‘Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992’: Racism Then and Now

We’re all human.

That’s the message ‘Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992’, a play based on the Rodney King riots, directs to an audience that will find its content all too familiar.

With recent events like the Charlottesville rally and DACA, this production relates closely to those topics through a discussion of racial discrimination and violence.

And these are both subjects worth discussing.

‘Twilight’ is a show with many serious moments, including dark monologues that make people gasp,

or actors that run across the stage in horror. It holds passion and emotion, making one feel empowered or

even scared.

Almost as if you’re actually there during the 1992 riots. Experiencing events that still happen to this very day.

Devon Hayakawa, an actress in the show, said that ‘Twilight’ is a performance that anyone can connect with, regardless of race.

“You can’t say ‘Oh, because I’m of this color, that’s not my problem.’ Our world is not a utopia. There will always be problems. It doesn’t matter what color, age, gender, or sexuality we are. We’re all human.”

And with several sold out performances, ‘Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992’ is definitely a show that portrays how everyone struggles with the same issues.

Each actor in ‘Twilight’ got to experience these struggles by playing different roles.

Some portrayed their opposite gender, wearing clothing they aren’t accustomed to. And others stepped in the shoes of someone not the same race as them.

Hayakawa has the role of three different characters: a young black woman, a Korean teenage male, and an elderly Korean woman.

“It’s a lot of stepping into other people’s lives, but it’s been a great experience. We see so many different opinions and stances on the riots. I hope that people think outside of their own perspective after they see the show.”

Perspective is important in a world where issues still remain. The events portrayed and discussed in ‘Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992’ are true and, to this day, are very similar to what’s currently happening in the United States.

Take, for example, the death of Latasha Harlins, a fifteen-year-old African-American girl who was shot and killed by a Korean female store owner. This incident, which is, by some, believed to be the cause of the 1992 riots, seems all too familiar to stories like Trayvon Martin’s or Philando Castile’s.

There’s confusion, hysteria, and, of course, hatred. Some people blame one party, while some blame the other side.

“Even though it seems like a period piece, this was only 25 years ago,” Hayakawa said. “And we’re still having a lot of the same problems now. ‘Twilight’ reflects on this huge cycle, and that we haven’t really moved forward, but that there still is hope.”

‘Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992’ does an excellent job of showing the horrors of discrimination and violence. It gives an accurate depiction of events that still happen in 2017. And it tells several different stories, each focusing on one aspect that many can relate to.

Racial discrimination is still prevalent. And ‘Twilight’ does a great job through its various characters and expressive monologues.

“This is a problem we’re all facing,” Hayakawa said. “ ‘Twilight’ is very applicable to today.”