Anna Deavere Smith on Ye Gods! with Scott Carter

Can art create empathy? Scott talks to two guests: First, playwright and actor Anna Deavere Smith. You may know her for roles on THE WEST WING, INVENTING ANNA, BLACK-ISH, AND THE BURROUGHS. She tells Scott about how she developed her documentary theatre technique, plus what it was like adapting her landmark one-woman-play TWILIGHT: LOS ANGELES,1992 for a full cast. Then Scott talks to Riaz Patel an Emmy nominated TV producer and founder of Connect Effect: A 53-minute experience that turns strangers into community. He tells Scott why how we introduce ourselves is key to healing polarization and what can be done to cure the loneliness epidemic.