PLAY TIME — You may not be dazzled and it may leave you frazzled. It's Tom Stoppard's boisterous 1981 farce “On the Razzle”, which documents the adventures of two unsophisticated shop assistants “on the town” in 19th century Vienna. The original play, written in 1842 by Austrian playwright Johann Nestroy, was titled “Einen Jux... Read more →

CULTURE WATCH — Do a good deed while groovin’ to pop music from all eras. “Pop for Docs!” will offer an evening reviewing popular music from the 30’s to the present, including original work by show producer and lead musician/singer Steve Stajich.  All proceeds of the event will be donated to Doctors Without Borders, the... Read more →

SMO — Claire Goldberg started her senior year this fall with almost 20 hours of recorded flight time, about to take off on her first solo trip. The Santa Monica High School student won a scholarship in March to pursue her pilot's license, and the program is now accepting applications for the next award. The Flying Scholarship for Girls... Read more →

OCEAN PARK — From hosting local climate change forums to addressing immigration issues across California, this year's Communitas honorees typify the spirit of the Latin word — people coming together for the good of a community. The 16th annual Communitas awards presented by The Church in Ocean Park honor individuals who elevate the... Read more →

CITYWIDE — A new law requiring a three foot buffer zone between cars and bicycles is now in effect statewide and local officials said they are using the law as a chance to educate residents on safe road use. Governor Brown signed AB1371 into law on Sept. 23. It requires drivers to maintain three feet of separation from bicycles and if... Read more →

  Hossein Khosrojerdi, “Seeing and Not Seeing” Mommies, Mummies, M&Ms   Japan has created “robots with a heart” to keep the elderly company.  Perhaps this is what inspired playwright Jordan Harrison to write “Marjorie Prime,” a play about memory, loss and love – sort of, because what’s missing is... Read more →

CITYWIDE — For 31-year-old George, finally moving into his own apartment in Santa Monica was a hard-fought victory. After a car accident left him with slowed speech and reflexes at age 4, coupled with ADHD and an unstable home, George started using drugs and alcohol as a teenager. He was eventually institutionalized for four years, after... Read more →

CITYWIDE — E-cigarette smokers, the clock is ticking. You have about a month left to puff those battery-powered vaporizers while riding the Ferris wheel, sitting at a bar, or on the beach. Make the most of it. City Council voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance that will treat the e-cigarettes like traditional tobacco cigarettes in all... Read more →

PLAY TIME — There's a happy ending, except nearly everybody dies. It all happens in the grubby underworld of Brooklyn, where men new to the crime scene in America vie with the old established gangs. (Until recently, who ever heard of mobsters from Chechnya?) In fact, in author Dennis Lehane's new film, “The Drop”, it's practically... Read more →

SM PIER — Initial responses to the 2014 Twilight Concert Series highlight a positive experience for organizers and attendees despite several changes to the way the shows are produced. City Staff will make a formal presentation to the Santa Monica Pier Board of Directors in October, but in brief comments at the September meeting Jay... Read more →

CITY HALL - What do the former home of the Omelette Parlor, the Georgian Hotel, and a joint serving chocolate chicken have in common? They all got expanded alcohol permits from the Planning Commission last week. A hamburger restaurant, Bareburger, is slated to fill 2370 Main St., which was occupied by the Omelette Parlor for more than 30... Read more →

PLAY TIME — Sam Shepard's plays are almost always a little weird. His people live in a world of their own, usually hostile and dysfunctional. And so it is with “Buried Child”, Shepard's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama that is currently celebrating its 35th birthday at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. The principals in this unhappy... Read more →

CULTURE WATCH — With Bergamot Art Station redevelopment leading the headlines, it’s nice to remember what Bergamot actually is: a pretty darned great collection of galleries and a local museum, all of which offer an eye-delighting and/or intellectually intriguing array of arts, open to the public. This past week on my way to hear... Read more →

MAIN STREET — As first reported in the Daily Press on Sept. 11, the Santa Monica City Attorney's Office has successfully concluded the prosecution of the local restaurant Brick and Mortar Restaurant on Main Street. Brick and Mortar had been charged with persistently exceeding permit restrictions by operating as an unpermitted bar/nightclub... Read more →

EDGEMAR — A Main Street restaurant has pleaded no contest to 14 misdemeanor counts for, among other things, violating City Hall’s alcohol permits. Brick + Mortar, located in the Edgemar complex, will pay $12,000 in fines and restitution and be on probation for 30 months, according to Councilmember Kevin McKeown. Representatives from the... Read more →