The Ball State Department of Theatre and Dance is performing "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992," 25 years after the historic events in the play took place.
The play is about the six days of riots that took place in Los Angeles after four white police officers were cleared of charges for beating a black man named Rodney King with excessive force.
“The acts that happened in the streets of Los Angeles are part of our history and it’s sadly not changing,” co-director Thomas Murray said.
Murray is a Ball State alumnus and is excited to be back on campus, especially to co-direct this show with Dee Dee Batteast.
“The last eight years or so Dee Dee and I have been talking [about] working together,” Murray said. “This show allows us to do that, but also has a collaboration between a white and a black director which connects directly to the show’s topic.”
The show will be in Strother Theatre, located on the North end of the Arts and Communications building, at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 and at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 10.
“Everybody should come see the show not just because it is a beautiful piece, but because it is so crucial and relevant to our society today,” Edgar de Santiago, sophomore, said. “It is outrageous how similar the events that took place in this play are to the events that have been happening in the past years. It serves as a wakeup call and reminder to be aware of the world beyond our conscious existence.”
Junior Devon Hawakaya said the experience is beneficial to the actors on stage as well as the audience.
“This show gives all of us onstage the chance to step into someone else’s shoes. We have to tell their story honestly and fully, even though we may not be of that race or gender at all,” Hawakaya said.
Murray complimented the entire cast and crew for their ability to work so hard toward accurately portraying the characters and experiences that take place in the play, especially with a short rehearsal schedule, which sometimes meant having to rehearse for seven hours in one day.
“They have been such champs,” Murray said. “If there’s been any obstacles, it’s been fighting tiredness.”
To add to the challenge, some performers portray several characters. Hawakaya, for example, portrays an African-American woman, a Korean man and a Korean woman.
Murray is positive that the show will not only be a success, but also a powerful experience for the audience.
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