ART
Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985 – February 24 – June 14: Amid the turbulent decades of the mid-20th century, African American and Afro-Atlantic diaspora artists sought to celebrate Black culture and advance the struggle for civil rights. Photographic images contributed in myriad ways to the lively exchange of pan-African ideas that propelled the Black Arts Movement. See how an incredible range of artists and activists—from studio and street photographers to graphic designers and community organizers—used photography as a tool for social change. Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles.
Visible and Vibrant: LGBTQ+ Artists in LACMA’s Collection – 4 PM, February 27: This series of docent-led tours celebrates LGBTQ+ artists in the permanent collection, exploring how personal experiences shaped artworks on view in the Modern Art Galleries. Participants of all ages and identities are invited to join us and discover creativity, community, and surprising stories behind beloved pieces of art. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles.
FILM
Dope – 7:30 PM, February 26: Hop on your bike and join us for a special free community screening of Rick Famuyiwa’s hilarious coming-of-age modern classic Dope. Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the SAT. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself. So, join the party with A$AP Rocky, Zoë Kravitz, and Shameik Moore for an LA story that everyone who grew up a nerd can relate to! Vidiots, 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles.
Silents Synced Double Feature: A Woman of the World x Pearl Jam and R.E.M. X Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr., February 27-28: Silents Synced is the brainchild of Josh Frank who plans to take old silent movies that are part of the public domain and sync them to modern music so that a new and younger audience can appreciate many of these films that are 100 years old or older.
A Woman of the World X Pearl Jam is a 1925 silent film set to the music of Pearl Jam presented by Silents Synced. A Woman of the World is a 1925 American silent comedy-drama film starring Pola Negri, directed by Mal St. Clair, produced by Famous Players–Lasky, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Countess Natatorini (Negri) leaves France seeking to forget a faithless lover by visiting her distant American cousin Sam Poore (Conklin) and his wife Lou (Ward) in their Midwestern home. Richard Granger (Herbert), newly elected district attorney and crusading reformer, shocked when he sees her violating the town social norms he is enforcing by smoking a cigarette in public, finds that he is strongly attracted to her. After a series of innocent events between the Countess and his assistant Gareth Johns (Mack) arouses his jealousy, Richard denounces her alleged immorality and demands that she be ordered out of town.
Sherlock Jr. X R.E.M. is a 1924 silent film set to the music of R.E.M. presented by Silents Synced. Sherlock Jr. is a 1924 American silent comedy film starring and directed by Buster Keaton and written by Clyde Bruckman, Jean Havez, and Joseph A. Mitchell. It features Kathryn McGuire, Joe Keaton, and Ward Crane. Buster Keaton stars as Projectionist, who moonlights as an amateur detective. When the cinema is empty, he reads the book How to be a Detective. He is in love with The Girl (Kathryn McGuire) but has a rival, “The Local Sheik” (Ward Crane). His detective work forces him to escape attempts to murder him by suspicious characters. The mystery is solved. Truth is revealed. The title references the fictional Sherlock Holmes. In 1991, Sherlock Jr. was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. In 2000, the American Film Institute, as part of its AFI 100 Years… series, ranked the film #62 in its AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Laughs. David Thomson calls it “a breakthrough. It is as if a filmmaker had at last learned the point of the whole thing.” Gardena Cinema, 14948 Crenshaw Blvd, Gardena.
COMMUNITY
Inspiring Journeys: African American Histories – 1 PM – 4:30 PM, February 28: A day of celebration for African American Heritage Month. The speakers, workshops, entertainment, and family activities will surely spark joy and insight. This event is free and open to all, so bring your friends and family along for a day of celebration and learning. Los Angeles Central Library, 630 West 5th Street, Los Angeles.
COMEDY
Playgirl with Edi Patterson – 7:30 PM, February 25: Actor/improviser/writer Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones, Vice Principals, Knives Out) is back with her wild-ass show, Playgirl- a completely improvised play based on audience suggestions where she will play all of the characters.
Shamilton: The Improvised Hip Hop Musical – 7 PM, February 27: Ever heard of this show “Hamilton”? Shamilton is just like that, but (ahem) better! Expect the same level of hip hop, incredible songs, stunning choreography and powerhouse singing… except made up on the spot!
Fresh off a month-long fully sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe, musical improv ensemble Baby Wants Candy presents “Shamilton!”, the Hamilton inspired hit hip-hop musical created in 2016 at UCB in LA, with an open run at Chicago’s Second City. Upright Citizens Brigade, 5919 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles.
Single Riders Only! – 10:30 PM, February 27: Single Riders Only is a sketch comedy show about the horrors of being without a plus one. This month we’re celebrating our independence and leaning into our special guest’s horrible dating past. Kahyun Kim is a Korean American actress known for her nuanced, emotionally grounded work in film and television. Her credits include the genre hit Cocaine Bear, the cultural touchstone Fire Island, the indie drama Spa Night, and NBC’s St. Denis Medical.
Our stand-up friend, Niles Abston, is also gracing us with his presence. Niles Abston is a comedian known for his smart, chaotic observations, impeccable timing, and saying the thing everyone else is politely avoiding. His comedy lives somewhere between existential dread and a really good bit and he’s charming enough that you forgive him for both. Dynasty Typewriter, 2511 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles.
Menudo’s Feliz Hour! – 5:30 PM, Februrary 28: 40 Latine Improvisers Come Together to Play & PARTY! LA’s longest running Latine improv team — MENUDO — hosts an all-star show featuring a rotating cast of the hottest Latine improvisers in town. Feliz Hour is more than a comedy show… es una celebración de la cultura! New forms and themes every month performed in English, Spanish, and Spanglish. Venga pues! Boricuas, colombianos, chicanos, venezolanos, salvadoreños — all are welcome. (Even gringos!) Hosted by Menudo: Anna Salinas, Carlos Orlando, Claudio Saavedra, Eli Gonzalez, Heather Alarcón Higginbotham, July Diaz, Adri Diaz. Upright Citizens Brigade, 5919 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles.
THEATRE
Octopus’s Garden by Weston Gaylord and directed by Jessica Kubzansky, February 26 – March 29: When two marine biologists and a struggling composer discover that an octopus in a cephalopod lab has written the most transcendent piece of music ever heard, their worlds begin to unravel. Ambitions clash, egos fray, and their brush with something divine breeds obsession.
Innovative puppetry brings soulful theatricality to this fable about art, science, and the moral quandaries that erupt when another being surpasses humankind. Outside In Theatre Artspace, 5319 York Blvd., Los Angeles.
