Adrienne Crew

L.A. theater critic Rob Kendt's theater blog, the Wicked Stage, is back with fresh entries and, unfortunately, he's got a big story to parse this week as news filters out that the [Music] Center Theater Group (CTG) new artistic director, Michael Ritchie, has eliminated programs focused on the development of new plays and playrights, effective July 1, in order to spend more time and funding on staging new plays rather than work-shopping them in...

Melanie Pullen's first solo show of photographs, called "High Fashion Crime Scenes," opens tonight at 7 PM at the ACE Gallery in Beverly Hills located at 9430 Wilshire Boulevard, a little east of Beverly Dr. Oddly, when discussing her work on her website, Pullen seems unaware that she's riffing on the same material already explored by Guy Bourdin, a real high fashion photographer in the '70s. Pullen's highly charged images of actual crime scenes...

"China Beach" co-creator and executive producer John Sacret Young discusses his latest book "Remains: Non-Viewable" with writer Louise Steinman at the Central Library at 7 PM today. The two will discuss Young's book about the generational effects of war. Central Library Mark Taper Auditorium Fifth & Flower Streets, Downtown Los Angeles...

Last week, LAist attended the latest edition of the "Slap & Tickle," sketch comedy group.* During a monologue called, "Notes from The Wandering Eye," author Elizabeth 'Liz' Warner stood on the stage at the Lillian Theater (on Santa Monica Blvd's "intimate" Theater Row) and shared the following observations in response to the query "What have you learned during your time in LA" I've learned that Fountain is the smart man's Sunset. Willougby is the...

Saturday, May 21st • 8:00 pm : Selected Shorts: The Love Story Weekend--Marital Matters at the Getty Center • 11:00 am : ArtsDay panels at UCLA Extension • 4:00 pm : LACC Creative Writing Content Winners read works • 7:30 pm : Alicia Erian reads her book "Towelhead" • 7:30 pm : lecture on "Artist & the City as Social Imagination" at Villa Aurora •8:00 pm: Cinespia presents "The Bad and the Beautiful" at...

The negative TV ads have been coming in fast and furious as the two mayoral candidates fight to win the top slot today. Our favorite so far have been the ads from the California Teachers Association supporting Antonio Villaraigosa by depicting a man's back as he runs through the woods dodging the beam of a flashlight as a voice over says "Been looking for Mayor Hahn? So have the 740,000 students in our Los Angeles...

Truthfully, LAist wishes we had more candidate choices to consider in the race for mayor of Los Angeles County. But the Mayor's office isn't the only issue up for grabs during today's election so it's imperative to vote, regardless of mood. Voters also get to decide on who shall replace outgoing Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski to represent the interests of District 11 on the City Council and whether to pass Measures A or B, which...

We're glad Lifetime has moved its reality series, "I Married A Princess," starring actors Casper "Stormship Troopers" Van Dien and Catherine "Dynasty" Oxenberg, to 11 PM as the show has a sophoric effect that's the perfect companion at bedtime. It's sweet, slightly dizzy and captures the tedium of raising small children out in Malibu....

In the July issue of "VLife," the "lifestyle" magazine published by Variety, Paul Cullum interviews actor Ron Livingston about his neighborhood haunts in Los Feliz. He has a pretty good take on the area that can be applied to all aspects of LA living: You know you can come down Laurel Canyon, and you can turn left or you can turn right. I always tended to turn left. The Dime over on Fairfax is...

As has been noted already, today is Friday the 13th, one of the most ominous dates on the calendar. As if to prove a point about the silliness of superstitions, the Skeptics Society opens their annual conference in Pasadena today. The Skeptics Society Conference on Brain, Mind and Consciousness will start with a party at the Westin Hotel at 6 PM, followed by Bob "Madman of Magic" Friedhoffer's magic stage show and Mark Edward's...