The Frame

The classically-trained actress became widely known through "Star Wars," but now she's looking for smaller, meaty roles; the new documentary, "Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am."

'On the Inside' is a group exhibition of LGBTQ artists who are currently incarcerated; a look back at the largely unheard music of the early gay liberation movement; how movies (and movie theaters) will survive the next decade.

TV producer Alan Yang on how his mission in storytelling has changed; L.A. Times TV critic Lorraine Ali says the Democratic debates are the best reality show; writer and musician Solvej Schou reunites with her mentor, high school English teacher Barry Smolin.

Himesh Patel stars as a struggling musician who awakens one day to a world where only he remembers the songs of The Beatles; Ann Sarnoff is named head of Warner Bros. studio.

In 1989, the first all-female crew was assembled for a famously grueling 'round-the-world sailing competition that's chronicled in the new documentary, "Maiden"; musicians have filed the first lawsuit resulting from a devastating 2008 fire on the Universal Studios backlot.

"The Central Park Five" tragedy gets put in operatic scale; Prince estate releases album of "new" old songs; Scorsese take footage from Bob Dylan's 1975 Rolling Thunder tour to create a "fever dream" film and "Sea of Solitude" video game creator wants people to feel less alone in their loneliness.

Designer Connie Geppert takes on depression and loneliness in her much-anticipated video game; a new effort to diversity the ranks of film and TV critics; in the classroom with a real life 'School of Rock' teacher dude.

Composer Anthony Davis turns the troubling tale into a world premiere for Long Beach Opera; the Hollywood courtship continues for Democratic presidential candidates; singer-songwriter Steve Gunn collaborates with Japanese folk singer Sachiko Kanenobu.

Lauren Morelli created the Netflix reboot of a 1994 PBS series that was ahead of its time; screenwriter Max Landis faces multiple allegations of sexual abuse and harassment; the band Big Thief.

The prolific artist wrote many songs that were recorded by other artists. Susannah Melvoin talks about "Nothing Compares 2 You"; Hollywood gets caught up in China trade war; film composer Bear McCreary ("Child's Play").

The actress is getting raves for her role in "Room" as a kidnap victim raising a son in captivity; Jeff Russo has gone from rock band guitarist to Emmy-nominated composer; Warner Bros.' big budget "Pan" opened badly, but the company's other divisions are performing well.

The actor/comedian is also a noted art collector and now he's curating a show of work by Canadian painter Lawren Harris; El Teatro Campesino collaborates with Center Theatre Group and Boyle Heights residents for a show at Grand Park; Jafar Panahi is banned from making films in his homeland, but that hasn't stopped him.

Julie Plec has "The Vampire Diaries" and "The Originals" on The CW Network, and she'll soon add a third show, albeit one that's fang-free; it's been two decades since the Scottish band Garbage and singer Shirley Manson burst on the scene; the EEOC is looking into hiring practices for women filmmakers.

Director Danny Boyle says tech titans like the late Apple founder have to be called into account; stage director Peter Sellars collaborated with novelist Toni Morrison on a re-imagining of "Othello"; the Church of Scientology continues its campaign against Gibney's documentary, "Going Clear."

Photographer Eilon Paz and editor Sheila Burgel collaborated on a book about obsessive vinyl fans; the L.A. Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela team up for a Beethoven marathon; can TiVo's new device make a dent in the market?

Scott directed the science fiction classics "Blade Runner" and "Alien," but he says "The Martian" is science fact; a hilarious encounter with Chinese-to-English translations inspired Hwang's play, "Chinglish"; the Chinese dissident artist Ai Wei Wei discovered listening devices in his Beijing studio.

The actor worked with filmmaker Cary Fukunaga and hundreds of non-professional actors to make "Beasts of No Nation;" Grantland's Andy Greenwald gives a status report on the new TV season; the Isango Ensemble transports Bizet's opera to a South Africa township.

Choreographer Twyla Tharp has kept her company and artistic vision going for 50 years with unflagging determination; after spending time in Ghana, ethnomusicologist Brian Shimkovitz scoured the continent and then launched the label, Awesome Tapes from Africa; author Salman Rushdie considers the literary merits of the rapper, Drake.

The actress' next role as a fighter for women's voting rights is in keeping with her activist profile in Hollywood; Kyle Eastwood has scored films for his dad, Clint, but he's made his own name as a jazz bassist and composer; saxophonist Phil Woods was a jazz great, but became known for his solo on a huge pop hit.

Deaf West Theatre's production of "Spring Awakening" started out in a small theater on L.A.'s Skid Row, and now it's on Broadway; Showtime's David Nevins kicks off our talks about the state of the TV industry; Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields deconstructs a song from the band's new album in a new installment of Song Exploder.

Mark Pellington has applied his distinct style to music videos, feature films and now NBC's "Blindspot," about a woman whose tattooed body holds clues to crimes; Trevor Powers records as Youth Lagoon and his new album chronicles some personal losses; How do TV networks choose among streaming services?

Performer Geoff Sobelle has turned the Kirk Douglas Theatre into a warehouse of boxed-up memories; Carolina Miranda of the L.A. Times on the trend toward mega-galleries in Los Angeles; Charlton Heston's family will auction three works by Andrew Wyeth that the actor collected.