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As part of the Playhouse’s commitment to being a home for artists to develop new plays and musicals, Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley created the DNA New Work Series in 2013. DNA offers playwrights and directors the opportunity to develop a script by providing rehearsal time, space and resources, culminating in public readings. This process gives audiences a closer look at the play development process, while allowing the Playhouse to develop work and foster relationships with both established and up-and-coming playwrights. Learn more about the series here. DNA 2023 LINEUP WEEK 1 Nov. 30 – Dec. 3 "Suburban Black Girl" By Zakiya Young Directed by Jacole Kitchen 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov 30 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec 2 Zakiya Young is the poster child for racial reconciliation. She code switches with lightning speed. White sorority? Like, no prob. A Black and Latino church with a white pastor? She’ll praise God in Spanish! Broadway? Is it color blind casting or an all-Black show? Doesn’t matter because this suburban Black girl has mastered the art of being ‘non-threatening.’ But when COVID lockdowns put a spotlight on police killing unarmed Black people, everything she suppressed begins seeping out like an infected wound. "Human Museum" By Miyoko Conley Directed by Jesca Prudencio 7 p.m. Friday, Dec 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec 3 Set in a future where humans have gone extinct, Human Museum follows a group of robots on Earth that run a museum dedicated to organizing the physical and digital artifacts of human life. On the centenary of human extinction, a sudden radio call upends everything the robots thought they knew about the last days of humanity. Human Museum explores what we will leave behind when we’re gone, and who will carry on our legacy. "59 Acres" Created by Marike Splint In collaboration with Jonathan Snipes and Stewart Blackwood 3:00 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 4:15 p.m. on Friday, Dec 1 12:00 p.m., 12:15 p.m., 12:30 p.m., 12:45 p.m., 1:00 p.m., 1:15 p.m., 1:30 p.m. on Sunday Dec. 3 Marike Splint’s new piece is a site-specific, immersive soundwalk that uses the environment around La Jolla Playhouse as its canvas. Layered with disarming metaphors, historical details, and personal musings, 59 Acres takes you on a meditation through the physical, cultural and geographical landscapes we inhabit, while searching for the extraordinary in the mundane. WEEK 2 Dec. 5-10 "McNeal" Written and Directed by Ayad Akhtar 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec 7 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec 9 Good writers borrow, great writers steal. Jacob McNeal is one of the greatest writers, a perpetual candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. McNeal also has an estranged son, a new novel, plenty of old axes to grind, stage 2 liver failure and an unhealthy fascination with Artificial Intelligence. Pulitzer Prize winner Ayad Akhtar’s new play is a keenly-observed and wickedly smart examination of the inescapable humanity – and increasing inhumanity – of our stories. "To Red Tendons" By Peter Kim George Directed by Kat Yen 7 p.m. Friday, Dec 8 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec 10 We still don’t know how to talk about what happened in Los Angeles on April 29, 1992, and it’s a problem. A group of young actors come together to re-enact a “primal scene” from the Los Angeles unrest in 1992 using elements of group psychotherapy. Why don’t liberals acknowledge American empire? How do the unseen parts of empire structure what is visible? We’re just trying to live. To Red Tendons deals with seething anger turned inward, and a desire for reconciliation.  "Sound Place Love" Created by Braden Abraham and Gordon Hempton Based on recordings by Gordon Hempton, The Sound Tracker Directed by Braden Abraham 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec 5 and 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec 6 A Without Walls work-in-progress! Sound Place Love is a captivating, immersive audio installation about celebrated sound artist Gordon Hempton, known as The Sound Tracker. Gordon spent decades capturing disappearing natural environments across the Earth, using a specialized microphone that emulates human hearing. Distilled from hundreds of hours of personal recordings and interviews, this project shares some of his most beautiful and engaging recordings around the globe and his personal struggle with hearing loss. Be the first audience to experience this moving auditory voyage, exploring how we perceive and appreciate the art of listening. Reserve free tickets All DNA readings are general admission seating. Tickets are free and reservations are required. Some shows may sell out. Related links: La Jolla Playhouse: website | Instagram | Facebook

Israel says large quantities of food aid are piling up just inside the Gaza border. Aid groups say Israeli military operations and other obstacles prevent its delivery to desperate Palestinians.

The Theatre School @ North Coast Rep presents the trivial comedy for serious people, "The Importance of Being Earnest" as its next student production! This masterpiece by Oscar Wilde is probably the most famous of all comedies. It revolves ridiculously around the most ingenious case of “manufactured” mistaken identity ever put into a play. Director Benjamin Cole is proud to present this pinnacle of playful parodies of the “leisure class” in the Victorian era. “The comedy of manners style is so clearly articulated in the back-and-forth banter,” Cole expounds. “We’re gleefully challenging our talented students with precision of physicality and vocal delivery,” he insists. Assistant Director Steve Smith adds, “We've kicked off most rehearsals with lessons on "Received Pronunciation," the most standard form of British dialect. Witty Wildean wordplay wouldn't sound right without the proper accents and our cast has had a great time learning and implementing new vocal techniques!” The show runs a daring 100 minutes with one intermission and hopes to tickle audience’s ears with comic charm and charisma. Additional production staff includes Student Assistant Stage Manager, Basil FitzGerald; Sound Designer, Caleb Foley; Student Assistant Director, Kate Goodman; Stage Manager, Paul Smith; and Lighting and Projections Designer, Liam Sullivan. The Theatre School @ North Coast Rep proudly delivers high-quality theatre instruction and six student theatre productions throughout the year, offering accessible and fun training for various age groups. Check out all the upcoming options on the Theatre School website: www.northcoastreptheatreschool.org. Featured in the cast are (Kai Bunyak, Cardiff; Tommy Caringella, Carmel Valley; Jemi Cisneros, Escondido; Tirzah Cisneros, Escondido; Mia Danieli, Carmel Valley; Charlotte Larson, Carlsbad; Cordelia Rice, Carmel Valley; Ezri Rohatgi, Encinitas; and Audrey Wilkins, Carlsbad). Performances are November 16 through 19 in the Theatre School Studio Space: 985 Lomas Santa Fe Dr. Suite D, Solana Beach, CA 92075 with show times 10 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. November 16 & 17, 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. November 18, and 2 p.m. November 19. Ticket prices are regularly $25.00 for adults and $21.00 for seniors 65 and older, children under age 19, and active military. Please call the box office to reserve your tickets today: 858-481-1055.

Startups are catering to mourners who want a way to communicate with their lost loved ones — or at least digital likeness of them.

Encore Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024 at 11:30 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream now with the PBS App. CEO of Thrive Global, Arianna Huffington, gives her take on making it in America: behavioral changes through microsteps. She believes that for humans, downtime is a feature—not a bug. She urges us not to buy into the collective delusion that in order to succeed, we have to be “on” 24/7. Instead, invest in our physical and mental wellbeing as a pathway to healthier and happier lives.

Tiffany Bociek’s solo exhibition, 'Enduring Exuberance', consists of three series that were born from the artist’s internal exploration of her past, her present state of being, and a vision for her future self. This is the first in a series of exhibitions in 2024 at the gallery that will explore the curatorial theme of “Memories”. This year, we will investigate how memories shape each artist’s practice. For Bociek, Memories are a driving force and inspiration for her work. Her first series, “My Wanderers” was inspired both by the written memoirs of her ancestors and the artist’s own recollections (“past”). Her second series, “The Family Garden”, evolved from her own self reflection (“present”) depicting the feeling of time spent in her garden and its healing properties. Lastly, her third series “Tear and Share” draws from recent change and chaos that shifted her perspective on how to move forward and let go of perfectionism (“future”), while still embracing her past and present experiences. Created through encaustic (wax) painting, the exhibition underscores several states of being: well-being, challenge, chaos, and transformation. In experiencing these works, we see that the physical layering of the wax draws a lovely parallel to memories that are passed down from one generation to the next as each is added to the collective family narrative. Her practice results in the creation of a spirited scene – some almost diorama-like – that is rich with detail and imagery. The artist reflects on the circle of life, and the power of nature to ground us through her layered and sentimental works. From the Artist | I grew up with ghosts. I have walked the churchyard homes of family members I had never met; I have read the diary of my great-grandmother, crying for the heartbreak of her losses, as well as celebrating jubilance for her resilience. I live within the context of my familial history, weaving the strong relationships of my present with my ancestral connection to the past, especially when my own challenges and disruptions force me to shift and change. The refuge I find in the earthly world deepens my imagination, finding solace in my family garden, transforming the beauty of the botanicals into imaginative symbols of the profound connection between nature and the human spirit, and contains reminders of the circle of life. My Wanderers series investigates the questions of “who I am”: my past experiences, my ancestral stories, and how I fit into the patterning of the larger quilt of life. The series invokes childlike imagery and curiosity; enlightenment replaces curiosity through images of expressive female movement and freedom. Encaustic allows me to intertwine my love of drawing in combination with painting and collage, pushing images back into an ethereal haze with each layer of wax. The nature of the medium forces me to confront my perfectionism and embrace the unexpected in the artmaking process. Much like I find solace in making my work, I invite you to escape, to let go of the weight of the world, and to revel in the beauty of the imagination. With this work I aim to evoke a gentle smile, a spark of joy, and a connection to your own inner daydreamer. Bociek’s works will be on view at Sparks Gallery from January 7 – March 3, 2024 with an opening reception on Saturday, January 13, 2024 from 5-8 p.m.

How do you stay cool when it's 120 degrees and there's no AC? Dr. Gulrez Shah Azhar, who grew up in India, shares strategies from the Global South.

When an NPR reporter heard a startling loud metallic noise in her house, she was about to get an interesting lesson in animal behavior.

A center started by Wallis Annenberg in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles is creating a sense of community for older people who aim to keep learning and growing as they age.

Not all libraries track checkouts, and there isn't one definitive national list. But this year lots of people checked out Lessons in Chemistry, Prince Harry's memoir Spare, and Colleen Hoover's books.