Greater LA

Three decades after bringing “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992” to the stage, Anna Deavere Smith returns with a new cast and expanded vision. The Survivors Healing Garden offers a safe space for people who’ve been affected by crime and may be experiencing complicated feelings of anger, grief, and hopelessness.  

Students at Dorsey High School learn real-life business skills by creating and marketing an avocado-based sauce. Sales are strong. Maybe it’s the avocado-pit alien logo? “Don’t Fence Me In” at the Japanese American National Museum takes a unique look at the quest for normalcy by adolescents in concentration camps during World War II. A century ago, Florence Casler developed buildings in a booming LA. She left her mark on the city and the male-dominated real estate business.

One (very unauthorized) play about the king of pop had its performance schedule cut short by COVID-19. Now, the show is back on. But like all of us, it’s changed. Since 1976, the Kim family has owned the Gardena Cinema, one of the last single-screen movie theaters in Southern California. But times have changed, and now they have to move on. Deaths among homeless people have increased sharply over the past decade in Orange County. Supervisors want more data from the unhoused. Activists want more action.

Two years ago, LAUSD funded a plan aimed at closing the achievement gap between Black students and their peers. Now the impact is visible in the high school experiences of two sisters. Culver City has eliminated honors English classes for ninth and 10th graders in an effort to increase racial equity for students. Not all parents are happy. The world is heavy these days, but art doesn’t have to be when dealing with tough subjects. Two gallery shows in LA are good examples.

The Inflation Reduction Act includes billions of dollars for people to make climate-friendly improvements to their homes. Here’s how to qualify for it. Staying warm in LA recently hasn’t been easy or cheap. Angelenos share how they’ve been weathering this freezing winter. LA has plenty of soups — traditional and unique fusions. Here’s where to get Vietnamese pho, Japanese ramen, clam chowder, vegan pozole, and more.

Senator Steve Padilla’s SB 253 requires officials to calculate how much people need to earn to pay for basic needs in each California county. At two ICE facilities in California, detainees are on a hunger strike. They earn a dollar a day for eight-hour work shifts. Each year, kids in foster care and from low-income backgrounds receive free new dresses and suits for prom from the nonprofit Glamour Gowns Suit Up (GGSU). 

The LA River has been a flood management system for decades. But worsening storms and a call for more park space have sparked debate about how to change it. Big Bear and Mammoth Lakes have had many feet of snow dumped on them in the past few days. How are they handling the deluge? With Dianne Feinstein not seeking re-election, the two frontrunners seeking her Senate seat made their cases in Orange County. 

A new residency for Ukrainian artists in LA allows six filmmakers and art historians to take a break from Russian shelling and soak up LA’s art and culture. More rain is on its way to the LA area this weekend. A new report shows the 2018 ballot measure to improve stormwater capture hasn’t had a big effect. Artist Yolanda Gonzalez is having a career-spanning exhibition at the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) in Long Beach.

Every Monday at Club Bahia, Angelenos of all genders, sexualities, and dancing abilities are carrying on a legacy of queer line dancing that caters to ex-pats and natives alike. The Joshua Tree Tortoise Rescue once cared for desert tortoises. But it turned into “a nightmare,” until a local nurse got involved.

Realistic meat and seafood substitutions have changed what it means to be vegan, and cooks at this weekly Valley market are at the cutting edge of innovation. KCRW listeners also share how they incorporate meat alternatives into their daily lives. It’s not just poppies that grow abundantly after heavy rains in Southern California. Mushrooms like it too, and foragers are on the hunt to find the “supershroom.”