FIRST OFF . . .

“It’s like a Frank Capra movie,” said stage producer George LaPorte after receiving a $26,000 donation to keep his child’s comic book version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” open at the Westwood Playhouse. An article in The Times last week on the October financial crises facing many L.A. theater productions triggered the donation from actress Karen Grassle, who played Michael Landon’s wife on “Little House on the Prairie.” The actress, who had no connection to the show, gave LaPorte and co-producer Kate Axelrod the $26,000 they needed to post a bond with Actors Equity to keep the 30-member cast working. KCBS-TV (Channel 2) Entertainment Critic Gary Franklin also boosted the play’s advance ticket sales with an on-air plea for support.