[contextly_auto_sidebar] Regular CultureCrash guest columnist Lawrence Christon has a new piece about an incident in St. Louis that brings together a number of tendencies in the arts. Of course, the situation he writes about echoes both forward and backward in time; cultural appropriation has become one of the most contested issues lately and seems likely to remain that way. I don't concur 100 … [Read more...]
Comedian Dick Gregory and The Wallis in Beverly Hills
[contextly_auto_sidebar] WHEN I moved back to Los Angeles about a year ago, I was not surprised that the cultural life was rich and wide-ranging. But one spot surprised me: The Wallis Annenberg in Beverly Hills. I had covered some of the early planning for the LA Times, and had liked both architect Zoltan Pali, working to transform a WPA-era post office, and director Lou Moore, who like me is a … [Read more...]
Remembering Sam Shepard
[contextly_auto_sidebar] MUCH of the world was taken by surprise by the death of playwright and actor Sam Shepard, who was felled (like Charles Mingus, a jazz artist who he was in some ways simpatico) ALS. To me, it was a bit like the sudden departure of Bowie and Prince. But I must admit that while I knew vaguely that the actor I loved from The Right Stuff was a playwright, I did not know … [Read more...]
Guest Columnist: A Real-Life Maria
[contextly_auto_sidebar] This week I offer our latest column from guest Lawrence Christon, a former Los Angeles Times staff writer on theater and comedy, and a longtime culture freelancer in Southern California. This one needs no further ado. A GIRL NAMED MARIA By Lawrence Christon I’m standing in the deserted home furnishings section of a department store late at night, shopping for … [Read more...]
August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey” at the Taper
[contextly_auto_sidebar] LAST night I caught "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" -- one of the historically earliest of August Wilson's cycle of plays about black life in the 20th century -- at the Mark Taper Forum. This production, directed by Phylicia Rashad (best known for her role on "The Cosby Show"), has been justly celebrated already, so I will just introduce it and add a few details. Despite … [Read more...]