When it comes to toxic families, John Patrick Shanley’s makes Eugene O’Neill’s look like the Brady Bunch. In his virulent family drama, “Beggars in the House of Plenty,” currently being reprised at Theatre/Theater in Los Angeles, playwright Shanley portrays his father as viciously cruel, unrelentingly angry, and... Read more →

Now that we can’t afford to go anywhere exotic until the economy comes back, we’re looking for foreign experiences here in Santa Monica. Lunch or dinner at The Port Royal Café is a bit like a trip to Jamaica. WHERE: 1412 Broadway, Santa Monica, (310) 458-4147. WHEN: Lunch and dinner every day except Sunday. BEST DISHES:... Read more →

We all know the saying about “Food for Thought,” which means anything that provides mental stimulus. But how many of us really think about our food? Not only that, but how many of us think about how our food is reflective of our personalities, our successes and failures or better yet, our blockages to success? I read a post by... Read more →

‘Little Miss Sunshine’ Michael Arndt won an Academy Award for his script about a family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant so they take a cross-country trip in their VW bus. Greg Kinnear leads the clan and Alan Arkin took home a Best Supporting Oscar as the spirited grandfather. A... Read more →

Is it ever too late to chase your dreams? What if you are established in a career with a wife of 35 years, have three children? You have a beautiful home in Tennessee. You are 59 years of age. You have made it. You are established as an elite strength and conditioning coach at the college level. Also to your credit is the invention of a piece... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — It’s a good time to be the head of a group of young Democrats, leading the pack of political activists when there is a Democratic president and the national party has numbers in the legislature. But that’s the life that Katherine Hennigan has lived since the 26-year-old Santa Monica resident was named the... Read more →

If grief is your favorite emotion, you’re going to love “Rabbit Hole,” David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play about a couple whose 4-year-old son was killed in an accident. The accident (the little boy ran out in the street after his dog and was hit by a car), happened eight months ago, but the couple is... Read more →

Many have written (re: my last column) asking why I continued to date “Stinks.” Despite his flatulence, poor taste in clothing and dating venues, he was a nice guy. He also had other assets. And guys, size does matter. If you have a small thingie please stay home, watch TV and fantasize about meeting chicks, we don’t want... Read more →

Oh boy! Another really good restaurant to use up my discretionary food money. And this one comes with special features I rarely find: a great wine staff and wine selection. In front of the Fairmont Miramar Hotel’s south entrance on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Ocean Avenue sits a huge 135-year-old non-bearing fig tree. Inside... Read more →

Donald Margulies is one of my favorite living playwrights. He creates characters that are real, plots that are provocative, and dialogue that is lucid and often hilarious. His latest play, “Time Stands Still,” which was commissioned by the Geffen Playhouse and premiered there on Feb. 11, is a commendable addition to his body of... Read more →