With so many events to choose from, navigating a weekend at the Festival of Books can be more than a little daunting. To make things easier, we’ve sifted through the schedule and picked out what look to be the most promising panels and stage appearances of the festival. Read more...

The idea of a student-produced production conjures up visions of frenzied performers, strewn together stages and power-tripping producers. But during the final few rehearsals before opening night, the vibe around the dancers of WAC Smash, a student-created undergraduate showcase, is one of professional cool. Read more...

“N*gger Wetb*ck Ch*nk” Los Angeles Theatre Center Now through May 8 UCLA students Miles Gregley, Allan Axibal and Rafael Agustin have taken another step toward theater stardom as their controversial and popular production, a runaway hit on campus, moves to Downtown for a highly anticipated run. Read more...

In one of the rare instances where lip-synching is not only engrossing but also applauded, the child actors of the Belgium-based theater company Victoria proved captivating as copycats in last Saturday night’s performance of writer/actor/director Josse De Pauw’s “üBUNG” at UCLA’s Freud Playhouse, drawing to an end UCLA Live’s second International Theatre Festival. Read more...

Balkan Jazz Ensemble Fowler Museum April 22, 6 p.m. The latest in the Fowler Out Loud concert series brings the sound of the Balkans to UCLA. Read more...

When it comes to the issue of misconceptions of Chinese culture and dance, Josephine Louie, artistic director of “Lotus Steps, 2004,” recounts the time when the bare midriff of a child dancer performing in the show was brought into question. Read more...

Indian Cinema Lecture Fowler Museum April 22, 7 p.m. UCLA English Professor Joseph Nagy and Assistant Professor Yogita Goyal explain why Bollywood is becoming increasingly prominent in the United States. Read more...