Edgemar Theatre Group resents Acts on the Edge, the company's first one-act festival, beginning tonight at 8 pm at the Edgmar Center for the Arts in Santa Monica. The festival features a dozen innovative pieces selected from more than 800 playwrights from around the world, with six one-acts performed each evening. Tickets: $15. more ›

There’s a MOPLA Group Show hosted by Smashbox Studios Culver City from 7-10 pm tonight. Curated by Hossein Farmani (Lucie Foundation) and Dee deLara (Smashbox Studios), there will be almost 70 photographs by LA's finest photogs--including LAist’s own Koga and contributor Shawn Nee. The night will also feature Pro'jekt LA Part 4 (rained out last Tuesday). Ad-Nauseum: Uncommercializing the Commercial. Food provided by Food Fetish. Music provided by IE. Free with RSVP to groupshow@monthofphotography.com. more ›

Besides celebrating poetry and National Garden Month, April is a month for MOPLA (Month of Photography Los Angeles), dedicated to celebrating the art of photography, including the commercial, fine art and photojournalism genres. It began last year, conceived and is organized by individuals who founded The Focus on Aids Photography Auction, The Lucie Foundation and the Lucie Awards. more ›

The Natural History Museum mixes music and science tonight for its First Friday series. The museum’s celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin all year, and it’s reflected in the tours and discussions. At 5:30 and 6 pm there will be tours of the Vertebrate Paleontology Collections with Dr. John Harris, NHM Chief Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, followed by “Lucy's Legacy: The Quest for Human Origins” with paleoanthropologist Dr. Donald C. Johanson. The live music kicks off at 7 pm courtesy of Wolfmother and The Ruby Suns and DJs in the African Mammal Hall. Tickets are $9. more ›

Downtown LA’s Poketo Studio is hosting an evening of art and music in the show “Bang! Bang! Draw!” tonight at 7 pm. Her Space Holiday will kick the night off with a live performance followed by a moderated Q&A session with the pop outfit and Tokyo-based illustrator-designer Heisuke "PCP" Kitazawa. The official art show and party follows right after until 10 pm. Admission is free and desserts and drinks will be provided. more ›

Did you like Heidi and Spencer’s Q&A yesterday? Then tonight’s your night because the Paley Fest brings the cast of The Hills to the Cinerama Dome at 7 pm tonight. Though Spence isn’t on the bill, Heidi, Lauren Conrad, Audrina Patridge, Whitney Port, Brody Jenner and Lo Bosworth are. And you never know what may happen with this crew anyway. Tickets are $45-$60. If you have a question for them, post it here. more ›

April marks the Month of Photography LA (MOPLA) and there’s an array of programming for photographers and collectors alike. This afternoon from 3-5 pm at the Pacific Design Center, Blue Building, there’s a lecture on “Looking at the Past to Build a Better Future - Lessons Learned from Photographic Trends” moderated by Debra Weiss with Steve Levit, Michael Kochman and Tim Wride. The opening reception for six MOPLA exhibits is also tonight from 6-9 pm. more ›