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When Anna Deavere Smith’s drama “Twilight: Los Angeles” premiered in Los Angeles at the Mark Taper Forum, it made national news for its unique and unflinching look at the fallout from the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
Not only did Smith capture the tumultuous aftermath of the Rodney King trial verdict, she created a searing, innovative and truly American piece of theater by exploring the riots from multiple points of view.
On April 22, 2012, David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times book critic, assessing the literature of those riots, wrote, “the most comprehensive literary response to the riots remains Anna Deavere Smith’s ‘Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992,’ a theater piece, written and performed by an outsider who channels the cacophony of voices at the city’s heart.”
Now, on the 23rd anniversary of the Los Angeles riots, GREAT PERFORMANCES presents a special encore of Marc Levin’s film adaptation. Smith provides a new introduction to her landmark piece as its themes continue to reverberate powerfully within the context of today’s current events.
In her acclaimed one-woman show, later directed by George C. Wolfe on Broadway, Smith gives voice to 40 real-life “characters,” from a Korean grocer to a Hollywood agent and a juror. Not “mimicry” in the traditional sense, her performance is an account of what and how these people spoke to her in hundreds of interviews.
The New York Times has called Smith “the ultimate impressionist – she does people’s souls.”
In this film adaptation, Smith’s virtuoso performance is interwoven with documentary interviews and footage of then contemporary Los Angeles. Award-winning director Marc Levin ("Slam," "Whiteboys," "Thug Life in DC," "Brick City," "Street Time") deftly transforms Smith’s work from stage to screen.
Smith’s “Twilight: Los Angeles” played around the U.S. and on Broadway. It received two Tony nominations, an Obie, Drama Desk Award, the New York Drama Critics Circle’s Special Citation and numerous other honors.
Developed for film and television and executive produced by Cherie Fortis ("Fires in the Mirror," "The Colored Museum") with cinematographer Maryse Alberti ("Happiness," "Velvet Goldmine") and Tony Award winning production designer Richard Hoover ("Dead Man Walking"), "Twilight: Los Angeles" explores the lasting impact of the riots on our national conscience.
When the film first aired on PBS, John Crook of TV Data Features Syndicate, enthused, “No matter what your ethnic or political persuasion, give this program 15 minutes – literally, just 15 minutes – and you’ll find yourself completely spellbound by the artistry of this extraordinary actress…Most viewers will want to tape it because after watching it for the first time, they won’t entirely believe what they have just seen.”
Smith has been credited with creating a new form of theater. When granted the prestigious MacArthur Award, her work was described as “a blend of theatrical art, social commentary, journalism and intimate reverie.” In 2012 President Obama presented Ms. Smith with the National Humanities medal at the White House.
She has performed in film and TV as well as on stage. She played Gloria Akalitus on Showtime’s hit series NURSE JACKIE, and is well remembered for her role of national security advisor Nancy McNally on NBC’s THE WEST WING. Her major film credits include “The American President,” “Philadelphia,” and “Rachel Getting Married.”
Her play “Fires in the Mirror” examined the Crown Heights riots in Brooklyn (1991), when racial tensions between black and Jewish neighbors exploded. It received an Obie Award, numerous other awards and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She performed the play around the U.S., in London and in Australia. The film version was also broadcast on PBS.
Anna Deavere Smith’s latest production, “Let Me Down Easy” aired on GREAT PERFORMANCES in January 2012. Conceived, written and performed by Smith, the play examined the miracle of human resilience through the lens of our current national debate on health care.
Originally aired on PBS in 2001
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GREAT PERFORMANCES resumes free streaming of "Twilight: Los Angeles." This episode will be available for streaming on demand for a limited time after the broadcast.
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Credits:
A production of Anna Deavere Smith in association with Offline Entertainment and THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET. For GREAT PERFORMANCES, Bill O’Donnell is series producer and David Horn is executive producer.
