PLAY TIME — The play begins as the story of Hansel and Gretel — as told from the witch’s point of view.  You just wouldn’t believe what a naughty little girl that Gretel is!  As is the witch, because cooking a little boy is a naughty thing to do, even if you are a really good cook. The play is “Broomstick” by New Orleans author... Read more →

CULTURE WATCH — Movie screeners on DVD and novels make for great company when you're grounded at home (as I've been) following knee surgery. If you've ever been curious about Tehrangeles, especially the wave of Jewish Persian settlers in Los Angeles, get thee to a bookstore for a copy of Westside author Gina Nahai's newest book, “The... Read more →

CULTURE WATCH — The big news of the week is the return of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, something of an annual tradition at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica. I'm sad to be missing them, but I have to stay off my feet for a while following knee surgery. The Globe's “King Lear” stars Joseph Marcell, he of the resoundingly deep voice who... Read more →

BEACH LOTS — Debate surrounding the use of beach lots for private events is heating up and city officials have responded by banning them in some locations. Earlier this month Daily Press columnist Jack Neworth complained about an event, Vegan Ocktoberfest, which was noisy late into the night. In his column, Neworth said that City Hall... Read more →

MID-CITY — Nicole von Riesen, 43, didn’t want to wait a month for her MRI. She didn’t even really want to wait another hour. At the end of May, von Riesen went in for a regular mammogram. Then another. Then a biopsy. After that, the doctors scheduled a MRI — for June, maybe July. “My heart sank,” she said. Von Riesen... Read more →

CULTURE WATCH — Privacy? Or liberty? No matter where you come down on the question of whether whistleblower Edward Snowden is a hero or a traitor, the documentary “Citizenfour” will affect you. It opens tonight at the Landmark Theatres in West L.A. Filmmaker Laura Poitras takes us inside eight game-changing days in Hong Kong, where... Read more →

THE BEACH —  Dylan Andre can be seen on the beaches connecting Venice and Santa Monica together with a small speaker system by his shoes, a median-sized acoustic guitar around his shoulders and a song in his heart waiting to burst into the tall microphone by his innocent face. He plays in front of countless crowds of beach goers passing... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — Virginia Davis celebrated her birthday with a pretty special presidential gift, a gold pin hand delivered by secret service agents. Of course, it was a pretty special birthday. The Santa Monica resident, turned 107 years old on Thursday. Davis was born on Oct. 16, 1907 in New Castle, Delaware, a small city on the Delaware... Read more →

MAIN STREET — A new restaurant on Main Street hopes to bring a cuisine from the other side of the world a little closer for hungry customers. Aussie Pie Kitchen, which held its grand opening on Wednesday, specializes in the sort of savory pies more commonly seen in Australia and other commonwealth countries like South Africa or New... Read more →

CULTURE WATCH — A fish falls from the sky and a story told across multiple generations begins. “When The Rain Stops Falling” is the latest offering by City Garage, written by award-winning Australian playwright Andrew Bovell. It's compelling theatre with an engaging plot and not a typical City Garage production. City Garage often... Read more →

Dear Life Matters, My husband recently got sober & suddenly, I seem to be the family's problem? I have kept the family together, protected the children and, put up with many upsetting situations including total feelings of rejection & abandonment, getting the raw end of the deal & a constant anxiety and fear of where the family... Read more →

By Cynthia Citron As a young man, he was convinced that nobody liked him. But by the time he was in his early 20s Heinrich Himmler had become the Chief Sycophant of the most popular man in Germany: Adolf Hitler. There he was, always at Hitler's right elbow and just a step behind. You might say he was Hitler's Dick Cheney. And he no longer... Read more →

Before she was erased from history, Hatshepsut had been both queen and king of Egypt. Hat-who? Was what? We've heard of pharaohs and Cleopatra but who was Hatshepsut, how could she be both king and queen of Egypt? These questions are addressed by Santa Monica-based author and Egyptologist Kara Cooney in her new book “The Woman Who Would... Read more →

TOUR DE FEAST — A pizza oven forged from the sands of Mt. Vesuvius, hand pressed in Salerno, shipped to Los Angeles, and hoisted via crane into it's second floor home, is more than just a wood burning behemoth, it's also a spare-no-expense approach to making Neapolitan pizza. Along with a cheese connection with Angelo and Franco, artisan... Read more →

OCEAN PARK — Brussels sprouts are in season every fall, and an annual event is also sprouting this October — growing support for hunger awareness. Registration for Westside Food Bank's 24th annual 5K Hunger Walk is underway, with organizers hoping to raise $100,000 this year to help feed those in need. The non-competitive walk kicks... Read more →