“Elf,” despite several funny scenes, is short of a decent plot. When the laughs die down, the film becomes harder to watch than a Jared Subway commercial. Read more...

I’m pretty sure it was Aristotle who first wrote that every story must have a beginning, a middle and an end. It’s a seemingly simple concept, to be sure, but also a frequently forgotten one. Read more...

“Vinegar Tom” Workshop 360 British playwright Caryl Churchill remains a favorite daughter of the American feminist theater movement, and it’s no wonder since her plays resonate with an uncommon power ““ her works take a scalpel to humanity and strip the world naked to its patriarchal core. Read more...

Complete silence. A tall ship is at sea on a windless night. Ever so slowly, the sounds of a gentle breeze and a creaking bow can be heard. Read more...

In the strange world of David Rees, becoming as cool as the invincible master Karate Snoopy is the ultimate goal for all karate disciples. Besides practicing with each other, these martial arts students also fight Bruce Lee style against their imaginary selves, their circulatory systems and, occasionally, their own fingerprints. Read more...

L.A. Decorative Arts Fair Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Nov. 7-9 You don’t have to watch every episode of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” to learn about the many wonders of interior design. Read more...

The riot of a play “Kate Crackernuts,” running this past month at the 24th Street Theatre in Los Angeles and now extended into November, is the fevered brainchild of one of America’s most exciting and emerging playwrights ““ Sheila Callaghan. Read more...