A traditional office hours discussion will escalate into an impassioned debate on the fundamentals of American society Tuesday. “The Niceties,” a play running through May 12 at the Geffen Playhouse, showcases this debate to illustrate the reverberations of racial injustice. Set at an elite East Coast university, the play explores a discussion between a white […]
Author Archives: Jordan Holman
Theater review: Webber’s ‘Cats’ displays visual excellence mired in plot confusion
It’s pitch black. Not a sound can be heard when flickering lights suddenly illuminate the historical Hollywood Pantages Theatre. The mysterious dots grow across the auditorium. Performers donning frighteningly realistic cat costumes appear in the aisles, creeping slowly onto the stage. The theater is flooded in a technicolor splendor of neon lights, revealing a once […]
Owner of TLT Food speaks on success of restaurant, goals for UCLA community
Daniel Shemtob is the definition of the millennial persona amplified. Aside from his round glasses and neon green TLT attire, the first thing I noticed about him was his tattoo; “I am the future” read legibly across his right forearm. I instantly sensed that it was not just a saying he inked on his body […]
Restaurant review: South Korean dessert shop Sobok disappoints with monotonous flavor, aesthetic
Gummy goodness oozes from a pastel pink swirl. Rivers of saccharine soft serve melt along the edges of a paper cup. Fruity scents permeate the room, and quirky flavors dominate the menu. The creamy confectionery tantalizes onlookers, but its desserts ultimately disappoint. Hailing from South Korea, Sobok is relatively new to Los Angeles. Its Buena […]
‘SNL’ alum returns from 10-year career hiatus with own show, “Older and Wider”
Julia Sweeney took a break from Hollywood to raise her daughter in the Chicago suburbs. Years later, the actress and comedian returned to Los Angeles with several stories to tell, ready to launch back into show business. Sweeney’s new show “Older and Wider” will run at the Geffen Playhouse from Tuesday to Feb. 17. The […]
Film archive series to shed light on Hollywood’s unrecognized female directors
This post was updated Jan. 26 at 7:08 a.m. From the mid-1930s until the mid-1960s, there were only two female directors in Hollywood: Dorothy Arzner and Ida Lupino. But according to author Maya Montañez Smukler, this trend shifted in the 1970s. The UCLA Film & Television Archive and the Hugh M. Hefner Classic American Film […]
Alumni’s short film questions intersection of art, social activism
Art for art’s sake has been a long-standing debate. UCLA alumni Leland Frankel and Venk Potula dissect this issue in their new short film “Woke.” The two created the film using a script originally intended for a playwriting competition in New York City. Drawing inspiration from what he saw in the city’s parks, Frankel became […]