This Week:

March 20An Afternoon with Laurie Halse Anderson, author of the children’s classic Speak and the new Wintergirls, 4pm, free, MLK Jr. Auditorium, Santa Monica Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., 310.458.8600.Laura Copelin, Peter Eirich, Marianna Tekosky, Dan Troom-Sazani, poetry, with music by Bats in the Belfry and Ashlinn Smith, 7:30pm, $5-$7, Beyond Baroque, 681 Venice Blvd., Venice, 310.822.3006.Hill Street Voices For Change, a community party with a political theme, tonight’s topic is Healthcare In America, 7-10pm, free, Church In Ocean Park, 235 Hill St., 310.399.1631.Charles Messier & the Faint Fuzzies, 8pm, preceded by The Night Sky Show 7pm, $5 or $9 for both shows, John Drescher Planetarium, SMC, 1900 Pico Blvd., 310.434.4223.A Night of Love Songs: Catherine Moyes & Yulia Kozlova, 7:30pm, free, Edye Second Space, SMC Performing Arts Center, 1310 11th St., 310.434.4323. The School For Wives, comedy by Moliere, through May 31, 8pm Fridays-Saturdays, 5:30pm Sundays, $20, City Garage, 1340 1/2 4th St., citygarage.org.March 20-22Into the Woods, presented by Lincoln Middle School, 7pm Friday-Saturday, 2pm Sunday, $5-$10, Lincoln Middle School Auditorium, 1501 California Ave., lmswoods2009@gmail.com.Vital Signs, a series of one-woman monologues, 8pm Friday, 2 and 8pm Saturday, 2 and 7pm Sunday, $10, SMC Theatre Arts Studio Stage, 1900 Pico Blvd., 310.434.4319. March 21Dirty/ Pretty, 13 Los Angeles photographers, reception 5-8pm, through May 22, The Julia Dean Gallery, 801 Ocean Front Walk, Studio 8, Venice, dirtyprettyshow.blogspot.com.Catherine Hardwicke, author of Twilight, in person, to celebrate the DVD debut of the movie Twilight, 9pm, free, tickets must be picked up in advance, Vidiots, 302 Pico Blvd., 310.392.8508. Illuminating German Art and Opera, presented by the Getty and LA Opera, a day devoted to opera, with lectures, a recital, and tours of the exhibit German and Central European Manuscript Illumination, 10am-4pm, $30-$60, Museum Lecture Hall, Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr., LA, 310.440.7300. Monica Mancini, in concert, 8pm, $15-$70, Royce Hall, UCLA, WW, 310.825.2101.Misalliance, comedy by George Bernard Shaw, through April 26, 8pm Thursdays-Saturdays, 2pm Sundays, $20-$25, Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., LA, 310.477.2055.My Father’s Dragon, children’s play, through April 5,11am, $6-$8, Morgan-Wixson Theatre, 2627 Pico Blvd., 310.828.7519.World Poetry Day Reading, 7:30pm, $5-$7, Beyond Baroque, 681 Venice Blvd., Venice, 310.822.3006. March 21-22Does He Know? A one-act performance piece with puppetry, written and directed by Leslie K. Gray, 4 and 7pm, $20, Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice, 310.823.0710.March 22Johann Sebastian Bach’s 324th Birthday, with Mt. Olive’s new organist and choir director, Pat Maimone, 5pm, free, Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, 1343 Ocean Park Blvd., 310.452.1116.Broadway Showtime, with the SMC Emeritus College Band, 3pm, free, Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., 310.434.4306.The Good Thing About America Anthology, book release party and reading, with Derrick Brown, Brendan Constantine and guests, 7:30pm, $5-$7, Beyond Baroque, 681 Venice Blvd., Venice, 310.822.3006.Grassroots Acoustica #20-1/2: Puppy Love Edition Part Two, A Tribute To Mimi La Rue, hosted by Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott, 6pm, donation, The Talking Stick Coffee Lounge, 1411C Lincoln Blvd., grassrootsacoustica.org.Dave Morrison, folk singer, with friends, 2-5pm, free, Church In Ocean Park, 235 Hill St., 310.399.1631.March 23Laurie Lathem, playwright, screenwriter and memoirist, speaks at the SMC Entertainment Speakers Series, 7pm, free, Screening Room, SMC Academy of Entertainment & Technology, 1660 Stewart St., 310.434.3777.March 24View from a Hilltop, debut of a work by Mark Carlson, concert with Pacific Serenades, 8pm, $5-$35, UCLA Faculty center, WW, 213.534.3434. March 25Nordstrom Project Preview, for minority and women-owned businesses, a preview of the new Nordstrom store at Santa Monica Place, 9am-noon, Sheraton Delfina Santa Monica, 530 Pico Blvd., 206.373.4383.John Quigley, environmental activist and tree protector, speaks at the Activist Support Circle, 7pm, free, Friends Meeting Hall, 1440 Harvard St., 310.399.1000.March 26LA Women’s Theatre Festival, opening reception and awards, followed by performances, $60, festival runs through March 29, $25, Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., 818.760.0408.Masters of Dance Series, Yiddish dance instruction with Karen Goodman, 11:15am, free, Gym 104, SMC, 1900 Pico Blvd., 310.434.4856.Doni Silver Simons, Lines, reception 6-9pm, through May 30, Sherry Frumkin Gallery, 3026 Airport Ave., 310.397.7493.Mark Your CalendarHope Amidst the Storm, SGI Center, March 28Children’s Art Festival, Roosevelt School, March 29Brentwood Spring Art Show, April 520 Years of 18th Street, April 11Earth Day on Third Street Promenade, April 11