Press release
Over 30 Perspectives on the LA Riots Following Rodney King’s Arrest
BATAVIA, NY (03/02/2021) Aside from that of the COVID19 pandemic, today’s news headlines are sickeningly reminiscent of those that swept our nation 30 years ago during the riots in Los Angeles, CA that erupted following the acquittal of the police officers charged with assaulting Rodney King.
Author Anna Deavere Smith wrote “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992” after interviewing over 300 individuals and culminating those experiences into a series of powerful monologues that bring a range of perspectives into focus for audiences of all times.
The Genesee Community College Forum Theatre Players and guest alumni performers proudly invite the entire community to go and watch “Twilight, Los Angeles, 1992” for FREE. The performance will be available to watch any time between 8 a.m. on Friday, March 5 and 11:59 p.m. on Saturday March 6, 2021.
For FREE ticket access to the performance, email boxoffice@genesee.edu before 8 p.m. on Saturday.
“Watching the evening news and seeing story after story of the violence taking place all around us, I couldn’t help but feel like it was all too familiar,” said Director of Fine Arts Maryanne Arena. “I wanted to do something to help our community listen to each other and learn from our past. Knowing so many of our students are learning remotely and feeling the heaviness of the anniversary of Rodney King’s arrest approaching; this piece is the perfect selection.”
Each character and each individual performance of this piece had to be individually recorded due to the current COVID19 pandemic mandates and safety protocols in place, then all of the individual recordings needed to be delicately put together by GCC’s Theater Technician Brodie McPherson.
“Smith’s piece lends itself perfectly to this type of performance, and the additional work is worth every minute as it has allowed us to keep our performers, students and faculty safe,” said McPherson. “While some of the backgrounds and props initially presented a challenge, the students themselves believed in the project so much that nothing was going to stand in the way.”
As a special interest project, several of Genesee Community College’s talented alumni have returned to participate in this performance:
- Alex Grayson graduated from GCC in 2011 and from SUNY Fredonia in 2014. Orignally from Watertown, NY Grayson currently resides on Broadway in New York City where he works for Asolo Repertory Theatre as an actor.
- Sania Hyatt – originally from Jamaica, graduated from GCC in 2014/2015 and continued to earn her BFA from New York University Tisch School of the Arts in 2018. Hyatt currently resides in NYC and is a professional actress.
- Tori Ogunsanya from the class of 2019 now lives in NYC and is active in a professional theatre group in L.A created by actor Tony Danza.
- Maria Albanese 2016 graduate from GCC also graduated from SUNY Purchase.
- Antonio Ware graduated in 2009 is currently a fashion consultant and personal stylist in NYC.
- Shellene Bailey – 2010 graduate who also spent many hours getting to know the business side of the house working in GCC’s Stuart Steiner Theatre
“I am excited and pleased to have our alumni participating in this piece,” said Arena. “Sharing their experiences presents an excellent learning opportunity for our current students, adds another level of skill and professionalism to the performance, and (smiling) gives me a chance to see how amazing some of my excellent students have turned out,” she added with an overjoyed grin.
Smith’s talented writing originally included more than 40 different characters, including then-Police Chief Daryl Gates, truck driver Reginald Denny, a former L.A. gang member and a Korean woman who was involved in the shooting of a young teen during the riots. The play debuted at the Mark Taper Forum in 1993 and went on to Broadway where it was nominated for a Tony Award.
The Genesee Community College Forum Theatre Players and guest alumni performers proudly invite the entire community to go and watch “Twilight, Los Angeles, 1992” for FREE. The performance will be available to watch any time between 8 a.m. on Friday, March 5 and 11:59 p.m. on Saturday March 6, 2021.
For FREE ticket access to the performance, email boxoffice@genesee.edu before 8 p.m. on Saturday.