The left coast premier of the biopic work Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins is currently playing at the Geffen Playhouse. The ever-smoky Kathleen Turner resurrects the saucy journalist through this staged adaptation by twin-sister playwrights Margaret and Allison Engel. more ›

The life and achievements of Marie Curie are certainly worthy subject matter for a play: her position as a pioneer in an otherwise male-dominated scientific establishment and her discovery of radium are full of theatrical possibility. Unfortunately Alan Alda's take on the story, Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie, only casts a dim glow where the illumination should be brilliant. more ›

Geoffrey Nauffts' dramatic tear-jerker, Next Fall brings the emotional crux of the Gay Rights Movement to the Geffen Playhouse. Presenting homophobic family dynamics, tragic endings, and a realistic religious debate that tackles the incongruities and salves of faith, the play features charged performances, careful direction, and a bold script. more ›

Halloween was a sad day for the entertainment industry and UCLA community. Gilbert "Gil" Cates, founding dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and producing director at the Geffen Playhouse, died at age 77 yesterday on the UCLA campus. more ›

In order to be successful in relationships, business, or politics, willingness to compromise is a necessity. But what happens when you suspect that a series of small compromises has trapped you in a morally questionable place that you don’t quite understand? This is one of many unsettling questions addressed in the world premiere of David Wiener’s drama Extraordinary Chambers. more ›

For the past few days, the Geffen Playhouse has commandeered The Buttermilk Truck to spread the word about its current production: Superior Donuts. The truck has been tooling around the city as the Superior Donuts Truck and selling their scrumptious cake donuts—three for $2.50 and five for $4—under a new moniker. (We'll let you have a guess at the sweet treat's name.) more ›

In a cosmopolitan city such as Los Angeles, we like to think of ourselves as open-minded. More importantly, we want people we interact with to perceive us as liberal and accepting. Despite this desire, every person has a limit to what they consider to be acceptable and proper behavior. The Escort at the Geffen Playhouse brilliantly explores the limits of what we find progressive and safe, and the reality of what happens when we stray too far out of our comfort zone. more ›

It's kind of a gutsy move, before the start of a one-man show about a real-life person, to play extended video footage of that actual person whom the actor is about to recreate. As soon as the actor shows up, the audience is practically compelled to compare his voice, look and mannerisms with what was just up on the screen. But during the twenty or so minutes when the audience files in to the Geffen Playhouse to see Hershey Felder in Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein, a series of Bernstein's own musical lectures about the art of conducting the great composers is projected on the stage backdrop. The gambit then pays off when Felder appears and begins playing the piano and talking to us. He's not an exact replica of the great man himself, but he effectively adopts his subject's congenially didactic tone and demeanor, which we've just been watching, and runs with it. more ›

Los Angeles' version of The Tony's (or Obies) is coming up in January and last night the nominees were announced. Coming out on top was Pasadena's The Theatre at Boston Court with 17 Ovation nominations, followed by 16 nominations for... more ›

The recent tragedy in Haiti has inspired many people to offer their time and talents to raise money for the Red Cross, and at 8pm on Monday, February 22nd, a very special fundraising theatrical event will take place at the Geffen Playhouse (10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles 90024). For one-night-only, an all-star cast will perform a staged reading of 110 Stories, a theatrical presentation of a series of first-hand accounts of the events of September 11, 2001. more ›

Tonight at 7:30 pm Writers Bloc presents British mystery novelist Dame Ruth Rendell (who also writes as Barbara Vine) in conversation with April Smith, creator of the Ana Gray series. Rendell will talk about her latest book The Monster In The Box. The event will be held at the MGM Building in the ICM Theater. Park in the Westfield shopping center directly across the street. Tickets: $20. For reservations, visit writersblocpresents.com more ›

The New American Writing Series at the Hammer Museum tonight presents readings by poets Rae Armantrout and Rachel Loden. Armantrout is a professor of writing in the literature department at UCSD and the author of 10 books of poetry. Loden is the author of Dick of the Dead, released in May. The event begins at 7 pm and is free to the public. more ›

Beau Willimon's Farragut North, now onstage in its West Coast premiere at the Geffen Playhouse, begins first with a burst of layered noise courtesy a handful of media outlets and their various talking heads rehashing political talking points, and then is followed by the noise of a group of four ambitious people talking rehashing politics and the media--their bread and butter--in an Iowa bar. more ›

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So many events, so little time. Concete Frequency's latest installment is tonight and there's always Disney on Ice (skaters, not Walt), but here's a sampling of the other good stuff to be done in LA tonight. more ›

There's no such thing as a quiet Monday in this town. Here's a quick look at what's happening: more ›

Now that the frenzied first weekend is over, it should be much easier going at the L.A. Film Festival in terms of actually getting to see a movie. Virtually every film playing today shows either standby availability or tickets available at the door. Free events, unfortunately, are in short supply. Of course, there's the daily Bands on Broxton at noon and 7 p.m. at the Festival Promenade, but the only other free event is the Director Lunch Talk at 12:30 p.m. at the Target Red Room. Los Angeles Times entertainment writer John Horn will be speaking with Jeffrey Blitz, director of Rocket Science (at this year's LAFF) and the great spelling bee documentary from a few year's back, Spellbound. more ›

Monday Barbara Hambly presents Patriot Hearts: A Novel of Founding Mothers 7pm @ Vroman’s Tess Gallagher reads from Dear Ghosts 7:30pm @ Geffen Playhouse Tuesday George Hass presents Forcing Nature: Trees in Los Angeles 7pm @ Book Soup Margaret MacMillan presents Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World 7pm @ Central Library T Cooper & Chris Abani present their latest books 7:30pm @ Skylight Books Caille Millner presents The Golden Road: Notes... more ›

Coming to a Close: Sexuality more ›