Catechism

First Thursdays readies anniversary The city's monthly art festival, First Thursdays Art Walk, will celebrate its seventh year next week. On the first Thursday of every month, more than 37 galleries and the Laguna Art Museum participates in the open showing. Galleries throughout Laguna Beach open their doors to the public with new exhibits, artist receptions, demonstrations and lectures. The Art Walk is from 6 to 9 p.m. with free shuttles starting at 6:15 p.m. For information, call (949)

TOM TITUS A season composed entirely of premieres -- one U.S. premiere, four West Coasts and one each Southern California and Orange County -- will comprise the 2005-06 season at the Laguna Playhouse, the theater's 85th consecutive season of theatrical activity. The just-announced season -- with a definite emphasis on comedy -- also will include the long-running "Late Nite Catechism" most Monday nights, with a special presentation of "Sister's Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi's Gold" opening for a month-long engagement in late November.

It's become rather obvious, over the last few years, that when you visit the Laguna Playhouse, you'll more than likely be seeing a show for the very first time. Next season, the playhouse will underscore that assumption with three world premieres — the most ever offered by the Laguna theater in a single season. Two of these premieres have been commissioned by the playhouse itself in its 87th year of continuous operation. Summer is the time for fun, and kicking off the 2007-08 campaign will be the Orange County premiere of Jeanie Linders' "Menopause: the Musical" July 10 to Sept.

FOA celebrates life on the coast The Festival of Arts is celebrating surfing and living on the California Coast with "Surf's Up," from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. The event will highlight surfboards, beachwear and popular surfing tunes. "Surfs Up" celebrates the history of surfing, as well as the lifestyle of Southern California coastal residents. Tide pool and marine life programs, along with a hands-on exhibit of live coastal creatures, will be displayed.

Sawdust wins top honors Just in time for the end of the season, the Sawdust Art Festival has been honored as one of the top three festivals in the country by "AmericanStyle" magazine readers, and was voted the best art festival in the West. The national magazine focuses on the studio art and visual arts lifestyle. This was the first year the magazine conducted the readers poll to choose the top 25 art fairs and festivals. The 45-year-old Ann Arbor Street Art Fair won first and Houston's Bayou City Art Festival was second.

Gregory Manchess exhibit opens Laguna College of Art and Design is now showing "A Passion For Paint -- Gallery and Illustration work of Gregory Manchess Exhibition." This free art exhibition features Manchess' original oils. "A Passion For Paint" opened Thursday and runs through Oct. 9 at the gallery on the campus of Laguna College of Art and Design, 2222 Laguna Canyon Road. The public is welcome, and parking is free. For information, call (949)

There are brand-new plays and there are plays that might as well be brand-new, since they'll be new to theatergoers in attendance. The Laguna Playhouse will offer several examples in both categories next season. For its 86th year of continuous operation, the playhouse will thrust its spotlight on two world premieres it commissioned, two West Coast premieres, one Southern California premiere, an Orange County premiere and the American premiere of a play judged Israel's best of 2003.

Send DATEBOOK items to the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot, P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA 92652; fax to 494-8979; call 494-4321 or e-mail o7coastlinepilotlatimes.comf7o7. f7Submissions must be received two weeks before publication. TODAY ROCK BAND The Marine Room presents Liquid Courage (also on Saturday), performing from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at 214 Ocean Ave. Information, (949) 494-3027. A TASTE OF WINE Wine tasting takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. every Friday at Len's Wine Cite at 303 Broadway in Broadway Plaza.