As Caracas, the capital of oil-rich Venezuela burns, the streets on Wilshire blvd. facing the Federal Building came alive on Saturday, Feb. 22, with tricolor flags and signs denouncing the government of Nicolas Maduro and its perceived repression of student protests. The protesters on Wilshire were part of the #SOSVenezuela movement which uses social media tools like Facebook to organize...

In 1946 as Europe was smoldering from World War II the United States quietly began recruiting the most valuable scientific minds of the Third Reich. Minds that had labored to advance Hitler's war machine and conduct human experiments would now be put to use by the U. S. in the Cold War. The intellects that helped create Hitler's menacing rocket...

As the light slowly turned down and a warm, dim hue was focused on the stage, the noises from the excited audience in the crowded concert hall dimmed to an almost complete silence. Shortly after, Carlos Núñez appeared on stage and played the first chord on his traditional bagpipe called a gaita. He was then joined by his fellow band...

When a show kicks off with a big, belting rendition of Sondheim calibre, expect the unexpected. This was especially true during actress Megan Mullaly's unique show at The Broad Stage. Once the opening number was done, Mullally and musician/radio host Seth Rudetsky settled into a talk show-esque setting on Saturday night to dish about the star’s life, making the audience...

Allegations against the recently shuttered Bread Factory have surfaced suggesting that the owner stopped paying student workers in the months leading to the proprietor's eviction after she allegedly failed to pay rent to Santa Monica College. These allegations follow on the heels of a lawsuit filed on behalf of the college against owner Soo Jeong Pak, who owes $77,000 in...

As a soft breeze enveloped the Santa Monica Pier on Wednesday, crowds of visitors made their way towards a vast set of tents by the beach. They belonged to the visiting, world-renowned troupe, Circus du Soleil. The latest incarnation of what is without a doubt the world's most famous, gloriously inventive circus, is titled Totem and deals with the birth,...

The great Polish/Jewish revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg once stated "I feel at home in the world wherever there are birds, clouds and human tears." Such is the essence of global citizenship. Global citizenship is not some pipe dream concept Santa Monica College uses to advertise itself as a beacon for those seeking a genuine melting pot of languages, ethnicities and nationalities....

The arrival of Valentine's Day sends a chill down the spine and makes the bowels start to turn. It is a worthless "holiday" that benefits merchants and no one else. There is nothing like this particular day when ideas of love and romance are packaged and processed into consumerist product. This repackaging has created a shallow, superficial vision of deep...

The new season of performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall saw its latest, dazzling success on Friday, January 31. Disney Hall was filled to the brim as the audience enjoyed a unique and rousing selection of musical works from Scandinavia. The program was performed by The Los Angeles Philharmonic led by Russian guest conductor, Andrey Boreyko. Friday included the United...

The five years it took to plan and develop "An Iliad" for the Broad Stage culminates in a mad, burning and passionate interpretation of Homer's "The Iliad," Denis O'Hare's one man show based off the famous epic. O'Hare is known for numerous appearances in TV shows and films such as "American Horror Story," "Milk" and "Dallas Buyers Club." In "Iliad"...