Spacey’s academy will nurture Mideast drama

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates » Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey is hoping to foster dramatic talent in the Middle East with a new theater arts academy.

Spacey, who is artistic director of London’s Old Vic Theater, unveiled plans for the Middle East Theater Academy yesterday in Dubai. It will offer workshops and classes in every aspect of theater from acting to stage design, and will bring Mideastern works to international venues such as Broadway.

Spacey is in the United Arab Emirates to host the Laureus sports awards today in Abu Dhabi.

Beating pneumonia, Zsa Zsa exits hospital

LOS ANGELES » Zsa Zsa Gabor went home to her Bel Air mansion, just in time for her 94th birthday.

City News Service reports the star is recovering from pneumonia and was to be released from the hospital yesterday afternoon. Publicist John Blanchette says Gabor’s husband, Frederic Prinz von Anhalt, is getting her a cake and that the couple will have a few friends over to celebrate.

Gabor had most of her right leg amputated last month because of gangrene. She returned to the hospital last week with a high fever, fluid in her lungs and an infection.

‘Inception,’ ‘Social’ take writing awards

LOS ANGELES » The sci-fi smash "Inception" and the Facebook drama "The Social Network" collected top screenplay honors at the Writers Guild Awards.

"Inception" writer Christopher Nolan won for best original screenplay, and "The Social Network" writer Aaron Sorkin won for best adapted screenplay.

The awards were handed out by the Writers Guild of America in simultaneous ceremonies Saturday night at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles and the AXA Equitable Center in New York.

In the television categories, writers from AMC’s "Mad Men" and ABC’s "Modern Family" won for best drama and comedy series, respectively.

‘Dragon’ wins 10 times after Disney drops out

LOS ANGELES » "How to Train Your Dragon" has swept the animation prizes at the Annie Awards, with the DreamWorks production winning 10 trophies including best picture at a ceremony boycotted by rival Disney.

"Toy Story 3" was nominated for best animated feature at Saturday’s Annies, along with Disney’s "Tangled." But the studio decided not to make any awards push for the Annies in a dispute over voting procedures, which Disney claims are stacked in favor of DreamWorks Animation movies.