Cellos take center stage at the Colburn School tonight | Photo by Lachlan via flickr.

FILM
Before Alan Alda brought the character Hawkeye Pierce to homes everywhere in the M*A*S*H television series, Donald Sutherland (Keifer’s dad) played the role on the big screen in the Robert Altman-directed film (MASH). In both, though, the plot remains the same: the men who lived in “The Swamp” didn’t care much for military decorum during the Korean war. See the Altman version on the big screen tonight as part of the AFI 100 series.

7:30 pm // ArcLight Sherman Oaks // 15301 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks // $10-$11.50.

CLASSICAL
It’s a cello fest at the Colburn School tonight in “From Bach to Brubeck” as Trevor Handy, Armen Ksajikian, Roger Lebow, Dane Little and Gavin Martin perform sonatas and transcriptions by great keyboard masters. On the program tonight are pieces: Bach/Aslamazian Chaconnne from the Partita in d minor for Solo Violin
transcription for Four Violoncelli; Brahms Sonata in F Major, Opus 99; Rachmaninoff Sonata in G Minor, Opus 19; Dave Brubeck/Friesen Tritonis for Flute and Guitar.

7:30 pm // Zipper Hall @ The Colburn School // 200 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles // $10 suggested donation, but students are free.

THEATRE
Playwright Richard Martin Hirsch’s The Monkey Jar plays tonight in Beverly Hills. It’s about a student at an upscale Westside school who threatens his fourth-grade teacher with a gun – allegedly. The play deals with issues of race, education, sexual orientation and how a new African-American principal struggles to do what’s right.

8 pm // Theatre 40 // 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills // $20.

TALK
Michael Pollan, food policy author extraordinaire, comes to the Central Library’s ALOUD reading series tonight to talk about his newest book In Defense of Food with USC sociologist Barry Glassner. ***This program is booked to capacity, so try your luck in the standby line.

7 pm // Los Angeles Central Library // 630 W. Fifth St., Los Angeles // Free.

GOTH ROLLER SKATING
Wumpskate brings the Valentine’s Skate Massacre to the roller-skating rink – where the Goth kids can backwards skate to DJs spinning electroclash, gothic, ethereal, darkwave, synthpop, industrial, EBM, teknoisees and other stuff. ***This event is all ages.

9 pm // World on Wheels // 4645 ½ Venice Blvd., Los Angeles // $6.

The listed events were chosen by the editors of LAist and brought to you by the 2009 Toyota Corolla.