By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Theatre Palisades opened its six-week run of “Beau Jest” at Pierson Playhouse beginning Friday, January 12.

“Sarah Goldman is worried that her Jewish parents will not be accepting of her WASP boyfriend, so she hires an actor to pose as a Jewish doctor she’s dating,” according to a synopsis provided by Theatre Palisades. “However, he turns out not to be Jewish either, but is so convincing in a role that he could just win over her parents … and quite possibly Sarah as well.”

The show is directed by Jonathan Fahn and produced by Martha Hunter. The cast features Jasmine Haver as Sarah Goldman, as well as James Jobs as her brother Joel, Laura Goldstein as her mother Miriam and Lou Saliba as her father Abe. Thomas McDonough plays her boyfriend, Chris, while Jeff Coppage plays her hired boyfriend Bob/David.

Performances run on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., as well as Sundays at 2 p.m., through February 18 at Pierson Playhouse, located at 941 Temescal Canyon Road. Tickets are $22 for general admission, and $20 for students and seniors.

A full review of the show is slated to appear in the January 25 print edition of the Palisadian-Post. (Not-so-spoiler alert: The show is very funny.)

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit theatrepalisades.com.

By SARAH SHMERLING and LILY TINOCO

Two Pacific Palisades institutions will continue their respective seasons with concerts in the next week: St. Matthew’s Music Guild will host a program that features the Yale Whiffenpoofs on Friday, January 19, followed by Chamber Music Palisades on Wednesday, January 24.

St. Matthew’s Music Guild will continue its 39th season on Friday, January 19, with a concert beginning at 7:30 p.m.

“Every year, 14 senior Yale students are selected to be in the Whiffenpoofs, the world’s oldest and best-known collegiate a cappella group,” according to a press release. “Founded in 1909, the ‘Whiffs’ began as a senior quartet that met for weekly concerts at Mory’s Temple Bar, the famous Yale tavern. Today, the group has become one of Yale’s most celebrated traditions, with over a century of musical excellence.”

Their performances feature a mixture of Yale tunes, jazz standards and other hits from various decades, according to Music Guild. The concert will take place at St. Matthew’s Church, located at 1031 Bienveneda Avenue.

Tickets are $35 for general admission, $10 for students (available at the door only) and free for attendees under 16. They are available through musicguildonline.org.

Chamber Music Palisades will host the next concert in its 27th season, featuring harp, violin, viola and flute, on Wednesday, January 24, in the sanctuary of St. Matthew’s.

The concert will feature professional performers from Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the studios, showcasing works by Mozart, Prokofiev, Bach, del Aguila and a world premiere by local composer Todd Mason, according to a press release.

“Enjoy the sounds of our extraordinary performers: Cristina Montes Mateo, world-renowned harpist and frequent soloist with major orchestras; Maya Magub, British violinist who has performed in the world’s greatest concert halls and played on numerous movies and records,” CMP wrote, “Rob Brophy, violist with the New Hollywood String quartet and member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra; and Susan Greenberg, long-time flutist at Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, principal flute at Santa Monica Symphony, and president and artistic director of Chamber Music Palisades.”

Todd Mason will also present commentary on “Magical,” his world-premiere, CMP-commissioned piece for flute, viola and harp, and KUSC host and CMP associate Alan Chapman will provide program notes.

Tickets will be available for $35 online or at the door at St. Matthew’s. Full-time students will be admitted free of charge with an ID. For more information, visit cmpalisades.org.

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Pacific Palisades Art Association will host guest speaker Teresa Bernadette on Tuesday, January 23, beginning at 6 p.m. at Palisades Branch Library for an artist talk.

“Teresa Bernadette will present a selection of drawing, painting and sculpture at an artist talk at the library,” according to PPAA. “A multidisciplinary local artist, Teresa’s work looks to the ancient, archaic and arcane as tools of innovative storytelling. Experimenting across media, scale and form, they wrestle with ephemerality, interrogating the bittersweetness of time and transformation.”

Bernadette’s work has appeared in local group shows, as well as publications, according to PPAA. Four of Bernadette’s pieces will appear in the Screenland 5K tribute to Motion Picture Magic on Sunday, March 10, in Culver City.

“Follow the yellow brick road and the iconic steps of legendary stars and directors along the Heart of Screenland’s 100 Points of Motion Picture Magic,” read the website for the 5K. “Families are in for an exciting treat, Oscar Sunday, March 10, as they play a part in movie- and TV-themed experiences, and celebrate the centennials of MGM Studios, Culver Hotel and other motion picture landmarks. Guests will move through cinematic magic, visiting exotic places in adventures that could take them into outer space or under the sea, and into a springtime of surprises.”

For more information, visit runsignup.com/Race/Screenland5K/Page/EventInfo.

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

This January, Palisades Branch Library is launching “Bridge for Beginners” and “Duplicate Bridge,” two new monthly series of games.

Bridge for Beginners welcomes those just starting out playing bridge to the library to learn from a “skilled player” who will be volunteering their time to teach others how to play the game. The first session of Bridge for Beginners will take place on Friday, January 26, at 1 p.m.

Bridge was described as a card game using a standard, 52-card deck, enjoyed by players of all ages.

“If you’ve always wanted to learn bridge, this is your chance,” according to the library. “Just come on by.”

The first session of the Duplicate Bridge series will take place on Friday, January 19, from 12:45 to 3 p.m. Space is limited and attendees are asked to RSVP by emailing franblaustein@gmail.com.

Duplicate Bridge is a form of the game, but the set of bridge deals are played by different competitors.

“The organizer has requested that people come with partners, but if you don’t have one, please come anyway,” according to the library. “There may be other people who don’t have partners with whom you can partner for the afternoon.”

All events take place at Palisades Branch Library, located at 861 Alma Real Drive.