Rep Stage To Tackle Issues Of Race And Class In Anna Deavere Smith's TWILIGHT: LOS ANGELES, 1992

Rep Stage, the professional regional theatre in residence at Howard Community College (HCC), continues its 26th season with "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992," written by Anna Deavere Smith and directed by Paige Hernandez. Anna Deavere Smith's stunning play explores the people who experienced the Los Angeles riots and the devastating human impact of that event.

From nine months of interviews with more than 200 people, Smith chose voices that best reflect the diversity and tension of a city in turmoil, all portrayed by one actress in a tour-de-force performance. A work that goes directly to the heart of the issues of race and class, "Twilight" ruthlessly probes the language and the lives of its subjects, offering stark insight into the complex and pressing social, economic, and political issues that fueled the flames in the wake of the Rodney King verdict.

Anna Deavere Smith is an actress, playwright, teacher, and author. Her most recent play and film, "Notes from the Field," examines the vulnerability of youth, inequality, the criminal justice system, and contemporary activism. Looking at current events from multiple points of view, Smith's theater combines the journalistic technique of interviewing her subjects with the art of interpreting their words through performance. Plays include "Fires in the Mirror," "House Arrest," and "Let Me Down Easy." "Twilight: Los Angeles" was nominated for two Tony Awards. "Fires in the Mirror" was runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize. Smith co-stars on the new ABC/Shonda Rhimes series, "For the People." She also appears on the hit ABC series "Black-ish." She previously starred as Gloria Akalitus on Showtime's "Nurse Jackie," and the National Security Advisor on NBC's "The West Wing." Films include "The American President," "Rachel Getting Married," "Philadelphia," "Dave," "Rent," and "The Human Stain."

In 2012, President Obama awarded her the National Endowment for the Humanities Medal. Smith is the founding director of the Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue at New York University, where she is also University Professor at Tisch School of the Arts.

"Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992" opens February 28, 2019, with a limited run through March 17 in the Studio Theatre of the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center (HVPA) on the campus of HCC, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Maryland. There will be post-show discussions on March 3 and 15. Rep Stage will also hold a pre-show lecture prior to the 2 p.m. performance on March 16.

Tickets are $40 for general admission, $35 for seniors and the military, and $15 for students with a current ID. Thursdays are $10 performances. For tickets and additional information, visit www.repstage.org or call the box office at 443-518-1500.