News > Piccolo Spoleto Review: Threshold Rep’s Twilight: Los Angeles 1992

Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 is a docu-drama written by Anna Deavere Smith in 1994, following the race riots of Los Angeles in the wake of the Rodney King police brutality case and the shooting of a black teenager by a Korean shopkeeper. Smith interviewed hundreds of people directly related to the riots and transcribed their first hand accounts to create the monologues. Threshold Repertory Company takes on the daunting task of taking Smith’s very personal one-woman show and making it into an ensemble piece. Whereas Smith played every character on stage, this cast was played by a racially diverse mix of actors that added a unique perspective on the show.

The show opened with a video compilation of footage from the riots and transitioned into vignettes of the racially diverse characters and ends with a photo/video montage of protests spanning the last two decades. The play is an all too familiar scene amidst the current racial climate of police brutality cases all over the country. The ending montage is maybe a little heavy handed, because the parallels that director Brendan Kelly and the ensemble have highlighted are obvious throughout the performance itself and don’t necessarily need to be illustrated that blatantly. However, the last scene shows all the performers gathered around watching footage of the events that are ongoing in this modern racial climate, creating both a powerful and moving moment that highlight the fact that these issues are still not resolved.

The ensemble had to portray a vast array of characters and did so masterfully. Out of the varying performers, Adam Miles stood out as the truck driver who was beaten during the riots. He delivered the line that emphasizes the issues that were not being addressed during this turbulent time; “it’s not color, it’s a person.”

Overall, Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 is a powerful and moving piece of theater, whether it be performed by one person or an ensemble. The message of civil unrest and the need for a discourse about race and justice in this country is as important now as it was in 1992.

Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 @ Threshold Repertory Theatre Sat., June 6, 3 p.m. $21

words: Jessika Stocker and Katie Lesser
image courtesy Threshold Rep

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