Sunday, February 22

UCLA Theater chair directs multigenerational one-woman show

Michelle Azar plays her own mother, father and grandfather in her latest one-woman show. “From Baghdad to Brooklyn” will make its New York debut Saturday at the United Solo Festival and follow Azar’s family heritage from mid-20th century Iraq to present-day New York and Los Angeles. Read more...

Photo: Michelle Azar plays four characters including herself in her latest one-woman show, “From Baghdad to Brooklyn.” The show, which is directed by Brian Kite, the chair of UCLA’s theater department, features Azar’s family’s stories, which she acts out with musical accompaniment. (Courtesy of Majorie Salvaterra)


Composers stitch together diverse musical styles on ‘David’s Quilt’

“David’s Quilt,” a 90-minute oratorio about the biblical King David, begins at the end of his story. As David lies dying, a woman shrouds him in a quilt to keep him warm as he recollects his accomplishments and experiences. Read more...

Photo: Conductor and UCLA doctoral candidate Maxim Kuzin rehearses with singer Will Collyer and pianist James Lent for “David’s Quilt,” an oratorio comprising 19 musical compositions that follow the life of the biblical King David, in collaboration with the Max Helfman Institute. (Eda Gokcebay/Daily Bruin)


Immersive, interactive theater performance showcases Halloween horrors

Audience members of “The Cure” received a list of disclaimers via email before attending the show. The disclaimers warned audience members of complete darkness, intimate encounters with cast members, mature themes and proximity to strangers. Read more...

Photo: “The Cure,” which ran Oct. 28 and 29 in Macgowan Hall, is a devised immersive theater experience put on by Act III Theatre Ensemble. It transformed a small black box theater into the Macgowan Manor Asylum, complete with various bedrooms and patients. Actors donned costumes and engaged with audience members. (Axel Lopez/Daily Bruin)



Students explore trendy Halloween costumes, creative group themes

Pop culture, from classic Disney films to modern horror iterations, will serve as an inspiration for many students’ costumes this Halloween. Inspired by the 2017 film adaptation of Stephen King’s “It,” one group of students is teaming up to dress as characters from the film, with first-year biology student Phillip Winters dressing up as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Read more...

Photo: Students at UCLA are dressing up in costumes this Halloween portraying characters like Pennywise from “It” and Evan Hansen from “Dear Evan Hansen.” The students all have different plans and meanings behind their costumes from simply wearing them to go out trick-or-treating or using them to make a larger statement on costumes in modern-day culture. (Hannah Burnett/Assistant Photo editor)


Beetle House pop-up restaurant presents quirky atmosphere, subpar food

Beetle House combines the quirky and eccentric world of Tim Burton with the boozy, deep bass-thumping club vibe of Hollywood Boulevard. The gothic-themed pop-up restaurant takes inspiration from artistic works such as Burton’s films and the music of The Cure. Read more...

Photo: Beetle House, a pop-up restaurant in Hollywood, is inspired by gothic works such as the films of Tim Burton. Although the food is uninspired, the restaurant features life-sized sculptures of iconic characters like Oogie Boogie and Beetlejuice, and actors in costume that roam the space and engage with patrons. (Hannah Burnett/Assistant Photo editor)