The jury posted its brief statement of resignation online four days later<\/a> \u201cin acknowledgment\u201d of its original decree<\/a>, in which it wrote, \u201cAt this edition of the Biennale, we wish to set out our intention \u2014 to express our commitment to the defense of human rights,\u201d before explaining it would not consider certain countries for awards.<\/p>\n The Biennale moved swiftly to reverse course after the jury\u2019s resignation, issuing a news release that noted, \u201cAll National Participations included in the 61st Exhibition … are eligible … following the principle of inclusion and equal treatment among all participants. This is consistent with the founding spirit of La Biennale, based on openness, dialogue, and the rejection of any form of closure or censorship. La Biennale seeks to be \u2014 and must remain \u2014 a place of truce in the name of art, culture, and artistic freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n To that end, the awards ceremony originally scheduled to take place on May 9 has been pushed to November 22 \u2014 the last day the exhibition is open to the public. There is precedent for \u201cexceptional circumstances\u201d delays, and the last one took place in 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. <\/p>\n Without precedent, however, are the newly established awards, created to replace the coveted Golden Lion awards that the jury traditionally hands out to two winners each year. This year, instead of the Golden Lion for best national participation at the Biennale; and the Golden Lion for best participant in the Biennale\u2019s central exhibition, the Biennale has established two Visitors\u2019 Lions to be awarded in the same categories.<\/p>\n Instead of a jury deciding the winners this year, the honor will be left \u2014 as the new award name specifies \u2014 to the exhibition visitors.<\/p>\n \u201cVisitors eligible to vote for the Visitors\u2019 Lions are ticket holders who have visited both Exhibition venues,\u201d the release reads. <\/p>\n \u201cVisits to both venues will be verified through the ticketing system\u2019s tracking. Each ticket holder may cast one vote for each of the two awards, in one single session.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether Visitors\u2019 Lions will become a Biennale mainstay remains to be seen \u2014 but I can imagine the democratic idea might keep its place when the Golden Lions make their return next year.<\/p>\n I\u2019m Arts editor Jessica Gelt doing my best to tread water in difficult times. This is your arts and culture news for the week.<\/p>\n You\u2019re reading Essential Arts <\/p>\n Our critics and reporters guide you through events and happenings of L.A. <\/p>\n By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service<\/a>, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy<\/a> such as personalizing your experience and ads. <\/p>\n The week ahead: A curated calendar<\/p>\n FRIDAY<\/p>\n Quentin Lee and Justin Lin on the set of their debut feature, \u201cShopping for Fangs.\u201d<\/p>\n (Margin Films)<\/p>\n Celebrating 30 Years of Margin Films Dvo\u0159\u00e1k and Korngold Anna Van Valin, from left, Elias Scoufaras and Bruce Nozick in \u201cWarsaw\u201d at International City Theatre. <\/p>\n (Jordan Gohara)<\/p>\n Warsaw SATURDAY<\/p>\n (Danica Taylor)<\/p>\n Kronos Quartet Michael Caine, from left, Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman in the \u201cThe Prestige,\u201d screening Saturday at the Aero.<\/p>\n (Francois Duhamel \/ Touchstone & Warner Bros. Pictures)<\/p>\n The Prestige The cast of \u201cCarlota: Alhajero de Secretos,\u201d opening Saturday at LATC.<\/p>\n (Teatro Alebrijes)<\/p>\n Carlota: Alhajero de Secretos SUNDAY<\/p>\n Henri Lubatti in \u201cExit the King\u201d at A Noise Within.<\/p>\n (Daniel Reichert)<\/p>\n Exit the King Organist Anna Lapwood performs at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Sunday.<\/p>\n (Gerald Matzka \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n Anna Lapwood TUESDAY<\/p>\n Willie Birch, \u201cUptown Memories (A Day in the Life of the Magnolia Project),\u201d 1995. Painted papier-m\u00e2ch\u00e9 and mixed media, 82 \u00d7 62 \u00d7 60 in. New Orleans Museum of Art.<\/p>\n (Roman Alokhin)<\/p>\n Willie Birch: Stories to Tell Luc\u00eda performs Tuesday at the Carpenter Center in Long Beach.<\/p>\n (Shervin Lainez)<\/p>\n Jazz in Long Beach Smith, Cabezas & Childs WEDNESDAY Morgan Freeman, left, and Brad Pitt star in David Fincher\u2019s 1995 film \u201cSeven.\u201d<\/p>\n (Robert Isenberg \/ New Line Cinema)<\/p>\n Seven THURSDAY<\/p>\n \u201cDancing with Bob: Rauschenberg, Brown & Cunningham Onstage\u201d at the Wallis, May 7 to 9.<\/p>\n (The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts)<\/p>\n Dancing With Bob: Rauschenberg, Brown & Cunningham Onstage The Physicists Arts anywhere<\/p>\n New and recent releases of arts-related media.<\/p>\n The Adding Machine Art Work \u201cInsomnia & Seven Steps to Grace\u201d by Joy Harjo.<\/p>\n (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings)<\/p>\n Insomnia and Seven Steps to Grace \u2014 Kevin Crust<\/p>\n Culture news and the SoCal scene Michael Tilson Thomas in 2018.<\/p>\n (Paul Marotta\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Times classical music critic Mark Swed wrote a lovely appreciation of conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, <\/a>who died last week at the age of 81. Tilson Thomas, Swed wrote, \u201cmade music matter by making hope matter. He was, moreover, one of us. He achieved greatness though an epic amplification of a uniquely L.A. positivity in which grumpy became wistful.\u201d<\/p>\n LA Opera music director James Conlon<\/a> is preparing to step down after a record 20 seasons with the company, and in a recent story, Swed cataloged his impressive numbers: \u201cMore than 500 performances of 70 different operas at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and occasional neighboring venues, such as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.\u201d Swed attended a recent farewell gala and noted some highlights, including excerpts from \u201cThe Marriage of Figaro.\u201d<\/p>\n Times theater critic Charles McNulty spent a recent trip to New York almost entirely in various Broadway theaters, catching up on what he says is a \u201cstrange season by all accounts.\u201d McNulty notes that Broadway is still the place acting powerhouses <\/a>like Adrien Brody, John Lithgow and Laurie Metcalf go in search of the kind of depthy material increasingly unavailable onscreen. He looks at four such shows \u2014 and their epic leading actors \u2014 including \u201cDeath of a Salesman,\u201d \u201cGiant,\u201d \u201cThe Fear of 13\u201d and \u201cDog Day Afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n David Henry Hwang (book adapter, \u201cFlower Drum Song\u201d) and Alexandra Silber (book adapter, \u201cBrigadoon\u201d) at the James Irvine Japanese Garden in Little Tokyo. <\/p>\n (Jason Armond\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Malia Mendez wrote a great piece about a trio of classic musicals running concurrently in L.A.<\/a> She takes a closer look at \u201cFlower Drum Song,\u201d adapted for East West Players by David Henry Hwang; \u201cBrigadoon,\u201d adapted for Pasadena Playhouse by Alexandra Silber; and \u201cThe Sound of Music\u201d at the Hollywood Pantages. All three were originally written by two of the 20th century\u2019s most dynamic and celebrated writing duos: Rodgers and Hammerstein (\u201cFlower Drum Song\u201d and \u201cThe Sound of Music\u201d) and Lerner and Loewe (\u201cBrigadoon\u201d). And all still resonate in modern times.<\/p>\n Mendez also wrote about a special event taking place this weekend called Night at the Library<\/a> \u2014 held as part of the downtown Central Library\u2019s centennial celebration. \u201cThe four-hour extravaganza Saturday will feature more than 200 artists and 25 to 30 activations peppered throughout the library campus, plus DJ sets and local food truck fare. Highlighted performers include Bob Baker Marionette Theater and Los Angeles Master Chorale,\u201d Mendez writes.<\/p>\n Doug Chiang, Podrace Crash, production art for \u201cStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace,\u201d 1995-99. <\/p>\n (Lucas Museum of Narrative Art)<\/p>\n The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art unveiled its inaugural exhibitions this week<\/a> \u2014 noting that all 20 were curated by George Lucas himself. The $1-billion museum will open to the public on the first day of fall and the exhibits will be shown in more than 30 galleries spread over 100,000 square feet of exhibition space. And, yes, \u201cStar Wars\u201d memorabilia will be part of the \u201ccinema\u201d exhibit with large-scale vehicle installations, production designs, props and costumes.<\/p>\n Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times<\/p>\n Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber.<\/a><\/p>\n Lincoln Clauss, center, as the Emcee in Asolo Repertory Theatre\u2019s \u201cCabaret,\u201d at the Old Globe.<\/p>\n (Courtesy of Cliff Roles)<\/p>\n![\"Quentin](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777670127_365_.jpeg\")
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Award-winning filmmaker Quentin Lee and his production company mark three decades in the business with a weeklong screening series. Lee\u2019s breakout 1997 debut \u201cShopping for Fangs,\u201d co-directed by Justin Lin, is the opening film. Also screening: \u201cEthan Mao,\u201d Saturday; \u201cThe People I\u2019ve Slept With,\u201d Sunday; \u201cThe Unbidden,\u201d Monday; \u201cRez Comedy,\u201d Tuesday; \u201cLast Summer of Nathan Lee,\u201d Wednesday; and a sneak peak of three episodes of the Canadian TV series \u201cComedy InvAsian III,\u201d Thursday. Selected screening includes a Q&A. Lee is also releasing a book, \u201cCinemasianamerica,\u201d commemorating the occasion.
Each film screens one day, 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m., through Thursday. Laemmle Royal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A. laemmle.com<\/a><\/p>\n
Conductor Andr\u00e9s Orozco-Estrada and the Los Angeles Philharmonic pay tribute to Michael Tilson Thomas<\/a>, who died April 22, with his composition \u201cAgnegram,\u201d and perform Korngold\u2019s \u201cConcerto in D major for Violin and Orchestra\u201d with violinist Mar\u00eda Due\u00f1as. The evening concludes with \u201cSymphony No. 7 in D minor\u201d by Dvo\u0159\u00e1k.
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"Anna](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777670127_563_.jpeg\")
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The world premiere of British playwright and \u201cSelma\u201d screenwriter Paul Webb\u2019s drama about the fate of a woman whose life links two monumental historic moments, World War II and Sept. 11.
7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, through May 17. International City Theatre, 330 E. Seaside Way, Long Beach. ictlongbeach.org<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777670127_730_.jpeg\")
The Kronos Quartet, from left: Gabriela D\u00edaz, David Harrington, Ayane Kozasa and Paul Wiancko. <\/p>\n
The West Coast premiere of the group\u2019s latest large-scale multimedia project, \u201cThree Bones,\u201d which combines live performance, video, visual art, recordings and environmental sound to explore the histories of Indigenous, Gullah Geechee and Chinese American communities in the United States.
6 p.m. UC Santa Barbara campus, Campbell Hall. artsandlectures.ucsb.edu<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777670128_231_.jpeg\")
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Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale square off as rival magicians in a 20th anniversary 35mm screening of Christopher Nolan\u2019s sci-fi thriller.
7:30 p.m. Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. americancinematheque.com<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777670128_338_.jpeg\")
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Writer-directors Rodrigo Garc\u00eda and Ugho Bad\u00fa reimagine Federico Garc\u00eda Lorca\u2019s tragedy \u201cThe House of Bernarda Alba.\u201d The co-production between San Jos\u00e9-based LGBTQ+ ensemble Teatro Alebrijes and L.A.\u2019s Latino Theater Company is in Spanish with English supertitles.
8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, through May 24. Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street, downtown L.A. latinotheaterco.org<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"Henri](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777670128_503_.jpeg\")
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Eug\u00e8ne Ionesco\u2019s classic absurdist comedy about a desperate monarch who refuses to admit his time has come, translated by Donald Watson and directed by Michael Michetti.
Previews, 2 p.m. Sunday; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and May 8; opening night, 7:30 p.m. May 9; runs through May 31. A Noise Within, 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. anoisewithin.org<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"Organist](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777670128_215_.jpeg\")
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The popular organist performs work from \u201cThe Da Vinci Code,\u201d \u201cThe Hunchback of Notre Dame,\u201d \u201cThe Lord of the Rings,\u201d \u201cStar Wars Episode I \u2013 The Phantom Menace,\u201d \u201cFlight\u201d and \u201cPirates of the Caribbean,\u201d as well as Olivia Belli\u2019s organ solo \u201cLimina Luminis,\u201d in this recital.
7:30 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"Painted](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777670129_337_.jpeg\")
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This career retrospective details Birch\u2019s exploration of the Black American experience since the 1960s, posing difficult questions along the way in his work as an artist, community organizer and \u201ccultural provocateur.\u201d
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays, through Oct. 21. California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, Exposition Park. caamuseum.org<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"Luc\u00eda](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777670129_99_.jpeg\")
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Two jazz-influenced acts come to the Carpenter Center next week. Luc\u00eda brings her signature mix of traditional American jazz and Latin folk in a Spotlight Sessions concert on the Cabaret Stage. She\u2019ll also be performing songs from her forthcoming album. \u201cThe Magic of Manhattan Starring Benny Benack III\u201d is a tribute to the Big Apple and the songs and singers most associated with it, including Blossom Dearie, Frank Sinatra and Billy Joel.
Luc\u00eda, 8 p.m. Tuesday; Benny Benack III, 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. Carpenter Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach. carpenterarts.org<\/a> <\/p>\n
Molly Turner conducts the LA Phil New Music Group, with multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Gabriella Smith, cellist Gabriel Cabezas and jazz pianist Billy Childs in a program of eco-friendly music curated by Smith, including compositions by Smith, Childs, Michael Gordon, John Cage and Esa-Pekka Salonen.
8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com<\/a> <\/p>\n
Andr\u00e9s Jaramillo: A Journey of Immigrants, Part II
The Colombian American pianist follows up on his January 2025 program with a celebration of the global cultural exchange created by immigrants, placing Latin American composers within the Romantic tradition. Featuring works by Chopin, Calvo, Mej\u00eda, Barber, Lecuona, Friedhoff-Calvo and Pinz\u00f3n-Arroyo. Presented by Piano Spheres.
8 p.m. Wednesday. Thayer Hall at Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. pianospheres.org<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"Morgan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777670129_680_.jpeg\")
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A 4k screening of David Fincher\u2019s 1995 thriller about two cops on the trail of a serial killer. Appearances by production designer Arthur Max and set decorator Clay Griffith.
7:30 p.m. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org<\/a> <\/p>\n![\""Dancing](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777670129_49_.jpeg\")
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This kinetic retrospective captures the cross-disciplinary collaborations between vanguard artist Robert Rauschenberg and choreographers Trisha Brown (\u201cSet and Reset,\u201d with an electronic score by Laurie Anderson) and Merce Cunningham (\u201cTravelogue,\u201d created with John Cage).
7:30 p.m. Thursday and May 8; 2 p.m. May 9. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org<\/a> <\/p>\n
Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton are residents of an insane asylum beset by murder, mayhem, espionage and questions about the morality and ethics of science in this 1962 German satire by Friedrich D\u00fcrrenmatt. Directed by Brent Hinkley.
8 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, through June 20. The Actors\u2019 Gang Theater, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City. theactorsgang.com<\/a> <\/p>\n
Currently running at the Theater at St. Clement\u2019s in Hell\u2019s Kitchen, New York City, through May 17, this New Group production with a revised script by Thomas Bradshaw receives a one-time livestream next week. \u201c[Elmer] Rice\u2019s expressionist drama is known for being a tale of man vs. machine in an age of merciless efficiency, but inhumanity in a broader sense is its true core subject,\u201d wrote Laura Collins-Hughes in a recent New York Times review<\/a>. \u201cThe happy news about Scott Elliott\u2019s handsome yet under-realized revival \u2026 is what a delight Daphne Rubin-Vega is to watch as Mr. Zero.\u201d The cast also features Sarita Choudhury, Michael Cyril Creighton and Jennifer Tilly. The League of Live Stream Theater: 4 p.m. Tuesday. $40, includes 24-hour replay.<\/a> <\/p>\n
Photographer and writer Sally Mann weighs in on the creative process with stories, advice and life lessons, all illustrated with photos, journal entries and letters, making for a compelling, often surprising journey. Abrams Books: 272 pages, $35<\/a> <\/p>\n![\""Insomnia](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777670130_483_.jpeg\")
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The new album by Joy Harjo, the first Native American to be named United States Poet Laureate, serving from 2019 to 2022, combines jazz, funk, rock and Native music sounds with her signature \u201cvibration of love\u201d as she boldly confronts injustice and draws inspiration from ancestral memory and the political turmoil of the moment. The double LP\u2019s packaging features original art by Harjo and the poet\u2019s extensive liner notes. Five-time Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding produced as well as contributed vocals and played bass on the project. Smithsonian Folkways: Double vinyl LP ($33), CD ($17), hi-res digital download ($13), digital download ($10). <\/a> <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777670130_446_.jpeg\")
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