One verdict can change the course of history. The news of the police officers’ acquittal in Rodney King’s police brutality case reverberated throughout the streets of Los Angeles. Variously called a “riot, a revolution, or a social explosion,” the events that followed the verdict drew worldwide attention. Playwright, actor and scholar Anna Deavere Smith responded artistically by dissecting the anatomy of the unrest. She interviewed over 350 Los Angelinos in preparation for the performance. Declared a “rich, panoramic canvas of a national trauma” by The New York Times, Smith’s transformative study of the 1992 L.A. civil unrest reveals the fault lines that set the city ablaze. Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 is equal parts meticulously researched reportage and stirring cry for reform.
Signature is excited to work with Anna Deavere Smith and director Taibi Magar to reimagine this play for new performers and collaborators.
This production contains footage of extreme racialized violence and instances of racialized and discriminatory language, which some may find disturbing.
★★★★★ Critic's Pick
“POWERFUL, TOUCHING AND ILLUMINATING.
Smartly tweaked for an ensemble cast. A very strong cast of five.”
–Time Out New York
“EXCELLENT REVIVAL.
There’s a moral thrill in the work that will never fade.”
–New York Magazine
“AS NECESSARY NOW
as when Los Angeles was actively smoldering.”
–The New York Times
“AS POTENT AS EVER,
reminding of the possibility of art as a unifying force.”
–TheaterMania
Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masks are required for all who enter the Center, both audience and staff. Learn more in our COVID-19 Updates.
Signature Theatre is committed to providing an enjoyable theatre-going experience for everyone. Find more info about accessibility here.
Saturday, November 6, 2:00pm
Sunday, November 7, 2:00pm
Access to Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 is generously supported, in part, by The Noël Coward Foundation.
2021–22 Season
Samuel D. Hunter: A Case for the Existence of God