Robin Stears

 Title: It's my job man not my life.

I agree, not every title is a gem, but 2020 is almost over and I am worn out. Robin's debut at the LAT was this 2009 FRIDAY which is worth visiting because it tells us about Robin, and also shows the joy of a C.C. write-up which led to her being a preeminent constructor. Today's effort is substantially easier, with a wordplay gimmick that makes sense once you see it. After a brief struggle, the always helpful 17A filled and I was off to the races. There were some unknowns but the perps were all fair and the longer non-theme fill helped getting the solve. ARRANGE, AVONLEA, ENLARGE, IVORIES, MIDEAST, YIELDED, BROWN BAG, and COOLANTS. We end up with 5 fill in the theme symmectrically placed. 

First the themers, then the rest. 

17A. Organizer of a party for a mom-to-be?: SHOWER HEAD(10). The mandatory baby shower which is not just females any more in our new realities.

25A. Class clown at the prom?: DANCE CARD(9). If you call someone a card, it means they’re funny or quick-witted. This is discussed on a radio show.

34A. Musicians at a formal gala?: BALL PLAYERS(11). A CSO to our own Trombone master JzB. 

49A. The most amazing party guests ever?: DO WONDERS(9). Sussing this one was the most difficult. First you have to relate to throwing a  DO, meaning a party. The dictionary says this is a mostly British definition of a social event such as a party. The WONDER as a noun, oh my he is a Wonder!

58A. Radio hobbyists at a park outing?: PICNIC HAMS(10). This is very cute. 

Across:

1. HBO political satire until 2019: VEEP. The show that won Julia Louis-Dreyfus more Emmys.

5. Low areas: DALES. A CSO to dear Lucina.

10. __-deucey: ACEY. A card game I have not played in years which I have seen in rare visits to the casinos.

14. Limo bar: AXLE. I never get tired of a good misdirection.

15. Light __: Offenbach music genre: OPERA. This is a short, amusing musical play; an operetta. This is OFFENBACH. 

16. Love of "The Real": LONI. I knew nothing of this comedian, her show or the CONTROVERSY.

19. __ vault: POLE. What else would you call it?

20. Tree goo: SAP. Goo?

21. Collar: NAIL. Think police and a perpetrator.

22. Judaism : kosher :: Islam : __: HALAL.

23. Inuit relative: ALEUT. The same but DIFFERENT.

28. Depot worker: REDCAP. A train depot, as these are baggage handlers at the train station.

30. Orchestrate: ARRANGE. One could think about arranging as a type of musical composition, requiring the same skills and talents required of all composers. Orchestration is the art and craft of arranging a musical composition for performance by an orchestra or other ensemble. According to New Music Box.

31. "Kung Fu Panda" voice actress Lucy: LIU.

32. Health haven: SPA.

33. Dude who time-travels with Bill: TED. And they have excellent adventures.

38. Damage: MAR.

40. Sauce in a tiny packet: SOY.

41. Ergonomic kitchenware brand: OXO.

42. Keys for a music room?: IVORIES.

45. Words of emphasis: NO LESS.

52. Car company that owns SolarCity: TESLA.

53. Blah feeling: ENNUI.

54. German automaker: AUDI.

56. Prefix with gender: CIS. Another modern word added- cisgender.

57. Mass robes: ALBS.

61. Political goal: SEAT.

62. Field of conflict: ARENA.

63. Weapon with two accents: ÉPÉE. Both of which are French.

64. States' plates: TAGS.

65. She played Julia in "Julie & Julia": MERYL.

66. Major muddle: MESS.

Down:

1. Poughkeepsie campus: VASSAR. A famous once female only school, now COED.

2. Yoga class directive: EXHALE.

3. Got together quietly?: ELOPED.

4. Place to pray: PEW.

5. Bilingual toon explorer: DORA.

6. Rose pest: APHID.

7. "Futurama" woman with one eye and purple hair: LEELA. I could hear Katey Sagal's voice but my brain only got me as far as Leeza which I knew was wrong.

8. Detergent brand: ERA.

9. Pathetic: SAD.

10. Source of silky wool: ALPACA.

11. Radiator fillers: COOLANTS.

12. Blow up: ENLARGE.

13. Produced: YIELDED.

18. Necessitate: ENTAIL.

22. Part of HRH: HER.

24. Bruins' sch.: UCLA.

26. Valley with a Wine Train: NAPA.

27. Handout with a kids' menu: CRAYON.

29. Throbbed: PULSED.

32. Subtle: SLY.

34. There might be a lunch in it for you: BROWN BAG.

35. Prepare for a selfie: POSE.

36. Definitely not from around here: EXOTIC.

37. IMDb listing: ROLE.

38. Region spanning three continents: MIDEAST.

39. "Anne of Green Gables" setting: AVONLEA.

43. De-bunks?: ROUSTS.

44. "Here Comes the Hotstepper" singer __ Kamoze: INI.

46. Get away from it all: ESCAPE.

47. Coats with goo: SLIMES.

48. Gets lippy with: SASSES.

50. Danica Patrick, for one: RACER.

51. Fair: SUNNY.

55. Remote precursor: DIAL.

58. Cooking spray: PAM.

59. Fury: IRE.

60. Blind stitch: HEM.