Appreciation: Tom Stoppard reinvigorated the comedy of ideas

The latest in entertainment from the Los Angeles Times  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­   ADVERTISEMENT December 1, 2025 | View in browser Entertainment Appreciation: Tom Stoppard reinvigorated the comedy of ideas An appreciation of British playwright Tom Stoppard, the true 20th century heir to Oscar Wilde, who is known for such plays as "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead," "Travesties," "The Real Thing" and the trilogy "The Coast of Utopia" Read More ADVERTISEMENT 'Zootopia 2' hops to the top of the box office this Thanksgiving weekend Disney's animated sequel "Zootopia 2" drove massive box office returns during a big holiday weekend for family films. Read More Commentary: Short, beautiful Southern California reads for our doomscrolling times Many people don't want to read for fun when trying to wade through the sewer of information online. But try these great books about Southern California. Read More ADVERTISEMENT At 24, he gets to play a 284-year-old violin. See the extraordinary pairing at a free L.A. concert At 24, Ray Ushikubo gets the rare honor of playing the Playfair violin made by one of the greatest violin makers of all time, Guarneri "del Gesù," in 1741. Read More Key comedy advice from KevOnStage: Don't just be funny, be 'unavoidable' The self-made comedy renaissance man used sketch comedy as a vehicle to find success on BET, social media, books and touring. He talks about his strategy to stay consistent with content and find the best people to work with. Read More Keep up with California Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe Now 9 essential plays by Tom Stoppard Starting with "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" in 1966, through his final full-length play "Leopoldstadt" in 2020, playwright Tom Stoppard crafted a body of work that would be the envy of most countries, let alone one writer. Read More The 'Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show' promises to be a safe space for all traumatized by Christmas Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme bring their "Holiday Show" to the Dolby Theatre on Dec. 14, creating a comedic safe space for queer communities through drag. Read More 50 Cent's long-awaited Sean 'Diddy' Combs docuseries finally has a Netflix release date "Sean Combs: The Reckoning," a four-part docuseries executive produced by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson about the disgraced rapper and mogul, will hit Netflix in December. Read More ADVERTISEMENT Thank you for reading Entertainment Digest from the Los Angeles Times Sign up for more L.A. Times newsletters. Sign Up You received this email because you opted to receive email communications from L.A. Times. Unsubscribe | Manage marketing email preferences | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell My Personal Information | CA Notice of Collection Advertisers have no control over editorial decisions or content. Place an ad or classified. Copyright © 2025, Los Angeles Times 2300 E. Imperial Highway, El Segundo, CA 9‌0245 1-800-LA-TIMES latimes.com