BRIEFLY IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Studio tour to be held this weekend

The Sawdust Art Festival will hold its annual Art Studio Tour Saturday.

Every April, the artists of Laguna Beach join together to participate in the Sawdust Art Festival’s Art Studio Tour, opening their private studios for an “up close and personal” look into their creative worlds.

Morning, afternoon and full-day tours are offered; all tours begin and end at the Sawdust Art Festival. Tours include guided transportation to the studios; visits with each artist including art demonstrations, discussion and the opportunity to purchase; and admission to the Artists’ Reception, 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Sawdust’s Gallery 935.

Morning or afternoon tour tickets are $45; full-day tours are $80. Visit www.SawdustArtFestival.org for additional information.

? Plastiques return to Forum Theatre

The Gray Foundation of Theatrical Arts will present a new Plastiques show, “The Audition,” April 26, 27 and 28 at the Forum Theatre.

In the show, the namesake puppet characters, made of recycled plastic bottles, try to participate in local community theatre and learn what it takes to measure up in a world where judgment is an everyday experience.

The family show will include dancing, comedy, mask play and stage illusions, along with a lovable Shih Tzu named Mojo-san.

Artistic Director Richard Gray was choreographer of the Pageant of the Masters for eight seasons, and now works to reconnect children with their imaginations.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children under 12, and are available at www.kurogoproductions.com and at will-call. The 65-minute show runs without an intermission.

For more information, call (714) 434-6753.

? Verni debuts solo exhibition

Neil Verni’s solo exhibition of new work, “Tranquil Inner Landscapes,” will be on view at Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, through May 23.

Half of the proceeds from all art sales will be donated to “The Effect,” a nonprofit organization.

Verni, a Laguna College of Art & Design alumnus, is a member of the Out of Eden collective.

Their work ranges from drawing to sculpture; each artist has their own style, but many exhibit surrealist imagery.

For more information, visit www.outofedengallery.com.

? LOCA plans foodie fundraiser

Laguna Outreach for Community Arts will hold “The Art of Fine Dining” at 5’ Restaurant, 328 Glenneyre, beginning at 5 p.m. April 27.

The event will celebrate the organization’s 15 years in art education, and will honor former mayor Wayne Baglin for his support of the arts and the community.

Hosted cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be offered from 5 to 6 p.m.; a sit-down meal will begin at 6:30 p.m.

One of the organization’s artists, Suzanne Garnier-Weythman, will be the restaurant’s featured artist.

Tickets are $125 per person; seating is limited. To RSVP by April 21 or for more information, call (949) 363-4700 or e-mail locaarts@yahoo.com.

? Art & Sea workshops begin tomorrow

Laguna Outreach for Community Arts’ Art & Sea workshops begin this weekend with tidepool exploration with Ocean Laguna Foundation docents and a hands-on watercolor art workshop taught by local artists.

Participants will learn about tide pool ecology and create a watercolor journal to capture their experiences.

The workshops will be held April 12 and 13; May 10 and 11; and Oct. 4 and 5 at Treasure Island Park. Each session is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The fee is $65 per adult and $35 per child, and includes a watercolor journal, art supplies, postcards, tote bag, refreshments and more.

For more information, call (949) 363-4700.

? Free writing workshop offered April 23

Writing instructor Trina Belanger will offer a free Self-Discovery through Writing workshop at Latitude 33 Bookshop from 6 to 8 p.m. April 23.

The session is the premiere of a journal-writing course to be offered through the city. Bring a journal and a desire to write.

Belanger will also host free workshops from 9 to 11 a.m. May 17 on Main Beach by the lifeguard tower and from 6 to 8 p.m. June 18 at Latitude 33, in addition to two city-offered courses, “”Draft a Novel this Summer!” and “Refresh and Rest, then Travel On.”

For more information, e-mail trina.belanger@cox.net.

? Restaurant welcomes action sports enthusiasts

Mozambique Steakhouse, 1740 S. Coast Hwy., is holding weekly Action Sports Tuesdays with events geared at linking action sports industry people and mainstream enthusiasts.

A DJ will spin beginning at 6 p.m., food and drink specials will be offered. A fashion show will be held the second Tuesday of each month.

? Documentary film to be screened

The Endangered Planet Foundation will screen “The 11th Hour,” a 2007 feature film documentary created, produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, at the Forum Theatre on the Festival of Arts grounds, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. April 16.

The film’s producer is also due to speak.

Tickets are $10, and can be purchased at www.endangeredplanet.org or at the foundation offices upstairs in the Lumberyard office complex at 384 Forest Ave., Suite 13.

The film features more than 50 of the world’s most prominent thinkers and activists, including former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, physicist Stephen Hawking, Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai and journalist Paul Hawken.

? Dance organization plans fundraiser

CaDance, presenter of the 2008 Laguna Dance Festival, will host a Taste of CaDance, its annual fundraiser, at the Surf & Sand Resort April 18.

Proceeds from the event will help to underwrite the 2008 festival. The fundraiser begins at 6 p.m. and features a performance at 7 p.m., photography by Suzanne Pitts, and fashion by Laura Stearn of Hot Threadz. Wine, champagne and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Reservations are requested no later than April 14, and are $100 per person.

This year’s festival will kick off on Sept. 20 with an outdoor performance at Main Beach, and continue with a series of classes and workshops, expanding upon the successful 2007 season.

There are four performances scheduled this year, beginning with opening night on Sept. 25 and continuing for three days.

Tickets go on sale to the general public July 1, and will be available online at www.lagunadancefestival.com.