7 Days in The Arts

Saturday, September 10

Party at tonight’s sixth annual Barbie and Ken Toy Drive and you’ll give the kids a reason to smile, too. Cover per person is one new unwrapped toy or combination of toys with a minimum $25 value, for which you get music, open bar and food till the wee hours, or as long as it lasts. Event title notwithstanding, anatomically correct toys are also accepted.

8:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Beverly Hills. R.S.V.P., bfarash@earthlink.net.

Sunday, September 11

The Katrina devastation is worth your attention and donations, but take some time to think about Sept. 11 today, and while you’re at it, help out some other victims of terror. The Society of Young Philanthropists hosts a trunk sale, with 10 percent of proceeds going to OneFamily Solidarity Fund, an organization that provides assistance to terror victims in Israel. For a $5 donation at the door, you can shop their “Philanthroshop” for premium women and men’s denim brands and knits, plus names like T-Bags, Joyaan, Bijou Designs, Trisje Handbags and Christiano men’s shirts.

9 a.m.-9 p.m. $5. Beverly Hills residence, 1006 Elden Way. (310) 271-0060.

Monday, September 12

They say music can reach you where words fail, and so why not investigate the connection between song and soul? This evening, the Gal Einai Center of Los Angeles brings you Kabbalah master Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh in a discussion and exploration titled, “Wings of the Soul: Kabbalah and the Art of Music.” Ginsburgh will be accompanied by violinist Marc Brodsky.

8 p.m. $25. Edgemar Center for the Arts, 2437 Main St., Santa Monica. (310) 392-7327.

Tuesday, September 13

Depression-era Manhattan provides the backdrop for the first production of the Ahmanson’s 2005-2006 season. The play is “Dead End,” which preceded the 1937 Humphrey Bogart film. Written by Sidney Kingsley, it tells the story of a gang of poor teenagers being displaced by the wealthy tenants that threaten to move into their neighborhood. Expect stunning visuals with a set that includes a 40-foot-high New York City skyline and a simulation of the East River, accomplished by filling the playhouse’s orchestra pit with more than 10,000 gallons of water.

Runs through Oct. 16. 135 North Grand Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 628-2772.

Wednesday, September 14

If you’ve missed seeing former Journal staff writer and gifted artist Michael Aushenker’s words and drawings in these here pages, we’ve got fix for ya, at least as far as the art is concerned. On display at Santa Monica’s Novel Cafe through the end of September are 13 of Aushenker’s vibrant paintings. For East Siders, he also has a painting on permanent display at Birds Cafe on Franklin Avenue in Hollywood.

Novel Cafe, 212 Pier Ave., Santa Monica. Birds Cafe, 5925 Franklin Ave., Hollywood.

Thursday, September 15