Five women sit in a row onstage and talk about being women. Their subjects range from buying a bra to their obsession with boots to the enduring chic of the color black. They talk about marriage and divorce and the death of a child. And most of all, they talk about their mothers. It’s a hilarious, poignant, and passionate exposition of... Read more →

“I like to think of it like a windshield wiper, wiping away the grime.” That’s the analogy my trainer Keith Sims uses to describe how I’m able to see muscle peeking through layers of fat. “We’re changing your body composition,” says Sims. “As you strengthen and condition and lose fat, the... Read more →

Dear New Shrink, I am not sure where to start. I have (or had) this friend for the last five years or so. When we met, she had few to no friends, seemed very shy and was definitely without social skills. But something about her made me care about her. She has a good heart and a lot of class, in that she is well mannered and treats people... Read more →

MID-CITY — Usually plaques mounted on hospital walls are reserved for those who donate lots of cash. Jette Simmons was honored with a bronze plaque at the Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center for giving something arguably more valuable — her time. Simmons, who friends and colleagues remember as a “feisty Brit” who was... Read more →

Take a boy whose mother died when he was 12 and whose father abandoned them even before that, have him fixated on his own machismo, his seething anger, and Elvis Presley, and you have a roaring bully and an egocentric Presley-impersonator who claims he has a “spiritual connection” with the iconic singer. Add to that his enabling... Read more →

OCEAN AVE — Saying that Chef Keith Roberts has a difficult job to do is quite the understatement. Not only is he responsible for running a $10 million culinary operation for Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, catering to the sophisticated business traveler as well as the demanding bride to be, but he also has to please picky, pre-teen... Read more →

Dear New Shrink, I will be graduating from college in a few weeks. I am confident about my career choice but want to be sure that I start off strong. Do you have any suggestions for what I can do to ensure that I have a successful career ahead of me? Thank you, Need to Succeed Dear Succeed, Congratulations! Completing college is a very... Read more →

There is hardly any ethnic or religious group that is not maligned in “Holy Ghost,” Jon Tuttle’s World War II-era drama now having its West Coast premiere at Theatre of Note in Hollywood. Even the Amish, for God’s sake! But what can you expect at a prisoner of war camp in South Carolina where the German prisoners are... Read more →

GENERAL COMMENT: On a cold winter night Indian food hits the spot. Many years ago, when we sailed together as a family, we would come back to Marina del Rey cold and tired, clean up the boat, and head over to the Akbar restaurant on Washington Boulevard. Mr. Kapoor, the owner, a gentleman from the “old school,” always offered... Read more →

I’ve heard it said that getting yourself to the gym is the hardest part of your workout. Whoever said it is a big, fat liar. The hardest part of working out … is working out. My trainer Keith Sims starts me on a two-day a week weight routine, and a six-day a week cardio regime. I’m so heinously out of shape I want to... Read more →

Dear New Shrink, In your article on the Monday morning blues, you mentioned that retirement can be dangerous, even deadly, if one is not prepared for it. My husband and I are about to retire and while I am excited, I am worried about him. His life has always been about his work and us, his family. Can you elaborate more on what makes for a... Read more →

It’s one of those questions that are on many people’s minds but they may be too embarrassed to ask: Why does one’s urine smell funny after eating asparagus? According to popular asparagus pee research, up to 76 percent of the population makes stinky asparagus pee, but some of them are simply not able to smell it while others... Read more →

The first act begins in medieval Japan. A married woman and her lover, both in kimonos and lots of hair, are making love “for the last time” and singing to each other at the top of their lungs. This sets up a fast forward to the next scene, which is set in New York in 1951. A married couple have just seen “Rashomon,”... Read more →

MADISON CAMPUS — The Broad Stage’s third season will feature an eclectic mix of talent that spans mariachi to jazz to improv. The venue’s schedule was released Thursday during a press conference that featured some of the acts that are scheduled to perform at the venue, giving boosters and reporters a glimpse of what’s... Read more →

Several months ago while interviewing a dentist, I was lamenting about not being able to find “Mr. Right.” My subject looked me straight in the eye and told me, “You’re a very pretty girl, but you’re fat. Lose some weight, you’ll have no trouble.” Not exactly the answer I was looking for. More of a... Read more →