Next Act Theater presents "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992"

An intimate, powerful conversation about race

"Intimate. Powerful." That's the tagline for Milwaukee's Next Act Theater, and no show this season has lived up to those words quite like playwright Anna Deavere Smith's Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992. As a late 80s baby, I don't remember the 1992 Rodney King beating and subsequent riots that rocked L.A., but that's what Twilight: Los Angeles is about. Officers ruthlessly beating a black man and what happened next; it sounds all too familiar.

What's amazing about Anna Deavere Smith's play is that it consists entirely of monologues — monologues from 37 true accounts of the Rodney King beating, the riots, and related events. Every word spoken in Twilight: Los Angeles is pulled verbatim from life and real peoples' perceptions. I've never heard of or seen anything like it before, and it was absolutely gripping. Gripping and eye-opening.

The 37 monologues are performed by six actors whose talent blew my mind. Off stage, these actors are white, Asian, black, and hispanic. On stage, they freely crossed race and gender lines, making each monologue all the more thought-provoking, fascinating, and downright entertaining. The monologues come from all walks of life: a police officer charged with beating Rodney King, community activists, an opera singer, Korean and Mexican shop owners, a Hollywood realtor, victims caught in the rioting crossfire, and more than 30 others.

The monologues moved the audience to tears, gasps, and laughter. Each was brilliantly performed as the actors took on these incredibly varied personas rapid-fire, but always with great precision. And then you remember that all of the stories are true — or at least, true accounts from real people like you and me. 

As a white girl from predominantly white suburbs, it's hard to remember a time my world view was so broadened, so quickly. Sad maybe, but true. A 2+ hour-long play like Twilight: Los Angeles demands your attention in a way no other medium does, and it changes you. Friends, go and see this play. Go and experience what Milwaukee is buzzing about. It's important. It's affecting. It's a step in broadening our world view — and shouldn't we all jump at any chance to do that? 

Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 is playing now through February 21st at Milwaukee's Next Act Theater. For ticket info, visit nextact.org.