MPR’s Marianne Comb interviews writer and performer Roger Guenveur Smith about his play “Rodney King.” The one-man show, "Rodney King," is performed at Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul.

A black man, Rodney King was beaten brutally by four Los Angeles policemen in 1991; their acquittal sparked riots in the area. Years later, King drowned in his backyard swimming pool - alcohol and multiple drugs were found in his system. Smith says he was compelled to create the show because he felt a personal loss when King died, even though he'd never met the man.