen Off-Broadway in Let Me Down Easy — will be presented with The 2009 Moth Award at its annual Moth Ball.

Previous Moth Award honoree Garrison Keillor ("A Prairie Home Companion") will present Smith (with a special Jonathan Adler-created statuette) and co-host the evening with Jonathan Ames ("Bored to Death"). The event will take place Nov. 17 at New York City's Capitale.

The gala evening will also feature "one-minute stories told by ten of recent winners of the New York and Los Angeles GrandSLAMs and the awarding of a $5,000 scholarship to a New York City high school student who excels at storytelling," according to an announcement.

"One of the most important hallmarks of a great storyteller is the ability to observe and listen, and no one better personifies that skill than Anna Deavere Smith," said The Moth executive director Lea Thau. "We are proud to honor Anna for taking storytelling to new heights, shedding light on difficult social issues, and creating a new and unforgettable experience for her audiences."

Smith was recently seen in the first season of Showtime's "Nurse Jackie" opposite fellow stage veteran Edie Falco. The actress has also been seen on television's "The West Wing," "The Practice" and the films "Rachel Getting Married," "The American President," "Philadelphia" and "Dave." As a writer, she has penned the plays Fires in the Mirror (Pulitzer Prize finalist) and House Arrest as well as the books "Talk To Me" and "Letters to A Young Artist."

Tickets ($175 for gala party and show-only tickets or $325 for gala dinner & party tickets) for The Moth Ball are available by calling (212) 742-0551 or online at themoth.org/ball.