War has always had a huge impact on the arts community, influencing productions from “Hair” during the Vietnam era to current endeavors such as the “Lysistrata Project,” which was performed all over the world in a plea for peace. Read more...

Read more...

UCLA Performing Arts Director David Sefton takes a while on the phone before he can talk. He wishes he were at the South by Southwest Festival in Texas at the moment, but he’s stuck in his office looking at his budget for the 2003-2004 season. Read more...

When Justin Lin searched for talent for his anticipated debut feature, “Better Luck Tomorrow,” it was not the acting that dismayed him. “When we were casting, I popped in Jason Tobin’s (the character Virgil) audition reel, and it was six scenes in a row of him in these big movies and sitcoms, but it was all just him delivering Chinese food,” Lin said. Read more...

At the end of last quarter I made a bold pronouncement. “Rock is not dead,” I exclaimed. But feeling particularly bitter that day (it was 10th week after all), I made my courageous claim only by way of introducing what I felt to be five of the biggest problems in music today. Read more...

So it started out normal; guy and girl meet, they go out on a blind date, and they say good night. It doesn’t end there. Guy starts stalking girl ““ from threatening phone messages to psychotic break-ins ““ until girl has to run and change her name. Read more...

“Stevie” Directed by Steve James Lions Gate Films Watching someone you care about self-destruct can be a painful, saddening experience. In Steve James’ (who brought us 1994’s brilliant “Hoop Dreams”) new documentary “Stevie,” we get to observe as the filmmaker becomes immersed in a life spinning wildly out of control. Read more...