7 & 9 pm: Theater

“Word Up! Festival of Asian American Performance,” presented by the Mark Taper Forum’s Asian Theatre Workshop and East West Players, spotlights works by Alec Mapa, Amy Hill, Paula Weston Solano, Dan Kwong, Dennis Dun, Alice Tuan, Eric Steinberg and James Sie.

* “Word Up! Festival of Asian American Performance,” East West Players, David Henry Hwang Theater, Union Center for the Arts, 120 N. Judge Aiso St., Little Tokyo. “Giant Oranges” by Dennis Dun: Thursdays-Fridays, 7 p.m. “Nobody Moves, Nobody Gets Hurt” by Eric Steinberg: Thursdays, 9 p.m. “Pointless” by Alec Mapa: this Friday only, 9 p.m. “Appearances” by Paula Weston Solano: Saturdays-Sundays, 1 p.m. “Talking With My Hands” by James Sie: Saturdays-Sundays, 3 p.m. “Deadwood to Hollywood” by Amy Hill: Saturdays-Sundays, 5 p.m. “Smash Hits and Pop Flies” by Dan Kwong: Saturdays-Sundays, 7 p.m. “New Culture for a New Country” by Alice Tuan: Saturdays-Sundays, 9 p.m. Ends July 18. $10; festival pass, $30. (213) 625-7000.

8:30 pm: Music

The Hollywood Bowl may have a new emphasis this season on jazz and world music, but the landmark is still the summer home for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Adam Fischer conducts the orchestra in a program of Mozart including the Symphonies Nos. 25 and 40. Soloist is Lithuanian musician Julian Rachlin, who plays the Violin Concerto No. 3.

* The L.A. Philharmonic, Mozart program at the Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., 8:30 p.m. $1 to $83. (323) 850-2000.

7:30 pm: Theater

An egomaniacal director, an industrious starlet, a bumbling camera crew, troublesome over-the-hill actors and a star-struck young Midwesterner--”Merton of the Movies” is George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly’s comic Valentine to the silent film era.

* “Merton of the Movies,” Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave., Westwood. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 4 and 8:30 p.m.; Sundays, 2 and 7 p.m. Also July 21, 2 p.m. Ends Aug. 1. $30 to $40; July 21 matinee mezzanine seats, $25. (310) 208-5454, (213) 365-3500.

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FREEBIE: South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela plays the Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, 7:30 p.m. (310) 458-8900.