Viola Davis Will Speak at Smith in March

Viola Davis—the Oscar-nominated, Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor perhaps best known for her current work starring in ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder”–will speak at Smith at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2, in John M. Greene Hall.

The evening will be moderated by Andrea Hairston, the Louise Wolff Kahn 1931 Professor of Theatre and Africana Studies at Smith.

Davis’s visit to Smith is organized by the college’s Student Event Committee, and tickets are required. For details about tickets, which will be available the first week in February, see “Ticket Information” below.

About Viola Davis

Viola Davis is a highly regarded actress who has won strong reviews, and a host of awards, for her intriguingly diverse roles in film, television and theater.

She is perhaps best known for her current performance as Annalise Keating, the brilliant and charismatic college professor and defense attorney at the center of ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder.” Davis received the Emmy Award for her performance this year, becoming the first African American ever to be named Best Female Actor in a Drama Series. In her speech, Davis noted, “The only thing that separates women of color is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.”

Davis earned Tony Awards for her performance as Tonya in the original production of “King Hedley II” (2001) and for her performance as Rose Maxon in the 2010 revival of “Fences.” She also received Academy Award nominations for her lead role as Aibileen Clark in the film “The Help” (2011) and for her work as Mrs. Miller in “Doubt” (2008).

In her 15-year career, Davis has appeared in 23 films, more than 40 episodes of television dramas, and in seven Broadway and off-Broadway productions, earning a host of awards and nominations. In 2012, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential women in the world.

Davis is president and producer at JuVee Productions, an artist driven, Los Angeles-based production company that develops and produces independent film, theater, television and digital content for a range of media. The company’s website notes that JuVee Productions “seeks to produce economical yet premium, sophisticated, and character-driven stories…from a diverse range of emerging and established voices alike.”

Davis holds an undergraduate degree in theater from Rhode Island College and a graduate degree from Juilliard.

Ticket Information

This event is organized by the Student Event Committee at Smith. Tickets are required and must be purchased in advance.

Ticket prices are as follows:

• Smith Students: One free ticket with an ID. Priority pickup, for Smith students only, is Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 1 and 2, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Campus Center 106.
• Five College students: $5. Tickets available beginning Thursday, Feb. 4, at 9 a.m. in Campus Center 106 at Smith College, and in the student activities offices at each of the Five Colleges.
• Smith Faculty/Staff: $15. Tickets available beginning Thursday, Feb. 4, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Campus Center 106 at Smith.
• General admission: $25. Tickets available beginning Thursday, Feb. 4. Details and logistics to be announced in January.