SHORT TAKES

TELEVISION

• KCET’s primetime program lineup for the month of May includes a number of subject matters. On May 11, 10 to 11 p.m., America at a Crossroads “Stand Up: Muslim American Comics Come of Age” will debut. The show explores the emergence of Muslim and Arab-American comedians in the wake of Sept. 11, demonstrating how they use humor to take on stereotypes about Middle Easterners and terrorism. Airing on May 13, 8 to 9 p.m., NOVA “A Walk to Beautiful” is the story of three Ethiopian women, rejected and ostracized after injuries suffered in childbirth, and their journey to a special hospital in Addis Ababa, where they find solace and hope. On May 15, 7:30 to 8 p.m., Visiting with Huell Howser “Helen’s Wall.” It has been more than 60 years since California artist Helen Lundeberg got a grant for her “History of Transportation” mural. Howser covers the seven-year process of taking the huge 240-plus-foot-long mural down for a complete conservation, restoration and reinstallation. May 17, 9 to 10 p.m., Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? “In Sickness and in Wealth,”is a four-hour series that, for the first time on television, sounds the alarm about glaring socio-economic and racial inequities in health and searches for their causes. May 17, 10 to 11 p.m., Unnatural Causes: Is Equality Making Us Sick? “When the Bough Breaks/Becoming American” illustrates that the African American infant mortality rates remain twice as high as white Americans regardless of education level. Investigators are looking into how the chronic stress of racism throughout a life can become a risk factor embedded in the body. Recent Mexican immigrants, on the other hand, though poorer, tend to be healthier than the average American. But the longer they’re here, the worse their relative health becomes. The question becomes: Is there something about life in America that is harming their health? Information: www.pbs.org/ weta/crossroads/.

DANCE

• The Ledges and Bones Dance Project will unveil three new works, “Ellice,” a piece integrating six women set to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach; “Tracing Echoes,” a solo created for Maria Gillespie with original live music by vocalist/violinist Julie Pusch, and “Sand and Water,” an image-driven work in technical collaboration with lighting designer Johnny Garofolo. It all takes place at “Resurface,” a concert event of dance performances running May 8-11 at the Diavolo Space, 616 Moulton St., Los Angeles. Performances are Thursday through Saturday, 8:30 p.m., and Sunday, 7 p.m. Information: (310) 918-6698 or tickets@ledgesandbones.org.

• The Lula Washington Dance Theatre (LWDT) spotlights its company members, alumni, and friends with “EMERGE/MERGE,” a special showcase to kick off the summer season. The performance will take place May 15-16, 8 p.m., in LWDT’s home studio, 3773 S. Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles. The program, a fundraiser for scholarships for the LWDT Professional Development Summer Dance Intensive, celebrates the company’s commitment to supporting the vitality of dance through generations. All proceeds from this event will support the LWDT Professional Development Summer Intensive, a six-week program that is part of LWDT’s ongoing mission to inspire, train and educate the next generation of dancers. Tickets are $15 presale, $20 at the door. Information: (323) 292-5852 or www.lulawashington. com.

ART

• Works of art ranging from motion graphics and Web design to sculpture and paintings, all created by studio art and design students at California State University, Dominguez Hills, will be featured in the Annual Student Art Exhibition: B.A. Graduates, May 14-21, in the University Art Gallery on campus. The exhibition features the works of 22 art and design majors, the conclusion of four years of their artistic labor. Each artist is represented by several works, which range from multi-media installations to photography, sculptures and paintings. Oil, clay, plaster, film, animation and large scale digital photography are but a few of the materials employed by the artists. Also on display will be preliminary sketches for a large-scale mural project for the Watts Health Center, coordinated by visual arts professor Gilah Yelin Hirsch and her painting students. CSUDH, 1000 E. Victoria St., Carson. LaCorte Hall is on the west side of campus off Toro Center Drive/Tamcliff Street. The University Art Gallery, on the main floor of the university’s LaCorte Hall, is open Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Information: www. csudh.edu.

DVD

• “American Idol: Season 6 Finale Performance Show n The Top 2,” will be available on video, May 13. On May 22, 2007, more than 28 million viewers tuned in for the “American Idol®” finale to watch title contenders Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis. Fans can relive all the magical moments of the final showdown with the brand new two-DVD set. The music-filled DVD includes the entire Season 6 finale performance show, featuring three performances each by Sparks and Lewis, and the guest performance by former Idol and 2007 Grammy-nominee Chris Daughtry. The DVD revisits the announcement of the season six winner, and Sparks’ first official performance as 2007’s American Idol®.The second disc features 40 minutes of bonus material, including two featurettes, an American Idol®audition guide and never-before-seen bloopers. Running time: 90 minutes. Cost: $19.99. Information: www. kochvision.com.

• Bill Duke’s latest directorial effort, “Cover,” (Fox Home Entertainment) is out on DVD, May 13. The murder mystery touches on issues such as adultery, sexually transmitted disease and retribution. Inspired by tragedies among his own friends and family and outraged at the AIDS epidemic among African American women in the United States, Duke, an award-winning director, tackles and confronts subject matter that has been traditionally kept on the “down-low.” The film’s focus is Valerie Maas (Aunjanue Ellis), a devoted, churchgoing wife and mother whose faith is shattered when she discovers that her husband Dutch (Raz Adoti, Haven) is living a secret double life. The cast includes Ellis, Vivica A. Fox, Leon, Adoti, Paula Jai Parker, Academy Award®-winner Louis Gossett Jr., Patti LaBelle and Mya. Price: $26. Information: www.foxhome.com.