“Break of Noon,” playing at the Geffen Playhouse until March 6, opens with a gunshot, as John Smith shouts “Bang!” Played with on-and-off intensity by Kevin Anderson, John verbally replays the shooting that just happened at his office building.

It’s a Friday evening at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts in La Mirada, Calif.

“I have abdicated the throne of my own being,” an aging, beautiful queen mourns, her agony portrayed in high definition on the screen.

Smiles abound as theatergoers leave the Saturday showing of “Love, Loss, and What I Wore,” playing at the Geffen Playhouse through July 4.

Genie Cartier starts her workout with a handstand on a chair.