What are three just-graduated Chapman University theatre students—Casey Jay Adler, Sean Burgos and Andre Stojka—doing onstage at the Ivy Substation (home of The Actors’ Gang) in Culver City? Kicking butt, that’s what. Under the aegis of the newly-formed Actors Circle Ensemble and the savvy direction of Chapman prof Tamiko Washington, the trio are performing Israel Horovitz’s tragicomic “The Indian Wants the Bronx” and Jim Geoghan’s backstage dramedy “Tom & Jerry.” And if you get down there tonight or Saturday, years from now you can claim you saw ACE’s dynamite debut.

Jason Robards' theatrical affinity with Eugene O’Neill is the stuff of legend (I was lucky enough to see him in “The Iceman Cometh” in L.A.) On film, he was at his career best as the eccentric Uncle Murray in “A Thousand Clowns” (1965), new on DVD in MGM's Limited Edition Collection. Barbara Harris and Martin Balsam (who won an Oscar for his role as Robards’ brother) co-star in this hilarious and heartwarming study of nonconformity, directed by the unjustly forgotten Fred Coe.

Lee Marvin, miscast in the film version of “Iceman” (where was Robards?), played tough guys so convincingly he rarely got a crack at comedy. “The Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday (1976),” also new on DVD from MGM Limited, is a high watermark in lowbrow humor thanks to the casting of Marvin as a has-been frontier scout and Oliver Reed as his wacky half-breed Indian sidekick; Strother Martin is a delight in one of his trademark “prairie scum” roles.

Hot tip: "Nuestra Placita Olvera" is an exhibit depicting historic Olvera Street, as seen through the eyes of five Latina student photographers, aka the non-profit Las Fotos Project. The El Pueblo de Los Angeles exhibit closes June 4.

More from Jordan:

‘Some Like It Hot’ & ‘The Misfits’ -- Monroe’s best on Blu-ray

Celebrating Laurel & Hardy, and a forgotten Jewish comedian

Greenberg’s ‘Rain’ revived by SCR

Last chance:

‘God of Carnage’ at the Ahmanson

Follow me on twitter.

Like a heads up when I post a new article? Just click where it says "Subscribe" at the top. (Not getting the emails? Keep in mind I post about 2-3 times a week). You can also share this article with your facebook/myspace/twitter friends by clicking—here’s where it gets tricky—the appropriate buttons above.