The Frame

George C. Wolfe, an accomplished writer and theater director, talks about his Broadway musical, inspired by the 1921 show, “Shuffle Along"; The Broadway hit "Hamilton" won't be on the West Coast until 2017, but devoted fans here have figured out a way to bring it to life now.

Oscar-winning documentarian Charles Ferguson turns his camera to the climate crisis with "Time To Choose"; Stephanie Allain, Director of the L.A. Film Festival is on a mission to showcase filmmakers who Hollywood typically ignores; The rock duo The Kills are back with a new album, and they reveal why they don't have a drummer.

Comedian Quincy Jones was diagnosed with terminal cancer, but that didn't stop him from achieving his goal of filming a stand-up special. This week it airs on HBO; Fandango Fronterizo is an annual event that brings together musicians across the U.S.-Mexico border in celebration and in protest; L.A. theater company Chalk Rep mounts a play in a cluttered garage to bring an immersive experience to their audience.

Bryan Cranston is busier than ever with a number of films in various stages of production and distribution. He reflects on his life in acting — lessons learned and given; Slate culture writer Aisha Harris discusses the piece she co-wrote with Dan Kois, "The Black Film Canon: The 50 Greatest Movies by Black Directors."

"Honky" is a play by Greg Kallares that takes a humorous and provocative look at race, racism and marketing; Starting in September, Netflix will have exclusive rights to valuable Disney titles; South Africa is an increasingly popular locale for American films and TV shows.

Aziz Ansari wasn't happy with the parts he was being offered, so the comic actor created “Master of None” for Netflix; Ellis Ludwig-Leone of the band San Fermin brings together classical music and pop for his own brand of indie rock; Slate culture writer Aisha Harris previews this year's highly-anticipated slate of summer movies.

Kate Beckinsale opens up about Lady Susan, her role in "Love & Friendship," an 18th Century character who behaves very much like a 21st Century woman; DC Comics reboots its universe of familiar characters with "Rebirth"; the González siblings prepare to perform together for the first time in 20 years.

Director Susanne Bier on adapting John Le Carré's novel 'The Night Manager' for TV and lifting women filmmakers by example; meet musician Will Toledo, aka Car Seat Headrest, whose latest album is getting good reviews; Spotify is the leading streaming service with close to 100 million users, but the Swedish company isn't yet making a profit.

Nick Stoller's huge success directing the first "Neighbors" movie led to the inevitable sequel, which centers around a sorority; Asian-American men have a particularly difficult time landing lead roles in films and TV shows; HBO programming chief Michael Lombardo steps down and leaves challenges for his successor.

We visit the set of Maria Bamford's Netflix show “Lady Dynamite” to see how she blends the absurd with autobiography. The filmmakers of the documentary "Song of Lahore" track how musicians revived their art form and found an international audience with their cover of the Dave Brubeck song, "Take Five." What's hot and not at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Alexandra Dean's documentary, “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story,” reveals the actress' other life as an inventor; director Bryan Singer was fired and sued this week; Alynda Segarra of the band Hurray for the Riff Raff explores her Puerto Rican roots.

Morris' new documentary examines the mysterious 1953 death of a government biochemist who was given LSD by the CIA; John Adams and Peter Sellars collaborate on the opera "Girls of the Golden West"; SoCal wildfires are affecting TV and film production.

Brothers Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick think musicals are a little absurd, so they wrote the parody, “Something Rotten!”; six women have filed a lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein and they're seeking class action status; Cornerstone marks its 25th year in L.A. with the culmination of an eight-play cycle.

"SpongeBob SquarePants" is now a Broadway musical. Playwright Kyle Jarron reveals how the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon was adapted for the stage; Russia's banishment from the 2018 Olympics is connected to Bryan Fogel's documentary "Icarus" about trying to dope his way through bicycle races.

"Beauty and the Beast" lyricist died before the original film was complete. We put together this remembrance of his life and legacy; "Call Me By Your Name" screenwriter James Ivory talks about adapting the celebrated gay love story for the screen; a pot entrepreneur takes issue with Hollywood portrayals of the pot industry.

Actor Doug Jones has made a career of playing monsters in Guillermo del Toro films. His latest is half-man, half-fish; Women in Film holds gathering to discuss how to combat sexual harassment in the workplace.

Franco directs and stars (with his brother, Dave) in a film about the making of "The Room" — considered one of the worst movies ever made; Amy Adrion directed a documentary that examines the long history of systemic discrimination against women filmmakers

The director's WWII film returns to theaters as awards season heats up in Hollywood; "The Today Show" co-host Matt Lauer was fired amid allegations of sexual misconduct; the group Women in Film is launching a help line to support victims of harassment.

Jay-Z led the pack with 8 nominations, including his first ever Album of the Year nod, in a year when rap and R&B dominate the major categories; Mary Harron talks about directing the TV adaptation of another Margaret Atwood book.

Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina co-wrote and co-directed the latest hit from Pixar Animation; Kyle Buchanan of Vulture.com looks at the early contenders for the Academy Awards.

We revisit two of our favorite interviews of the year: Jordan Peele on his hit social thriller; and Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, creators of the Netflix series about women's wrestling in the 1980s.

Anthony McCarten was inspired by Winston Churchill's oratorical skills for his "Darkest Hour" screenplay; Pixar chief John Lasseter is the latest Hollywood figure accused of sexual harassment; two companies led by women are interested in buying all or some of The Weinstein Co.