New York City aptly hosts its theatrical Kids Week in the midst of midwinter blahs, when a play or musical could really lighten the gloom. Los Angeles, on the other hand, hosts its Kids Week in the bright sunniness of spring, from Cinco de Mayo (May 5) through Mother's Day (May 13).

Among the offerings in 2001 are free workshops, open rehearsals and free, two-for-one or discounted theatre. The Ahmanson's pre-Broadway run of 3hree, Pasadena Playhouse's production of Warren Leight's Side Man, Sacred Fools' Grimm!, A Noise Within's The Comedy of Errors, Hay Fever and Life is a Dream, Santa Monica Playhouse's musical Beauty and the Beast, International City Theatre's A View from the Bridge and Theatre West's revival of The Threepenny Opera are just some of 2001 Kids Week participants offering discounts. Other companies on the roster include Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, ComedySportz, El Portal Center for the Arts, Long Beach Playhouse, Music Theatre of Southern California, Naked Angels, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and Victory Theatre.

Like Kids Week in New York, the Los Angeles Kids Week seeks both to increase awareness in theatre as a form of family entertainment and to make it more affordable at the same time. Los Angeles also stresses free theatre workshops with Circle X, Geffen Playhouse and the Groundlings, backstage tours of the Music Center of Los Angeles and open rehearsals of Raisin in the Sun, Bitter Homes and Gardens and American Iliad.

For more information on Kids Week in Los Angeles, call (310) 281-1910. Kids Week is on the web at http://www.kidsweek.org.

— By Christine Ehren