Sat Best Bets: 8/29

2pm: Staged Reading

Jennifer Paz, of “Miss Saigon” fame, heads the cast in a staged reading of “Fabric,” a new play by Henry Ong based on the true story of Thai garment workers enslaved here in the Southland.

* “Fabric,” Mark Taper Auditorium, Central Library, 5th and Flower streets. Free. (323) 664-1674.

3 & 7:30 pm: Centennial

Preston Sturges Centennial Birthday Celebration: The Writers Guild honors one of its own--Preston Sturges--the late, great comedy writer and director who would have turned 100 today. Kenneth Bowser’s 1990 documentary, “Preston Sturges: The Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer,” will screen at 3 p.m. and be followed by a panel discussion with writers Ron Shelton, Hal Kanter, Phil Alden Robinson, Leslie Dixon, Todd McCarthy and Tom Schulman (schedules permitting). At 7:30 p.m., “Hail the Conquering Hero” and “If I Were King” will screen as part of the Preston Sturges Film Retrospective.

* Preston Sturges Centennial Birthday Celebration, LACMA, Bing Theater, 5905 Wilshire Blvd. 3 p.m. $4-$6. Preston Sturges Film Retrospective, same location. 7:30 p.m. $4-$6. (323) 857-6010.

8pm: Theater

The West Coast premiere of Ed Simpson’s comedy “Elephant Sighs” marks Theatre/Theater’s return to production after its move to new quarters. The play explores loss, loneliness and the healing power of male friendship.

* “Elephant Sighs,” Theatre/Theater, Pacific Theaters Hollywood Building, 6425 Hollywood Blvd., 4th floor. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends Oct. 4. $15. (323) 871-9433.

7:30pm: Jazz

Duke Ellington’s scores for Hollywood films have long been underrated and overlooked. The Louie Bellson big band and the duo of trumpeter Jack Sheldon and pianist Ross Tompkins pay tribute to Ellington’s music for “Paris Blues,” “Anatomy of a Murder” and “Assault on a Queen” during “Jazz Goes to the Movies II.” Film clips will also be shown.

* Jazz Goes to the Movies II, John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E., Hollywood. $15, $20. (323) 461-3673.

2pm: Culture

Share an afternoon with director-writer Garry Marshall in Spotlight, a series about the local and national theater scene, hosted at the Skirball Cultural Center by arts writer Barbara Isenberg. Although better known as the director of “Pretty Woman” and the creator of “Laverne & Shirley,” Marshall has had a lifelong passion for theater. He recently opened Burbank’s Falcon Theater and co-wrote and directed the play “Wrong Turn at Lungfish.” His new film, “The Other Sister,” is due later this year.

* Spotlight Series presents Garry Marshall, Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. (off the 405 Freeway, exit Skirball Center Drive). $12 general, $10 members, $6 students. (213) 660-TKTS for tickets; (310) 440-4500 for information.

4:30pm: Benefit

The Art Deco Society presents its third annual “A 1920s Soiree” at the 1928 Oviatt Building. The event is a fund-raiser for the organization and will include a private tour of the Oviatt penthouse, a cocktail reception and entertainment. Vintage attire is encouraged. The Art Deco Society is a nonprofit preservation organization dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of Art Deco.

* “A 1920s Soiree,” 4:30-7 p.m. Oviatt Building, 617 S. Olive St., downtown Los Angeles. $50 per person or $90 per couple. Members $35 per person. (310) 659-3326.

FREEBIE: Artists of the Future Competition winners sing opera, California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., downtown, 8 p.m. (213) 485-2437.