A new play, “Blueprint for Paradise,” currently having its world premiere in Los Angeles, is based on a true story ... maybe. Or on fragmented evidence, rumors, and bits and pieces of documents that point to a startling plan set in motion in the 1930s. The perpetrators, Herbert and Clara Taylor, were Nazi sympathizers during the time... Read more →

They were elite athletes without a home, facing Jim Crow discrimination in the U.S. and competing at the Olympics in the shadows of Nazi Germany. As black members of Team USA at the 1936 Games, they have come to be seen as examples of courage and perseverance at time of racism and bigotry. Archie Williams, who won the men’s 400-meter race,... Read more →

By Kathryn Whitney Boole Don't read all the drama about the making of "Suicide Squad" yet. Just go see it, and after that read the reviews and the gossip. This movie is a spectacle. "Suicide Squad" was a huge job to take on for writer/director David Ayer. The cast list reads like a novel with a whole chapter devoted to listing just the... Read more →

Editor’s note: With the opening of the Expo Line’s extension to Santa Monica, locals have a new way to explore neighboring areas. The Daily Press will publish a weekly travelogue about what to eat, see and do near each of the stations along the Expo Line, continuing this week at the Expo/Crenshaw stop. If I tell you that some of the best... Read more →

By Camille de Beus Daily Press Intern Santa Monica has been an inspiration for local artists for generations and the City's Artist-in-Residence reflects the connection between artists, residents and the City By The Sea. Zeal Harris is the newest Studio Artist-in-Residence at 1450 Ocean. From Aug. 10 to Nov. 12 Harris will be teaching... Read more →

Compare and contrast: “Grey Gardens” at the Ahmanson Theatre (Downtown L.A. Music Center) and “A Raisin in the Sun,” at Ruskin Group Theatre. One with sizeable budgets, big stars and a big commercial stage, the other a small house (50-plus seats), a tricky L-shaped stage, a limited budget and skilled actors who aren’t necessarily... Read more →

If you’ve spent any significant amount of time in Santa Monica over the years, you’ve probably seen the chicken car. It’s become a piece of local lore, a legend among the multitudes of motorists and pedestrians whose paths it has crossed. It’s the bright yellow one with the giant rooster head atop its roof and curved tail feathers... Read more →

The Santa Monica Police Department is hosting National Night Out tonight, Aug. 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. throughout the city. All events have free food, snacks and drinks while supplies last. Events are scheduled at four locations citywide and organizers are encouraging participants from all four locations to gather at Clover Park at 8:15 p.m.... Read more →

They’re treasured pieces of a distinguished art collection, usually kept in protective wrapping and stored away in private. But through Sept. 3, the original proofs by Pablo Picasso will be on display at the Leslie Sacks Gallery in Santa Monica. Visitors to the Bergamot Station gallery won’t find famous works like “Guernica,”... Read more →

By Kathryn Whitney Boole Why is it that people get hooked on horror movies? It could be these films provide opportunity for social bonding. As I watched "Lights Out," the two guys next to me in the theatre kept gasping, “Oh no”, “Watch out!” “Don't go in there!” as if they were living the story. And what is it that makes us so... Read more →

By Kathryn Whitney Boole "Don't Think Twice" is a story about the daily triumphs and disappointments of a small comedy troupe in New York City. It's important that you don't go into this film thinking you will be delivered from mundane reality into a lighthearted comedy. The movie was not what I expected, and in many respects in a good... Read more →

By Emanuela Boisbouvier Daily Press Intern Locals are encouraged to put on their walking shoes in the coming weeks and participate in one of the Conservancy walks featuring Downtown Santa Monica. On Saturday, July 30, the Conservancy is partnering with the City of Santa Monica on a walking tour that will feed into a workshop about the... Read more →

Editor’s note: With the opening of the Expo Line’s extension to Santa Monica, locals have a new way to explore neighboring areas. The Daily Press will publish a weekly travelogue about what to eat, see and do near each of the stations along the Expo Line, continuing this week at the Expo/Farmdale stop. The stretch of West Jefferson... Read more →

Editor's note: the performance reviewed this week contains adult themes and potentially offensive language. The author makes use of the same language in the context of the review. When Debra Ehrhardt grew up on the island of Jamaica, the subject of sex was taboo. “My very conservative Christian mother said absolutely no sex before... Read more →

Keep your eye on playwright Jason Odell Williams. If he keeps writing plays as extraordinary and impassioned as his latest play, “Church and State,” he may in time be hailed as this country's newest Eugene O'Neill. Ostensibly a play about gun control, “Church and State” broadens to include some of the most crucial issues Americans... Read more →