This November, our partners at Zócalo Public Square continue the California 175: What Connects California? series with two dynamic programs exploring how art, culture, and storytelling connect us across time, place, and identity. California Humanities is a proud sponsor of the series.
How Art Connects—and Divides—Los Angeles
Thursday, November 13, 2025 | Union Station, Los Angeles
Co-presented by Metro Art, Zócalo Public Square, and Grand Performances
Moderated by Moira Shourie, Executive Director, Zócalo Public Square
Art and culture built Los Angeles—a city that has long thrived as a creative hub for dreamers, makers, and storytellers. From murals to mariachis, food trucks to comedy stages, the arts bring Angelenos together through shared laughter, rhythm, and flavor. But as creativity unites, it can also challenge and divide.
In this live event, Open Mike Eagle, Vanessa Ragland, Jasmine Williams, and Sasheer Zamata gather at Union Station to discuss how art helps Angelenos feel connected today—and how humor, poetry, and performance can sustain the soul of a city even in turbulent times.
Part of LAte Night Train of Thought, the evening features improv by Dynasty Typewriter artists Eugene Cordero, Colton Dunn, Lauren Lapkus, Ify Nwadiwe, Gil Ozeri, and Sasheer Zamata; spoken-word moments from Da Poetry Lounge’s Nate Lovell and RAVINA; and a closing set by Open Mike Eagle. Guests can enjoy complimentary sweets from Fugetsu-Do Confectionery and bites from the Kogi BBQ Truck (while supplies last).
Can Comedia Help Us Understand California’s Past?
Thursday, November 20, 2025, | 7–9 PM PT | LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
Co-presented by Zócalo Public Square, Playwrights’ Arena, UCLA Diversifying the Classics, and LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
During Spain’s Golden Age, comedia—a lively form of theater—helped audiences make sense of the world around them. Today, Los Angeles playwrights are reinventing these classics to illuminate the city’s layered histories of power, identity, and belonging.
Under the stars at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Diana Burbano, June Carryl, and Luis Alfaro will share readings from Golden Tongues: Adapting Hispanic Classical Theater in Los Angeles, the 2024 anthology published by UCLA’s Diversifying the Classics initiative. The evening includes remarks from Barbara Fuchs and a post-reading reception with book signings hosted by Tía Chucha’s.
Through plays like Flickers, Florence and Normandie, and Painting in Red, audiences will witness how timeless stories of love, betrayal, and transformation continue to speak to Los Angeles today—bridging centuries through art.
Both events are part of California 175 — What Connects California?, a suite of free Zócalo programs and essays, supported by California Humanities, that bring together thinkers and artists from across the state to imagine California’s next 175 years.
Learn more and register at https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/.
