Alternatives to Writer's Strike-LA Theatre Works

My good friend Moviezzz has been all over the Hollywood strike. He even has a youtube video of writers from "The Office"_ the show that put Scranton, Pa., on the map, picketing as they are 'on strike.'
I personally have mixed feelings about the strike. I feel for the writers. As someone who follows the industry closely and who wanted to be a screenwriter, I think they have legitimate issues.
On the other hand, they certainly come across as whiners to people who are coal miners in places like Harlan, Ky., (where one of the nation's ugliest labor strikes happened) or Danville, Va.- a city where I work where some 5,000 people lost their jobs due to a textile plant closing.
I guess one can the strike is resolved soon. But, as it turns out, it is not the only strike involving entertainment. I read in the online edition of "The Washington Post" today that stagehands in New York are going on strike forcing several (but not all) Broadway shows to go black.
This really miffed Scott Crawford, 33, of Akron, Ohio, who told "The Post" this in regards to not being able to see the adult puppet show "Avenue Q," which is known to be quite over-the-top: "In Ohio, we have raunchy and we have hilarious, but we don't have them together."
Folks visiting the Los Angeles area hoping to see Jay Leno have an alternative however.
L.A. Theatre Works has the largest selection of radio plays in the country. These are well-produced productions, which have actors ranging from Julia Louis-Dreyfuss to Ed Asner.
They are currently promoting the fact that they have two plays with Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson, including "Seven Days in May" and "The Best Man," which was ironically penned by liberal writer Gore Vidal.
"The Best Man" is currently available for public listening this week. The play is quite interesting because Thompson actually plays a fictional American president, and from what I could tell listening to the first 15 minutes (before being interrupted by paper work duty) is that it is an enjoyable farce. It also features Marsha Mason, who is in another LA. Theatre Works audio play Neil Simon's "The Prisoner of Second Avenue."
But, L.A. Theatre Works also producing live plays in Los Angeles.
From Nov. 14-18, the stage company will bring "Stick Fly" into production. The play is penned by Lydia Diamond and features Dule Hill, Justine Bateman (who was on tv's "Family Ties") and Carl Lumbly in its cast. Shirley Jo Finney is the play's director.
The play focuses on two African American brothers who decide to bring their girlfriends to their rich parents' home in Martha's Vineyard. The play looks at both social and racial issues, yet it is a comedy!
If there is a good thing about a possibly long screenwriter's strike, it is that it may indeed force people to watch PBS or take in a stage play at their local theatre, many of which are struggling across the country.

Useful Links:

http://talkingmoviezzz.blogspot.com

http://www.latw.org