The New Caesar of City Hall Might Not See Things in Such a Comic Light

Shakespeare Festival/L.A., which staged “Julius Caesar” a couple of summers ago at City Hall, has a new production starting Thursday evening at Pershing Square. Come to think of it, this play also would seem more suited for City Hall. It’s “The Comedy of Errors.”

It does matter: Roger Beerworth of West L.A. wonders whether a fortune teller’s sign pertained “to psychics or physics” (see photo).

More down to earth: Tina Deaton wondered whether anyone unearthed a “gem” at one sale she read about (see accompanying).

Such a deal: Marie Hodgson of L.A. sent along some questionable evidence of the benefits of managed health care (see accompanying).

Stupid Driver Tricks: “I followed a man in a red convertible Mustang on the 210 Freeway for about eight miles,” says Holly McKnight of Brea. “The entire time he was shaving his head with an electric razor. He appeared to be alone. When the traffic got heavy, he cut across the solid lines into the carpool lane and took off--still shaving his head.”

No doubt this head case has had a few close shaves with other drivers, too.

Unclear on the concept: “My husband works in Howard Hughes Center (near the airport), and his paycheck comes payable to David Parkhurst, Howard Hughes Center, etc.,” writes Maggie Parkhurst of Glendale.

“His bank called and told him they were unable to deposit his check because only one of the two payees had endorsed it. Whose signature did they still need? Mr. Howard Hughes Center’s, of course.”

Like his namesake, I imagine Howard Hughes Center is a tough fellow to find.

San Gabriel Valley movie milestones: In “The Ratings Game” (1984), TV producer Danny DeVito is telling a young woman about himself while they walk on the Santa Monica Pier. “You ever heard of Palisades Park in New Jersey?” he asks.

“No,” she answers, “I’m from West Covina.”

Tough policy to swallow? The cafe at Borders Books in Long Beach is such a popular gathering spot for the younger crowd that the store has unveiled a stringent nighttime “Cafe Study Policy.” Customers may sit for an hour Monday through Thursday, the notice says. But, as for Friday, Saturday and Sunday: “No studying allowed.”

My memory isn’t as good as it used to be, but I can’t remember any kids I went to school with ever studying on a Friday night.

miscelLAny: James Hahn has ended a century-long drought in L.A. politics--merely because his birthplace was the City of Angels. The last L.A.-born mayor was Fred Eaton, who served from 1898-1900. We’ve had a long run of out-of-staters since then, including Richard Riordan (born in New York), Tom Bradley (Texas), Sam Yorty (Nebraska) and Norris Poulson (Oregon).

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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LA-TIMES, Ext. 77083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., 90012 and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.