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It’s the 8th Annual BFF Binge Fringe Festival of FREE Theatre, Oct 15 - Nov 19, the only FREE Fringe Festival in the nation, offering 38 in-person plays, workshops and family-oriented events, presenting:

Inherit the Smut - 7:00 PM, The Other Space, 18+

An uproarious testament to writer/performer Roy Sekoff’s unwavering commitment to overshare, as he plumbs his past -- particularly his overstimulated teen years -- for laughs and insights into his relationship with his larger-than-life parents. Sekoff’s frank and fearless tales about navigating the minefield of male adolescence (including the discovery of his father’s sizeable collection of X-rated movies) and his equally combustible adulthood (including having to dispose of that collection after his father dies) allow him to explore the ridiculous nature of young lust, Oedipal anxieties, and raising his own kids in the age of one-click-away Internet porn. If David Sedaris, Chelsea Handler, Larry David, and Whoopi Goldberg had the unlikeliest orgy in history, the resulting love child might one day create a show like Inherit the Smut. Roy was the founding editor of the Huffington Post, and President and co-creator of HuffPost Live. He created and hosted The HuffPost Show, an hour-long comedy and interview program. His book of humorous stories, Lacks Self-Control: True Stories I Waited Until My Parents Died to Tell, was featured in The New York Times Book Review and People Magazine as a “Top Pick,” and won multiple writing awards. Before helping found HuffPost, Roy was a writer and on-air correspondent for Michael Moore’s Emmy-winning TV Nation. Written & performed by Roy Sekoff. Directed & developed by Jessica Lynn Johnson

Special thanks to generous grants from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission and Playhouse PALS. The BFF celebrates the range and depth of the human condition and the idea that theatre arts experiences are vital, transformative, and must be available for all.

Cosmopolitan, gregarious, and prodigious, Sargent’s fashionable portraits were the most celebrated symbol of his brilliance. He was a master of many different painting styles—Impressionism, classical portraits, landscapes, watercolors, and murals—and his richly textured pallets reflected his lifelong reverence for Diego Velázquez and Franz Hals. Caught in the cross-fire of controversy on several occasions, he celebrated his passion for art through a breadth of subject matter ranging from portraits of two U.S. Presidents to paintings executed near the front lines during World War I.

Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning educator, lecturer, and author. She lectures worldwide on art and architectural history, and leads art and architecture tours throughout the world. She has been named a Distinguished Instructor at UCLA Extension, where she teaches history of architecture, interior design, furniture, and decorative arts. She is also Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History at Santa Monica College. She has done graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby's Institute in London and New York. She has served as a Design Review Commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the John Lautner Foundation.

Join us in welcoming Willy Porter to the NAMBA Listening Room Sunday December 3 at 7pm, $25.00.

Some folks are lucky to find what they love to do at an early age and quietly settle in for the long haul expanding and developing their work over the arc of a lifetime. Willy Porter is one of those artists. He has followed his own path to explore the sacred language that music truly is. 30 years after his solo recording debut, he continues to reach further into his guitar & pen while stretching the form of what his own music can be. He’s currently working on his 13th album for release in 2023.

There is nothing more political than food. In the food production process, what counts as food, how it's produced, to whom it is distributed, and what regulations apply to the process are all matters of political resources and deliberations. More immediately for us, the food we consume is also intertwined with our identities, families, bodies, and beliefs. Our understanding of food, however, is constructed - most often by media images about the food we eat, how we cook it, and where it came from. Everything from food advertisements, social media trends, Food Network content, cookbooks and magazines shape how we think about food and its consumption. This lecture will explore media content and the politics and representations of food.

Aaron Heresco, Ph.D., is a 1st generation college student who grew up in central Pennsylvania. He went to Penn State Altoona for his undergraduate degree with plans to work in international affairs. After taking two years off after graduation, Aaron decided to pursue a post-graduate degree in communication, focusing largely on news cultures and practices. While studying news Aaron developed a passion for understanding the relationship between communication, media, and power. These interests have led Aaron to research issues ranging from campaign finance coverage, television representation of masculinity, financial literacy programs, and the economics of television production. Aaron currently lives in Camarillo with his wife Leslie and pet.

Critics widely regard Leonard Cohen to be one of the very best, if not best, of the many singer/songwriters who emerged in the 1960s following in the path of the pioneering Bob Dylan. Over a fifty-year career, Leonard Cohen created a remarkable body of work, that included poetry, novels, and songs, and made an indelible imprint on the contemporary music scene. Similar to Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen’s Jewish background deeply shaped his life and work. Cohen’s poetry and lyrics reflect a deep connection with Jewish tradition and biblical sources.

These lectures will examine the mixture of Jewish influences in the work of Leonard Cohen and will seek to demonstrate the value of viewing Leonard Cohen’s work through a Jewish lens. This course will be taught using audio, video, text analysis, and group discussion.

Week 1: From Poetry to Song: Leonard Cohen, the Early Years

Week 2: Leonard Cohen: Between the Mountain and the World

Clifford Wilcox, Ph.D., is a historian who focuses on American intellectual and cultural history and Jewish Studies. His courses concentrate on the intersection of culture, ideas, politics, and religion in American history. He is Director of Education and Operations at Temple Beth Torah in Ventura, CA and has taught in the CLU FAB program since 2021. He holds a Ph.D. in American intellectual history from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Do you just want to sit back and laugh while exploring the world of musicals? This is the lecture for you. You’ll be chuckling while watching and discussing the most hilarious numbers from famous musicals and not so famous musicals. What can be funnier than watching ”Putting On The Ritz” from Young Frankenstein, “You’ve Gotta Have a Gimmick” from Gypsy, or absolutely anything from The Producers? There is nothing like a great song to get you in a great mood. We promise you will leave this class with your toes tapping and a smile on your face.

Film historians Sam and Candy Caponegro are passionate about movie musicals. For over thirty years, they have acted, directed, and produced professional, community, and school theater. Candy’s most notable professional acting roles are Adelaine opposite Nathan Lane in Guys and Dolls and Cheri opposite Divine in the New York production of Women Behind Bars. Sam and Candy have taught numerous courses and lecture on cruise lines, at libraries, and for many 50+ audiences. They hope to keep the classic movie musical and the golden age of Broadway alive through their lectures.

The Santa Barbara chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino invites the community to a slide-show talk featuring the 510-mile, beautiful and historic 'Camino del Norte" along Spain's northern pilgrimage route. The featured speaker will be Mike Maybell, who walked the 'Norte" in July 2022 through the Basque region, Cantabria, Asturias, and Galicia with two fellow pilgrims.

In addition, several others who walked or bicycled various other Camino routes will be on hand to provide information and answer your questions. Meet others who are considering doing the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Light refreshments.

It’s the 8th Annual BFF Binge Fringe Festival of FREE Theatre, Oct 15 - Nov 19, the only FREE Fringe Festival in the nation, offering 38 in-person plays, workshops and family-oriented events, presenting:

What They Said About Sex – A BFF LA PREMIERE - 9:30 PM, The Other Space, 16+

Actor/Comedian Steve Budd wondered what other people knew about sex that he didn’t. So he asked them. Meet a gay man, a tantric sex practitioner, a trans man, and a sex-positive octogenarian, and take a wild ride through their stories and secrets—and Steve’s. Satisfy your curiosity about what other people do between the sheets. Check out the newest mashup of personal storytelling and documentary theater from an award-winning solo performer who "sparkles with manic and irrepressible charm." What They Said About Sex is a heartfelt and hilarious take on the sex lives of humans. Written & performed by Steve Budd. Includes post-show Q&A with the artist.

Special thanks to generous grants from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission and Playhouse PALS. The BFF celebrates the range and depth of the human condition and the idea that theatre arts experiences are vital, transformative, and must be available for all.

40th Annual Light Up a Life Ceremony

Join Hospice of Santa Barbara for their 40th Annual Light Up A Life. This beloved community tradition takes place to remember and honor those you miss this holiday season.

Light Up a Life will host four ceremonies, featuring speakers and special guests, entertainment, refreshments, and the lighting of a memorial tree. Guests can also hang one or more stars in memory of a loved one who has died or in honor of someone living.

Locations include:

Santa Barbara (Lobero Theatre) - Sunday, December 3 at 5:30 pm
Montecito (Upper Village Green) - Wednesday, December 6 at 4:00 pm
Carpinteria (Seal Fountain) - Saturday, December 9 at 5:00 pm
Goleta (Camino Real Marketplace) - Sunday, December 10 at 5:00 pm

In addition to the four in person ceremonies, you can also dedicate a star to a loved one on HSB’s Virtual Tree of Remembrance. For a suggested donation of $15, you can dedicate a digital star(s) with their loved one’s name, photo, and a special message.

All events are free. To learn more and dedicate a star to a loved one in person at one of the four locations or on the Virtual Tree of Remembrance, please visit: http://www.hospiceofsb.org/lual

It’s the 8th Annual BFF Binge Fringe Festival of FREE Theatre, Oct 15 - Nov 19, the only FREE Fringe Festival in the nation, offering 38 in-person plays, workshops and family-oriented events, presenting:

The Rub - 3:00 PM, The Other Space, 13+

Stage and screen personality Anzu Lawson (The Blacklist, Chicago Med, Manifest, Dear Yoko) stars in The Rub, inspired by the 30-minute single camera comedy pilot about her life as a stand-up comic who secretly pays her bills by being every Asian mother's worst nightmare... a masseuse. The Rub is based on Lawson’s true-life experiences as a celebrity masseuse. This is the first time she has come out publicly about her two decades long secret “survival job” that ultimately became the greatest spiritual lesson of her life. By touching other people’s pain, Anzu ultimately healed her own. Anzu is passionate about being a part of the “next wave of inclusivity-focused writerperformers” that not only “edu-tain” but also elevate social awareness and humanity in the most uplifting way. Written & performed by Anzu Lawson Directed & developed by Jessica Lynn Johnson. Includes post-show reception with the artist.

Special thanks to generous grants from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission and Playhouse PALS. The BFF celebrates the range and depth of the human condition and the idea that theatre arts experiences are vital, transformative, and must be available for all.