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Review Of Anna Deavere Smith's Play Twilight: Los Angeles Riots '

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Anna Deavere Smith’s one-woman play, Twilight: Los Angeles Riots 1992 gathers various perspectives from people who were affected by the Los Angeles Uprising of 1992. These perspectives are insightful in discussing the aftermath of the uprising. While many historical events contributed to the emergence of the uprising, Smith’s play focuses on the major impact the verdict of Rodney King’s trial in 1992 had in precipitating a civil unrest in the Los Angeles community where “the verdict symbolized, for many, just the latest evidence of the systematic inequality and injustice they faced on a daily basis” (Lee). In addition, the uprising often has a particular focus on the racial tensions between the African American and Korean American community. …show more content…

In her play, Smith takes on various personaes of over two-hundred people she interviewed who witnessed the uprising unfold in 1992. She strives to bring about a diverse set of perspectives regarding racial tensions; these diverse perspectives come from Korean Americans, African-Americans, people of various occupations, and many more. While the uprising affected all different kinds of ethnic communities, the focus is mainly directed towards the racial tensions between the Korean American and African American communities. Smith’s piece highlights this conflict through various personaes of different communities and walks of life she takes on during the play. Through her interviews, research, and verbatim theatre, Smith recreates a more humanized and individualized narrative that depicts the impact the uprising had on people while also discussing the conflict between the Korean Americans and African American communities. Through these individualized perspectives, Smith sheds light on the emotional, historical, and societal impact the uprising had on these communities in ways in which the media is unable to do so alone. While the play explores the ways in which the conversations surrounding race relations and politics have shifted since the uprising, her work still emphasizes some notions and aspects of a racialized conflict between the African American and Korean American

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