Anna Deavere Smith Criticism
Anna Deavere Smith, an acclaimed American playwright and performer born in 1950, is renowned for her innovative documentary-style theatrical works. Her play Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, which won the OBIE Award for Best New American Play, epitomizes her unique approach to theater. Following the 1992 Los Angeles race riots triggered by the acquittal of four police officers accused of assaulting Rodney King, Smith conducted 175 interviews with diverse individuals involved in or affected by the events. In this "one-woman show," she uses verbatim theater techniques to portray over twenty characters, including notable figures like former LAPD chief Daryl F. Gates and truck driver Reginald O. Denny, providing a multifaceted view of the riots. Her work is often seen as a blend of journalism and art, as noted in The Tangle over Twilight. Smith's performances are lauded for their insightful exploration of identity, race, and community, reflecting on the social and psychological impact of the riots. Critics, such as those featured in Twilight's First Gleaming and Twilight: Group Therapy for a Nation, praise her ability to give voice to marginalized communities, highlighting the play’s significant contribution to American theater. This work, part of her On the Road: A Search for American Character series, underscores Smith's approach to fostering community dialogue, as discussed in An interview in Los Angeles Times.
Contents
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Principal Works
(summary)
In the following essay, the critic explores Anna Deavere Smith's innovative theatrical approach, highlighting her use of documentary-style performances to address themes of identity, race, and community, as demonstrated through her works such as Fires in the Mirror and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992.
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Essays
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An interview in Los Angeles Times
(summary)
In the following interview, Anna Deavere Smith discusses with Steve Proffitt her motivations for creating Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, emphasizing her exploration of race relations through verbatim theater, her concerns about ethnocentricity, and her belief in theater as a means to foster community dialogue rather than offer a unifying narrative.
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Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992
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In the following excerpt, Hornby discusses Smith's performance in Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 and praises the play as a representative example of American regional theater.
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Twilight: Group Therapy for a Nation
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In the following review, Stuart lauds Smith's deft handling of complex characters and situations in Twilight.
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Twilight's First Gleaming
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In the following review, Feingold praises Smith both as a performer and as a writer.
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P.C.—or Not P.C.
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Brustein is a highly-regarded American drama critic. In the review of Twilight below, he comments on Smith's performance, her characterization, and her depiction of the multicultural issues surrounding the riots.
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The Tangle over Twilight
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In the following excerpt, Mitchell discusses the controversy over whether Twilight should be characterized as journalism or art.
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An interview in Los Angeles Times
(summary)
- Further Reading