Students to perform testimonials from LA riots during MLK Week

Grand Valley theater students will perform testimonials from the 1992 Los Angeles riots during two free performances January 18. The performances, in conjunction with Grand Valley's Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Week, will take place from 10-11:30 a.m. and from 2:30-4 p.m. in Kirkhof Center, room 2263.

“Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992” captures the identities of 36 famous, infamous and anonymous individuals linked to the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict. The testimonials were collected in an attempt to raise awareness of race relations and societal struggles both past and present. 

Michael Mueller, director and visiting professor of theater, said students will perform excerpts from their full show, which occurred in November. Mueller added that performing these excerpts during MLK Commemoration Week fulfills one of the primary goals of the show.

"I wanted to be able to take this production past the initial performances and contribute to other campus organizations' efforts to promote positive social change," Mueller said. "Being part of MLK Commemoration Week is an opportunity to continue to share the talents of GVSU students while supporting vital cultural organizations promoting greater awareness of major issues impacting our communities."

The show, originally written and performed as a one-woman show by award-winning playwright and actress Anna Deavere Smith, is the result of approximately 300 interviews conducted in a nine-month period following the protests and riots.

For more information about this production, visit the Theater Department website, or call the Louis Armstrong Box Office at (616) 331-2300.

For more information about Grand Valley's MLK Commemoration Week events, visit www.gvsu.edu/mlk.