According to press notes, Smith, a two-time Tony Award nominee, "combines the journalistic technique of interviewing her subjects with the art of interpreting their words through performance." Her playwriting credits include Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, House Arrest and Fires in the Mirror, which was a runner up for the Pulitzer Prize. She has appeared on television in "The West Wing," "The Practice" and "Nurse Jackie," and on film in "Rachel Getting Married." She is also the author of "Talk to Me" and "Letters to a Young Artist." A professor at New York University, Smith is the recipient of several honorary degrees and is the founding director of the Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogues.

A renowned poet, essayist and playwright, Elizabeth Alexander most recently composed and delivered the poem "Praise Song for the Day" for the inauguration of President Barack Obama. She has published five books of poems and two collections of essays. Her book "American Sublime" was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. Her play, Diva Studies was produced at the Yale School of Drama. The 2007 winner of the first Jackson Prize for Poetry, Alexander is currently the chair of the African American Studies Department at Yale University.

Directed by Leonard Foglia, Let Me Down Easy opened at Second Stage Theatre, 305 West 43rd Street, on Oct. 7, and runs through Jan. 3, 2010. For tickets or more information, call (212) 246-4422 or visit letmedowneasy.com.