When Palisadian Anjini Desai married and moved to Los Angeles from Bombay in 1996, she vowed to keep the language, customs and traditions of her native land alive, a pledge made all the more meaningful when she became a mother. Desai is exuberantly fulfilling her mission as an ambassador of Indian culture, both with her own children and many other kids in the Palisades. In December, Desai introduced students at Seven Arrows Elementary to Diwali, India’s spectacular festival of lights. Celebrated in India in the fall in accordance with the lunar calendar, Diwali commemorates the arrival of the Hindu Lord Rama, who is said to have returned from exile to reclaim his kingdom. “It’s the biggest festival in India,” says Neil Desai, Anjini’s husband, who is vice president of a biotechnology firm in Santa Monica.”Even though it’s based in religion and represents the Hindu New Year, it’s more of a cultural thing that everyone celebrates.” During the five-day festival, Indians light thousands of earthen “diya,” small oil lamps to illuminate the path of Lord Rama and to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, into their homes. Fireworks explode in the sky many nights in a row, and amid this joyous atmosphere families gather, dressed in new clothes, to exchange gifts and enjoy sweets. As Diwali signifies the renewal of life and heralds the beginning of a new season, the festival also calls for a freshly cleaned and vibrantly decorated home. “It’s really an excuse to have fun,” Anjini told the Palisadian-Post from her parents’ home in Bombay, where she and daughters Ayeshna, 5, and Ayaana, 3, are now on holiday. “India is alive with so many different festivals. It’s a coming together and closeness of people that’s an integral part of who we are.” Children at Seven Arrows got a real taste of this communal spirit when Desai recruited the entire student body to help her fashion the school’s own version of Diwali. They assisted her in making “diya,” created traditional “rangoli” designs composed of colored sand and fresh flowers to adorn the floors and constructed garlands of marigolds and carnations to grace the walls. This set the stage for an event that featured storytelling, traditional Indian music and an elaborate folk dance performance. Both children and adults donned authentic Indian clothing supplied by Desai, some coming from her own wardrobe, other pieces purchased and brought back from India. “Its a different body awareness if you wear costumes,” Desai explains. “I teach little children. They can feel the movement and better understand the culture with the right clothing and costumes.” An unabashed use of bold color was among the most striking elements of the festival. “Color is part and parcel of everyday life in India,” explains Anjini. “It’s part of the vibrancy of the whole culture.” The students not only became active celebrants of Dewali, but also gave thought to the holiday’s underlying purpose as a time of purification, forgiveness and strengthening of friends and family ties. Anjini, who has a degree in business management from Oxford and is a black belt in Goju Karate, regularly teaches traditional and classical Indian dance to children ages 4 to 10. Her “Ghungroo” dance classes are offered through Seven Arrows’ Roots and Wings program in Temescal Gateway Park. The children chant “Dha-ge-na-ki, na-ka-dhin-na,” while “ghungroos,” bands of bells tied to their ankles, rattle and chime to their movements. The dance classes are also infused with stories and poems about the children of India, along with small art projects based on the meaning of a song or instrument. “My daughter is having such a good time, and the dancing is so contagious that I end up dancing with her in class every time,” says Lorena Kiralla, whose daughter Grace, 6, attends Desai’s Ghungroo class. “It is so much fun, the moms have been begging for an adult class of their own.” This is precisely what Desai is planning next, with an adult Ghungroo class scheduled to begin in February. In the meantime, Desai and her husband, who has played the sitar since a child in India, continue to share their cultural heritage around town, including at Little Dolphins, the preschool where both their daughters are enrolled.

Palisadian Kenny Golde said his daily conversation changed when he moved from producing to writing and directing. “As a producer, it was ‘How much is it going to cost and when is it due?’As a director it is ‘What do you think this character is feeling right now?’ Now it’s talking about feelings and imagination. It just turns me on.” His first feature film, “The Job,” a graphically violent thriller, was released on DVD January 13. The film also had a one-week theatrical release in December. The film focuses on CJ, a female hired killer, played by Daryl Hannah. She is told by her boss to kill a pregnant woman whose husband is dealing stolen drugs. But she has difficulty doing the deed when she finds out she herself is pregnant. Also in the mix are a former priest, an attempted abortion, childhood flashbacks and a drug deal gone wrong. Golde’s previous directing experience was with his short film, “Food for Thought,” which won awards at the 2001 Worldfest Houston International Film Festival and the 2000 Brooklyn Film Festival. That film, starring David Ogden Stiers, was one of a dozen shorts acquired in 2001 by HBO and was shown on that channel and Cinemax more than 100 times. “The Job” was shot in a little over three weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve 2002, at 22 locations around Los Angeles. Golde, 36, found that the holiday season was a time when crew and equipment were available. The entire crew worked for free, while the cast was paid minimal union salaries. The budget was less than $500,000. He, producer Dan Levin, a friend from Taft High School, and executive producer Larry Gabriel cast the film just after Daryl Hannah finished with “Kill Bill, Vol. 1.” Other cast members then came on board, including Brad Renfro, Dominique Swain, and Alex Rocco (Moe Greene in “The Godfather”). “Sixty people showed up every day for no money,” Golde said. “My job as a director was not just making a movie, but creating an environment where people wanted to come back. There was a bonding among the crew.” The film was made independently by Platform Entertainment and sold to distributor Lions Gate Entertainment, which released the movie on DVD. “They do a calculation process of their expenses. I’m thrilled we made an independent film that sold for distribution. Most independent films are not.” The film, which is rated R, will eventually be shown on pay-per-view and cable. Golde, who grew up in Woodland Hills, initially wanted to be a novelist and has written a science fiction novel “Apollo Main.” After graduating from UC Berkeley, he began his career in the film industry, working for an agency, production companies and then as a producer in film and television. He has also written and directed more than 30 “Intimate Portraits” for Lifetime Television. “I’m lucky. A lot of people out there, between feature films, turn to other types of work,” Golde said. “I get to write and produce these.” He cites model Christie Brinkley and novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford as his favorites whom he has profiled in the hour-long biographical show. Golde has lived in the Palisades for 11 years. His next project is directing “Haunted Hearts,” which he describes as a dramatic comedy, written by Ted Henning.

Good Stock in “Other People’s Money”

A night at the theater does not always translate to an entertaining escape from present-day realities. Sometimes a play or production evokes, or brings to light, current controversies plaguing our society. This is okay, as long as satire is the main ingredient and the characters are finely portrayed. Thankfully, Theatre Palisades’ production of Jerry Sterner’s “Other People’s Money” covers the necessary bases to make this “black comedy” worth seeing. Directed by Michael Macready and produced by Nikita Bezrukiy and Cindy Dellinger, the show runs through February 8 at Pierson Playhouse. You don’t have to understand stock talk, or the corporate world for that matter, to recognize a bad egg when you see one. In “Other People’s Money,” he comes all suited up, in the arrogant, vulgar form of Lawrence Garfinkle (Steve Larkin), a Wall Street shark whose ego isn’t the only thing that’s bloated. Between donuts, Garfinkle settles on his prey-a Rhode Island company called New England Wire and Cable, run on the traditional values and pride of Andrew Jorgenson (Lance Johnson). Helping Jorgenson manage the company is William Coles (Liam Tuohy), who also acts as the play’s narrator, and Jorgenson’s secretary/companion, Bea Sullivan (Pamela Murphy). Garfinkle, aka “Larry the Liquidator,” intends to buy the company right out from under them, and starts by buying a few shares. When the shareholders become concerned, they bring in Kate Sullivan (Tina Arning)-the sleek and sexy New York attorney who also happens to be Bea’s daughter. Will she be the one who gets Garfinkle to drop his donut…and his interest in the company? “Lawyers are like taxicab drivers stuck in traffic-they don’t do anything and their meters are always ticking,” says Jorgenson, whose shaky relationship with Kate arouses pent-up family conflict. Some of the best scenes are played out between Kate and Garfinkle, who heat up Garfinkle’s swanky New York office with their sexual banter/power trip dynamic. Larkin portrays the ultimate womanizing swindler with unrestrained vulgarity, while Arning captures her character’s sassy, femme fatale attitude to a T-these two have serious chemistry in their roles. The smart, detailed set design-Jorgenson’s office and Garfinkle’s pad each allotted one half of the stage-allows the audience to view the dichotomy between the big shot and the small-town businessman with perception and ease. Garfinkle’s black-and-white-tiled, retro-style office looks out on the city, in perfect opposition to Jorgenson’s wood-paneled, park-ranger-style headquarters, which Garfinkle compares to the Bronx. From the shiny trophies on the file cabinet to the glass jar of gumballs and the painted black and silver walls, the set (by Sherman Wayne) is really a piece of work. More impressive is the interplay between the two offices during scene transitions. For example, after Coles visits Garfinkle regarding the inheritance of New England Wire and Cable, Garfinkle pushes him across the stage and he stumbles into Jorgenson’s office-and literally into the next scene. At another point, Kate tells Jorgy not to go away, and she marches across the stage into Garfinkle’s office. This creative direction-the dismissal of using the door as the only way in and out-enhances the dramatic experience for the audience. Furthermore, the way the characters-particularly Garfinkle-offer commentary during scenes in which they are absent is humorous and engaging. They also speak directly to the audience on several occassions. “All of you, you’re destroying the capitalist system,” Garfinkle tells the audience, after being grilled by Kate. “The first thing the Commies will do is kill all the lawyers.” Matching the sharp delivery of lines is the costume design (by Sherry Coon), especially the way certain colors appear-and stand out-simultaneously in several characters’ outfits. For instance, Garfinkle wears a shiny magenta-colored tie with his black-striped suit while Kate sports a light, lime-green skirt suit with a light pink scarf. Simultaneously, Bea appears in a dull pink sweater. The coordinated costumes thus present an aesthetically pleasing dimension to the interaction between characters and their movement across the stage. With the production staff’s exemplary work, the five actors pull off an entertaining and thought-provoking drama. The show opens with Cabaret’s “Money, Money, Money!” which speaks volumes about the values that too often win out when the lights go down. “Other People’s Money” runs Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Sundays 2 p.m. Tickets are $13 for general admission and $15 on Saturdays; discounts for seniors and students. For reservations, call 454-1970.

Internationally acclaimed guitarist Scott Tennant will join three members of the original Angeles String Quartet, violinist Roger Wilkie, violist Brian Dembow and cellist Steven Erdody in concert on Tuesday, January 20 at 8 p.m. in the sanctuary at St. Matthew’s, 1031 Bienveneda. In addition the world premiere of a work by Los Angeles-based composer Jane Brockman commissioned by Chamber Music Palisades (CMP) will debut. The program includes the Concerto for Guitar and Strings by Vivaldi, the Sonatina op. 205 for Flute and Guitar by Castelnuovo-Tedesco and Dvorak’s Piano Quintet, op. 81 in addition to the new Trio for Flute, Cello and Piano by Brockman. Scott Tennant is one of the world’s most recognized American guitarists. His performances both as a soloist and with the L.A. Guitar Quartet, which he is a founding member, have taken him around the world. He is the author of the best-selling book and video “Pumping Nylon” on guitar technique and is in the process of recording the complete solo guitar works of Joaquin Rodrigo for the Belgian label GHA, including the concertos with Leo Brouwer conducting. Violinist Roger Wilkie’s playing has been described by the Los Angeles Times as having “surpassing virtuosity, a thrilling legato tone and a sense of full emotional engagement.” Concertmaster of the Long Beach Symphony, he has also served in that capacity with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Los Angeles Music Center Opera Orchestra and the Real Philharmonia de Galicia (Spain) under Helmuth Rilling. As a member of the first New York String Quartet, violist Brian Dembow then joined the Sequoia Quartet followed by 12 years with the Angeles String Quartet. At age 11 he was admitted to The Juilliard School and later won the Eduard Dethier Award and was twice awarded the Michael Rabin Award. Stephen Erdody has served as principal cellist for the Pacific Symphony, the Joffrey Ballet, the American Ballet Theater, Dance Theater of Harlem and Opera Pacific and he was cellist with the New York String Quartet. He has formed a new ensemble, Chamber Music Los Angeles, to perform benefit concerts supporting non-profits that enrich children’s lives through the performing arts, particularly disadvantaged children. Composer Jane Brockman has served on the boards of directors of New York’s Composers Concordance, Women in Film, the Society of Composers and Lyricists and also served three years on review panels for the NEA. She was the first woman to earn a doctorate in music composition at the University of Michigan. She studied with Max Deutsch in Paris and worked in Ireland and Vienna. She has won honors and fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, Fulbright-Hays/Alliance-Francaise, Rackham School, the State of Connecticut, Meet the Composer, The Composers Conference and the Sigvald Thompson Prize for orchestral composition. Completing the player roster for the evening will be violinist Sarah Thornblade and CMP co-artistic directors and co-founders flutist Susan Greenberg and pianist Delores Stevens. Now in its seventh consecutive season, Chamber Music Palisades includes local school concerts in each season’s programming and has commissioned five new works since the inception of the series in 1997. Tickets will be available at the door at 1031 Bienveneda Avenue in Pacific Palisades at $20 for single admission. Students with ID will be admitted free of charge.

Andrew von Oeyen, frequent guest performer at St. Matthew’s, will present a solo recital as part of the “Music at St. Matthew’s” series on Friday, January 23, 8 p.m. Von Oeyen, who made his solo orchestral debut at 10 and has performed at St. Matthew’s, both in recital and with the Chamber Orchestra, since age 12, is now 23 and has already established himself as one of the most captivating young pianists of his generation. Von Oeyen has performed with the Seattle and Singapore symphonies as well as the Slovak State Philharmonic and was heard at last year’s Spoleto Festival and more recently at the festival “Piano en Vallois” in Angoulýme, France. He made his debut with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1998. His Pacific Palisades recital will include two of the “Petrarch Sonnets” of Liszt, Bartok’s suite “Out of Doors,” and music of Ravel and Mozart. When planning his programs, Von Oeyen begins the process with a large selection of composers and from there hones the program. “I usually don’t play any one piece that are longer than 70 minutes, but the real decisions come in the final stages of planning and depend on making the right connections with the works.” Von Oeyen, home-based in Manhattan, is concentrating on concertizing and has of late been playing Debussy, Ravel, Liszt and Chopin. He also enjoys modern composers such as Ligeti and Massenet and last season played a world premiere. Although one day he would like to compose, his current enthusiasm is conducting, and he will debut at the Spoleto Festival with Mozart’s Piano Concerto K 491 and Ravel’s “Le Tomba de Couperin”. Von Oeyen grew up in Malibu and graduated from Crossroads School. His father is an architect and his mother is a voice teacher and member of the Los Angeles Master Chorale. After graduating from Juilliard in Manhattan, Von Oeyen embarked on his professional career which finds him playing concerts around the world. He enjoys the experience, he says and has his favorite halls, including Powell Hall in St. Louis. While he has been in the audience while the L.A. Philharmonic played at Disney Hall-which fulfilled his high expectations-he has so far not been a performer. He is looking forward to debuting at Wigmore Hall in London this year. Happy and stimulated by life in New York, Von Oeyen nevertheless carves out time for visits west and even had time for some skiing while home for the holidays. Despite having won some prestigious competitions, including the Irving Gilmore International Keyboard Competition, Von Oeyen has cut down on his participation in such contests. “Competitions have lost some of their meaning because there are so many now,” he says. “Truly the most important career enabling factors are the maestros and the managers. If you can catch their attention, you are more likely to get concerts and to have a flourishing career.” The concert takes place at St. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda Ave. Admission is $20. Tickets will be available at the door the night of the concert (no advance sales or reservations). For further information or a free 2003-2004 season brochure, contact 573-7787, ext. 2.