Calendar: November 29-December 5

SAT | NOV 29

“REASONS TO LIVE”

It was chosen by the Cape Cod Times as a Favorite Play of 2012 when it was staged at the Provincetown Theater, and now it’s having its Los Angeles premiere. In Meryl Cohn’s play, Jane Silverstein has to deal with a runaway groom, a pajama-wearing brother who is selling something suspicious, a show tunes-singing mother and a lovesick sister. Directed by Susan Morgenstern, “Reasons to Live” is a chaotic, familiar ride watching a family search for the meaning they’ve been desperately seeking. Sat. 8 p.m. Through Dec. 14. $29.99. Skylight Theatre, 1816 1/2 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 761-7061. TUE | DEC 2

Find out what it means to everyone! If Aretha Franklin is the queen of soul, then David Ritz is the king of music biographies — a match made in metaphorical monarch heaven. A teen mother in Detroit before moving to New York, where she struggled to find her true voice, Franklin eventually met a Jewish producer who insisted she return to her gospel-soul roots. The rest is history. Ritz, who has co-authored autobiographies for such names as Ray Charles and Don Rickles, is an expert writer with a knack for larger-than-life stories. Tue. 7 p.m. Free. Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. (310) 659-3110. ” target=”_blank”>hammer.ucla.edu.

#GIVINGTUESDAY

There’s Black Friday. There’s Cyber Monday. If you’re a pro at those, it might be time to get on board with #GivingTuesday. It’s simple: Don’t wait in any lines, don’t make enemies of fellow shoppers — just donate to or volunteer with an organization that’s meaningful for you. Our friends at the Skirball Cultural Center are participating, and how you give is totally up to you. With Thanksgiving in the air and Big Sunday not until spring, #GivingTuesday encourages your generous instincts. Check out the website for ideas. Tue. All day. Everywhere. WED | DEC 3

A few of our favorite things starting with “M” for 100, Alex. Cedars-Sinai medical staff and alumni association invite you to celebrate Dr. Edward Phillips, this year’s recipient of the Howard Wilner, M.D., Alumnus of the Year Award. A pioneer in minimally invasive surgery, Phillips attended UC Berkeley and USC and holds nine U.S. patents in the field of surgery. There will be a live chamber concert performing Tchaikovsky’s Sextet with maestro Alexander Treger and string musicians of the American Youth Symphony. There will be light refreshments and a Q-and-A following. Wed. 6 p.m. $10 (cash or check only). Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Harvey Morse Auditorium, South Tower-Plaza, 8700 Gracie Allen Drive, Los Angeles. RSVP to martin@cshs.org.

THU | DEC 4

“NICE JEWISH GUYS 2015” 

The newly released “Nice Jewish Guys: 2015 Calendar” is not your usual pinup calendar, not least because all the guys look like your brother or next-door neighbor. Each one comes with a story — a selling point, perhaps, for the benefit auction taking place at Kitson on Robertson to benefit Jewish Big Brothers of Los Angeles. No, you cannot buy the guys, but some will be available to be “purchased” for a date. And guys can also use the opportunity to sign up to become a big brother to a kid in need. Tues. 6- 9 p.m. Free. Kitson, 115 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, contact adam@nicejewishguys.net. 

FRI | DEC 5

“RELIGION AND THE LAW: CONNECTIONS AND CONFLICTS”

This year’s Abner and Roslyn Goldstine Scholar-in-Residence Lecture Series with Noah Feldman offers an intellectually enriching weekend of eating and discussion. Feldman’s stacked résumé includes Felix Frankfurter professor of law at Harvard University, senior fellow of the Society of Fellows at Harvard, and contributing writer for New York Times Magazine and Bloomberg View. He’ll have plenty to say. Start Shabbat off right with a community dinner and a lecture titled “Islam, Democracy & Constitutions: Experiences From Iraq and Tunisia.” Closing the weekend is a Saturday Havdalah service, followed by a light dinner and discussion with Feldman and Rabbi David Wolpe. Fri. 7 p.m. Through Dec. 6. RSVP requested. Saturday’s luncheon and lecture, “Maimonides and Me: Perplexed Without a Guide,” is by pre-paid registration only. Sinai Temple, 10400 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 481-3243.