As expected, The Jewish Wife and The Informer, two short plays by Bertolt Brecht, have extended a second time -- to Aug. 13 -- at the Lee Strasberg Creative Center in West Hollywood. The plays began performances June 2 and were originally supposed to end July 9. Already by the first extension, to July 30, producers had been mulling a longer life for the production.

Hildy Brooks, who was seen recently in L.A. with her one-woman show When the Rabbi Lied, stars. Jack Betts directs the Brecht plays, which began performances June 2 and were originally scheduled to end July 9.

The Jewish Wife, set in 1934 just before the Nuremberg laws went into effect, concerns a wealthy Jewish woman married to a non-Jewish German doctor. It plumbs the conflict she has within herself about her marriage and her ultimate survival as a Jew.

The Informer reflects the fear and paranoia a Lutheran professor and his wife feel when they suspect that their son, a member of the Hitler Youth, is spying on them.

Jim Antonio plays the husbands. He was a regular on the NBC series "Sweet Justice" and has recently guested on "Chicago Hope." Others in the cast include Anna Lerbom and Peter Denlo (who recently took over for Claus Pedersen, who went back to Denmark). The Lee Strasberg Creative Center is located at 7936 Santa Monica Blvd. For tickets and information call (323) 650-7777.

-- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent
and David Lefkowitz