Alfre Woodard

While I am sympathetic with Alfre Woodard's viewpoints and passion ["Most Celebrity Activists Are Informed, Articulate," Nov. 22], she unfortunately spends most of her message ignoring the real complaint with the Hollywood elite. We all should agree as Americans that everyone has a right to support their own ideals and candidates. Where she strays from the problem is in how their message is sent. When President Bush is attacked in such a mean-spirited manner with such language as "evil" and "Nazi" and "liar" and worse, it alienates them and their message from much of the country.

Page Kennedy, who plays a fugitive from the law on "Desperate Housewives," was fired from the hit ABC drama for improper conduct, a series spokeswoman said Tuesday. Kennedy, who joined the show this season, was let go Friday after a "thorough investigation by the studio" of the allegations, publicist Janet Daily said. "Desperate Housewives" is produced by Touchstone Television, part of the Walt Disney Co.

To commemorate the second anniversary of democratic elections in South Africa, a local relief organization and a group of entertainment industry professionals packed a 10-ton container in Wilmington full of medical supplies Thursday that will be shipped to the Province of the Eastern Cape. Artists for a New South Africa, founded by actors Alfre Woodard and C.C.H.

Radio station KKBT-FM (92.3 The Beat) will host "Universal Woman '97--A Celebration of Diversity," a two-day lifestyle expo for women, Saturday and Sunday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Scheduled keynote speakers include former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jocelyn Elders, entertainment executive Suzanne de Passe, Emmy-winning actress Alfre Woodard, civil rights activist Angela Davis and best-selling author Marianne Williamson.

Re "Iranian official demands apology from visiting Hollywood group," March 2 Iran's protest of a visit from Hollywood producers and actors and its distress over the film "300," which depicts the battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, should call our attention to Herodotus, the Greek chronicler of the Persian Wars. Herodotus wrote that he studied history "so that human achievements may not be forgotten in time, and great and marvelous deeds -- some displayed by Greeks, some by barbarians -- may not be without their glory; and especially to show why two peoples fought each other."

Alfre Woodard, Peter MacNicol and David Ogden Stiers will be among celebrity actors doing voice performances in the L.A. Philharmonic's gala performance of Mendelssohn's music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream," on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Music director Esa-Pekka Salonen will conduct the performance, which marks the start of the orchestra's 81st season. Soloists for the evening are soprano Laura Claycomb and mezzo-soprano Megan Day-Toth.

About 500 people converged on a small park in the Crenshaw District on Saturday to denounce the South African government's apartheid system.