Playwright: Anna Deveare Smith
Rights: Dramatists
Cast Size: 1f or flexible cast (both in number and breakdown.
Synopsis:Acclaimed as “an American masterpiece” (Newsweek), TWILIGHT: LOS ANGELES, 1992 is a stunning new work of “documentary theatre” in which Anna Deavere Smith uses the verbatim words of people who experienced the Los Angeles riots to expose and explore the devastating human impact of that event. From nine months of interviews with more than two hundred people, Smith has chosen the voices that best reflect the diversity and tension of a city in turmoil: a disabled Korean man, a white male Hollywood talent agent, a Panamanian immigrant mother, a teenage black gang member, a macho Mexican-American artist, Rodney King’s aunt, beaten truck driver Reginald Denny, former Los Angeles police chief Daryl Gates and other witnesses, participants and victims. A work that goes directly to the heart of the issues of race and class, TWILIGHT ruthlessly probes the language and the lives of its subjects, offering stark insight into the complex and pressing social, economic and political issues that fueled the flames in the wake of the Rodney King verdict.
Ratings:
Language: 16+ (infrequent)
Adult Content: 13+
Violence: 16+ (there videos of the Rodney King beating as well as the riots that followed the verdict)
Pay attention to: The violence is in the videos that are shown as part of the play. These are real events and the footage is actual footage of what went on. This may be disturbing for some audiences.
Flexibility: All changes must be approved in advance.
Production Notes: