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vonnemiste's review against another edition
4.0
"It was, I think, a media fest of making white people scared of the African American community, and, and nothing had changed." -- Paula Weinstein, movie producer (pg. 211)
"We can't live, our own house burning. This isn't somebody else's house, it's our own house. This is the city we are living in." -- Peter Sellars, director (pg. 200)
"I also said that all of this anger and despair was exacerbated by the excessive use of force by police departments, that the Justice Department has never ever used its power to do anything about excessive force in these cities, and that, in addition to this, dealing with this joblessness, the Justice Department is going to have to find a way to intervene in these cities when these police departments are out of control. -- Rep. Maxine Waters, U.S. Congresswoman, CA-35 (pg. 169)
Reading "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992," I was struck by how contemporary much of the language sounds. The beating of Rodney King and the subsequent 1992 L.A. Riots happened 25 years ago, but concerns about police brutality, urban decay, structural inequality, and the role of the media are at the center of our political discourse today. This play, crafted from the words real people that Anna Deavere Smith's interviewed regarding the King incident and the riots, is simultaneously a historical document, a brilliant piece of documentary theatre, and a chilling reminder of how far we've come as a nation, but also how little we've accomplished in the way of social betterment. There is still work to be done to solve problems of police brutality, poverty, and income inequality. Anna Deavere Smith's play demonstrates the human cost of letting inequality fester. There is, sadly, much to learn from this slice of history in 2017.
"We can't live, our own house burning. This isn't somebody else's house, it's our own house. This is the city we are living in." -- Peter Sellars, director (pg. 200)
"I also said that all of this anger and despair was exacerbated by the excessive use of force by police departments, that the Justice Department has never ever used its power to do anything about excessive force in these cities, and that, in addition to this, dealing with this joblessness, the Justice Department is going to have to find a way to intervene in these cities when these police departments are out of control. -- Rep. Maxine Waters, U.S. Congresswoman, CA-35 (pg. 169)
Reading "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992," I was struck by how contemporary much of the language sounds. The beating of Rodney King and the subsequent 1992 L.A. Riots happened 25 years ago, but concerns about police brutality, urban decay, structural inequality, and the role of the media are at the center of our political discourse today. This play, crafted from the words real people that Anna Deavere Smith's interviewed regarding the King incident and the riots, is simultaneously a historical document, a brilliant piece of documentary theatre, and a chilling reminder of how far we've come as a nation, but also how little we've accomplished in the way of social betterment. There is still work to be done to solve problems of police brutality, poverty, and income inequality. Anna Deavere Smith's play demonstrates the human cost of letting inequality fester. There is, sadly, much to learn from this slice of history in 2017.
tswizzlemcrizzle's review against another edition
4.0
Read for class, still interesting. It's a series of interviews meant for a 1 woman show so I'm impressed.
bravelass85's review against another edition
4.0
I read this play after I stumbled upon it while looking for plays I could direct at the Renaissance School. It treats the before, during,and after of the 1992 race riots (Rodney King ring a bell?) from multiple perspectives. I am excited to work with kids to create a production of it this fall. It creeps up on you suddenly and strikes the heart in unexpected ways.
keeganrb's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, and Gun violence
Moderate: Murder
abbie_ohara's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved how this play super challenged the audience to just enter into a space with an open mind and with curiosity rather than opinions and judgement and the compulsion to find a correct and definitive answer. I am working on this skill more and more these days!
I also loved how the central theme always seemed to be contrast. For example, going from the chapter of the white USC sorority girl worried about one of her dad’s 15 different luxury vintage cars being scratched in the riots to people whose stories are so personal, emotional, and comprise a life long fight against police brutality. Very frustrating to sit with this contrast
I also loved how the central theme always seemed to be contrast. For example, going from the chapter of the white USC sorority girl worried about one of her dad’s 15 different luxury vintage cars being scratched in the riots to people whose stories are so personal, emotional, and comprise a life long fight against police brutality. Very frustrating to sit with this contrast
jenna0010's review against another edition
4.0
This was very good. The small gestures, the gaps, stuttering, stumbling, circling around a crisis, the slow unfolding, the ongoingness, the what came before. The voices. Her body holding their space.
abbiecoh's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved how this play super challenged the audience to just enter into a space with an open mind and with curiosity rather than opinions and judgement and the compulsion to find a correct and definitive answer. I am working on this skill more and more these days!
I also loved how the central theme always seemed to be contrast. For example, going from the chapter of the white USC sorority girl worried about one of her dad’s 15 different luxury vintage cars being scratched in the riots to people whose stories are so personal, emotional, and comprise a life long fight against police brutality. Very frustrating to sit with this contrast
I also loved how the central theme always seemed to be contrast. For example, going from the chapter of the white USC sorority girl worried about one of her dad’s 15 different luxury vintage cars being scratched in the riots to people whose stories are so personal, emotional, and comprise a life long fight against police brutality. Very frustrating to sit with this contrast
sabrina_manesse's review against another edition
3.0
Insightful and interesting. I don't know if I personally would have picked this up had it not been assigned reading, but I'm glad I read it. I liked certain interviews more than others, but mostly I appreciated the variety in interviewees. There is a lot to learn from a play like this. I hope to see a performance of it one day.
emmagetz's review against another edition
5.0
Extremely fascinating analysis of the 1992 Rodney King riots in LA using real quotes from interviews and court hearings. This piece touches on so many racial nuances and perspectives of the whole situation. It's amazing how relevant this play is still in our historical moment, and there are so many parallels to modern current events. I would recommend this play to anyone, but especially those who are unfamiliar with Rodney King and the 1992 riots. Smith is truly a pioneer of documentary theatre, a genre that I hope grows in popularity.