Twilight Los Angeles, 1992, By Anna Deavere Smith Essay

Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, is a one-woman performance piece written and originally performed by Anna Deavere Smith, who was commissioned to transcribe regarding the 1992 Los Angeles riots corresponding with individual’s experiences, outlooks, and concerns that contributed to those who were exacerbated by the abominable and nerve racking riots. For her production, Smith interviewed hundreds of Los Angeles’ residents who were present during the occurrence of the riot. The entire script consists actual quotations from members of the Los Angeles community and their reflection on their personal experience being surrounded in the midlife crisis atmosphere. She applied Smith strived to maintain capturing an extensive range of perspectives of the situation by interviewing several individuals from various ethnicities, financial backgrounds to different occupations for instance, Koreans, Latinos, Whites, Blacks, poor and rich people, police officers and gang members. As a resul t of her contribution, she received positive feedback for her own work. The composed piece is combined with historical research to provide a significant examination of the underlying cause of the devastating riot. The play, Twilight: Los Angeles 1992, provides assistance to illuminate speculations and emotions of numerous diverse viewpoints behind the horrendous racial tensions, the perceived police brutality, and the absence of leadership, which is desperately needed for restoration. Starting at the originShow MoreRelated Twilight : Los Angeles, 1992, By Anna Deavere Smith1817 Words   |  8 PagesIn Anna Deavere Smith’s â€Å"Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992† there are a lot of characters who have different thoughts of what happened and why it happened. The LA uprisings happened after the video of a black young man being severely beaten by four white policemen was released to the media for everyone to see. During the uprisings people were getting shot by stray bullets and businesses were being destroyed, especially Korean stores. It was said to be one of the worst riots in U.S. history. Elaine YoungRead MoreRacism And Personal Identity By Anna Deavere Smith1595 Words   |  7 Pagesevidenced in the plays; Fires in the Mirror and Twilight: Los Angeles in various instances. In the two plays, offensive and aggressive behaviors are demonstrated to members of another race stemming from racism and the inferior belief of skin color. The issues of racial discrimination happen in the two plays, and some people are treated less fairly than others similar situation just because of their race, color, and ethnic origin. Anna Deavere Smith uses the play Fires in the Mirror to show the audiencesRead MoreThe Act Of Killing By Joshua Oppenheimer1497 Words   |  6 Pagesbackground. Conversely, in the play, Twilight: Los Angeles 1992, Anna Deavere Smith, an actress and play writer, reenacts the unfortunate incident of the 1992 distressing urban riots by establishing a combination of historical research to deliver a significant analysis of the underlying motives. The Act of Killing, directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, exposes the horrific Indonesian massacre of accused communists through recreation. Both films, Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 and The Act of Killing analyzes moreRead MoreReview Of Anna Deavere Smith s Twilight Essay2407 Words   |  10 PagesMay of 1992, actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith was commissioned to write a one-woman performance piece about the experiences, feelings, and tensions that contributed to and were exacerbated by the 1992 Los Angeles riots.[1] For her work, Smith inter viewed over 200 residents of Los Angeles during the time of the riot. Her script consists entirely of the actual words of members of the Los Angeles community as they reflect on their experiences surrounding the Los Angeles riots. As Smith describedRead MoreChaos Of Los Angeles Riots / Civil Disturbance1482 Words   |  6 PagesNancy Raya Professor Jones English 1A 23, September 2016 Chaos in Los Angeles Many people believe the cause of the 1992 Los Angeles riots/civil disturbance was due to the acquittal of four LAPD officers who had been charged with the use of excessive force in the videotaped arrest and beating of Rodney King, following a high-speed police chase. Many believed the verdict was unjust, that in fact excessive force was used in the arrest. As a result, many feel this injustice caused the riots. Read MoreAnimal Dreams By Barbara Kingsolver By Anna Deavere Smith1500 Words   |  6 Pagesreverence for the natural environment, and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, about the Los Angeles Riots of 1992, by Anna Deavere Smith, present different sides of human behavior. Animal Dreams is a novel about Codi, a woman who returns to her hometown and helps the townsfolk protest peacefully against a mine that damages their water supply. The preservation of nature and the ability to make a difference by protesting peacefully are major themes in the novel. Twilight is a play that cons ists of edited interviewRead MoreJustice Is One Of The Most Important Moral And Political Concepts898 Words   |  4 Pagesjustice. In Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 by Anna Deavere Smith we see an example of injustice through the Rodney King case and the shooting of Latasha Harlins. Rodney King and Latasha Harlins experienced racial injustice, which can be defined as the denial of rights based on an individual’s race or racial background. Both two victims were mistreated for the color of their skin and were stripped from their equal rights and opportunities. In Los Angeles, California, four Los Angeles police officersRead MoreThe Los Angeles Riots Essays2164 Words   |  9 PagesThe Los Angeles Riots Though sparked by the Rodney King verdict, there were many other causes of the riots that erupted on the streets of Los Angeles on April 29, 1992. The Los Angeles riots in 1992 were devastating. The obvious issue portrayed through the media was black versus white. If you did not live in Los Angeles or California chances are you did not hear full coverage of the story, you heard a simple cut and dry portrayal of the events in South Central. If you heard one thing about theRead MorePolice Brutality And The Riot1130 Words   |  5 PagesDuring 1992 in South Central Los Angeles, a riot started after the news of four white Los Angeles police officers beating Rodney King was published on TV. It became daily news. The riot caused many crimes to occur; participants of the riot burned down business stores, destroyed properties, and some activities involved guns that have led to many deaths. Many South Central residents were unsatisfied with police brutality and the way their community were being treated. Although the riot only lastedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Eyes Of The Sky 951 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Sky In May of 1992, famous play director Gordon Davidson approached Anna Deavere Smith to put on a theater production based on the Los Angeles riots. The play premiered one year after the incident occurred and was named â€Å"Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992†, after an ex-gang member who left a lasting impression on Smith with his views on racial barriers. â€Å"Twilight’s recognition that we must reach across ethnic boundaries is simple but true.† (Smith xxvi). Smith interviewed hundreds of people