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Pencil This In: John Lithgow Opens at the Mark Taper, Fantastic Planet Screens at Cinefamily

THEATER*
John Lithgow: Stories by Heart opens tonight at the Mark Taper Forum. In his one-man show, Lithgow theatrically spins and recreates stories from his life. The show runs through Feb 13. Tickets: $25-40.
FILM
Tonight the Hammer Museum presents afree screening of the documentary A Small Actat 7 pm. The film follows Kenyan Chris Mburu and his journey from a poor African village to becoming a Harvard grad and a United Nations’ human rights lawyer. He finished school through the sponsorship of a Swedish benefactor who donated $15 a month to his education. Inspired by her generosity, Mburu starts a scholarship program of his own. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Jennifer Arnold and producers Patti Lee and Jeffrey Soros.
ANIMATION
Jerry Beck's Animation Tuesdays takes over Cinefamily tonight with a screening of the 1973 psychedelic animated feature Fantastic Planet (w/ live score by Jesus Makes The Shotgun Sound). The sci-fi film follows clashes between the small, enslaved humans and giant, intelligent beings, an analogy to the Soviet occupation of the Czech Republic. Tickets: $14/$10 for members. 8 pm.
*Pencil pick of the day
Want more events? Follow me on Twitter (@christineziemba).
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