This program is sponsored by the Covley Foundation based in Los Angeles, California.

The Covley Foundation is dedicated to advancing science for the benefit of humanity.

I'm Alan Alda, and this is Clear In Vivid, conversations about connecting and communicating.

I call it portraits because my intention is not to be an impersonator, and it really

is that whoever I'm portraying, I really, really admire something about the way they

express themselves.

And so I think of it as a portrait of their expression more than anything else, whether

that's their physical expression or the way they use words.

That's Anna DeVir Smith.

She has the unique ability to theatrically define sweeping changes in our culture by

presenting us with portraits of individual people, and she uncannily brings those people

to life without actually impersonating them.

This is so great to be talking to you because I admire you so much.

And you're such a unique person.

You invented a new form of theatre, and that became a new form of activism.

This is amazing.

Man, you're amazing.

You're the teacher for all of us.

Oh, no, no, no.

Now we'll have to cut that part out.

Oh, no, that's a good part.

The thing that interests me the most is as you portray these characters, we know going

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