FRIDAY, MAY 19 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Edward Holbrock, Prof. of Law on “Estate Planning” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $13.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. 526-2925 or 665-9020.  

“A Quarter-Century of Preserving Oakland’s History” Fundraiser for Oakland Heritage Alliance at 6 p.m. at the historic Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St. at Lake Merritt, Oakland. TIckets are $40-$50. 763-9218. info@oaklandheritage.org 

Conscientious Projector: “The Take” A documentary on the worker takeover of Argentina’s factories at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalist Hall, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita. Donation $10. 528-5403. 

International House Garage Sale For Charity for Darfur and Red Cross Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 2299 Piedmont Ave. To volunteer email garagesaleforcharity@gmail.com 

Bay Area Classical Harmonies Benefit Dinner and Concert at 7:30 p.m. at Pro Arts Gallery in Oakland. Tickets are $60-$100. 290-3604. www.bayareabach.org  

Impeachment Banner Fridays at 6:45 to 8 a.m. on the Berkeley Pedestrian bridge between Seabreeze Market and the Berkeley Aquatic Park, ongoing on Friday until impeachment is realized. www. Impeachbush-cheney.com 

“Organizing Your Life as a Spiritual Practice” with Eve Abbott at 7:30 p.m. at Unity of Berkeley, 2075 Eunice St. Cost is $15-$25, registration required. 528-8844.  

Berkeley Chess School classes for students in grades 1-8 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. A drop-in, rated scholastic tournament follows from 7 to 8 p.m. at 1581 LeRoy Ave., Room 17. 843-0150. 

Berkeley Chess Club meets Fridays at 8 p.m. at the East Bay Chess Club, 1940 Virginia St. 845-1041. 

Women in Black Vigil, from noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. wibberkeley@yahoo.com 548-6310, 845-1143. 

SATURDAY, MAY 20 

Himalayan Fair from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Live Oak Park, 1300 Shattuck Ave. at Berryman. Cost is $8, benefits grassroots humanitarian projects in the Himalayas. 869-3995. www.himalyanfair.org 

Kid’s Garden Club for ages 7-12 to explore the world of gardening, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8, registration required. 636-1684. 

California Wildflower Show from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sun. from noon to 5 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. Cost is $5-$8. www.museumca.org 

Botanical Illustration Workshop with Catherine Watters using fresh wildflowers from the Museum’s California Wildflower Show, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. For reservations call 238-3884. 

Basic Organic Vegetable Gardening Learn how to grow your own food, taught by Herman Yee, an avid gardener who has worked in many community garden projects in the East Bay. Bring sunscreen, hat, and sun protection if needed. Class will be held in Albany, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pre-registration required. Cost is $15-$10. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

West Stege Marsh Restoration Volunteers are needed to assist with the on-going effort to restore a portion of West Stege marsh, its surrounding uplands, and adjacent grassland, on the UC’s Richmond Field Station from 9 a.m. to noon. 665-3689.  

Free Box Vigil and Free Market at 1 p.m. at People’s Park. 

Berkeley Progressives Platform Convention at 2 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Hall, Cedar and Bonita. www.berkeleyprogressivealliance.org 

Berkeley Alliance of Neighborhood Associations meets at 9:15 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Sproul Conference Room, 1st Floor, 2727 College Ave. www.berkeleycna.com 

Berkeley History Center Walking Tour: “The Sisterna Tract in West Berkeley: A Small Chilean Ranch Transformed” led by Stephanie Manning, from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0181.  

Walking Tour of Old Oakland uptown to the Lake to discover Art Deco landmarks. Meet at 10 a.m. in front of the Paramount Theater at 2025 Broadway. Tour lasts 90 minutes. For reservations call 238-3234. 

“Designing for a Vertical Garden” with Gail Yelland at 10 a.m. at Magic Gardens Landscape Nursery, 729 Heinz Ave. 644-2351. 

Chef Demonstration with Jessica Prentice, author of “Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection” at 11 a.m. at the Farmer’s Market, Center St. at MLK, Jr. Way. 548-3333.  

Emergency Preparedness Class on Fire Supression from 9 a.m. to noon at the Berkeley Marina, 201 University Ave. Free, registration required. 981-5506. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/fire/oes 

Latino College Day for Chicanos and Latinos in the East Bay Area. Information on admissions, financial aid, scholarships and special programs, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Laney College, 900 Fallon St., Oakland. 464-3161. 

Foster Youth Alliance Walkathon & Resource Fair in support of youth transitioning from foster care. Registration begins 9 a.m., Walk begins 10 a.m.; Resource Fair open until 1:30 pm. at the Lake Merritt Band Stand Area near Fairyland, Oakland. Walkathon fee is $35, $15 for children and seniors, free for current and former foster youth up to age 24. 428-9821. www.fosteryouthalliance.org  

The West County Coalition to Inform Voters Democratic Candidates Forum from 1 to 5 p.m. at John and Jean Knox Center for the Performing Arts, Contra Costa College, 2600 Mission Bell Drive, San Pablo. 233-2786, 215-5780.  

California Writers Club meets to discuss “Surprise Characters: Animators or Antagonists?” at 10 a.m. at Barnes and Noble, Jack London Square. 272-0120. 

Satsuki Arts Festival & Bazaar with San Jose Taiko, other performers, a variety of Japanese food, Asian arts and crafts, a silent auction and carnival games. From 4 to 9 p.m. , and noon to 7 p.m. on Sun. at Berkeley Buddhist Temple, 2121 Channing Way. Free. 841-1356. 

Safe Medicine Disposal Day Don’t flush or trash medicine! Bring medicines to Walgreens, 5055 Telegraph, Oakland, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for safe disposal. www.baywise.org  

Lead-Safety for Remodeling, repair and painting of older homes. A HUD & EPA approved class held in Oakland from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To register, call Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at 567-8280. www.ACLPPP.org 

Pre-School Storytime for 3-5 year olds at 11 a.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., through June 22. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

SUNDAY, MAY 21 

Himalayan Fair from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Live Oak Park, 1300 Shattuck Ave. at Berryman. Cost is $8, benefits grassroots humanitarian projects in the Himalayas. 869-3995.  

Celebration of Old Roses with heritage, hard-to-find, miniature, and modern roses from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the El Cerrito Community Center, on Loeser at Ashbury. Free.  

Community Labyrinth Peace Walk at 3 p.m., Willard Middle School, Telegraph Ave. between Derby and Stuart. Everyone welcome. Wheelchair accessible. Rain cancels. 526-7377.  

Teens Touch the Earth Community Service from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Damon Marsh, Martin Luther King, Jr. Shoreline. Help remove invasive plants and shoreline debris while learning about protecting watersheds, wildlife and native plants. For ages 12-19. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Unselt Lecture on “Urban Bee Gardening” with Dr. Gordon Frankie of the College of Natural Resources, UCB, at 10 a.m. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Free, but registration required. 643-2755. 

“Plentiful Poppies” Wildflower discovery day for children and their families from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. Cost is $5-$8. www.museumca.org 

“Shake it, Don’t Break It” A family earthquake program from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. Cost is $5-$8. www.museumca.org 

Bug Patrol for ages 6 to 12 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. to hunt for local creepy crawlies around the Tilden Nature Center. Fee is $3. 525-2233. 

California Wildflower Show from noon to 5 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. Cost is $5-$8. www.museumca.org 

Botanical Illustration Demonstration with Catherine Watters using fresh wildflowers from the Museum’s California Wildflower Show, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. www.museumca.org 

Victorian Preservation Center of Oakland invites the public to view the ongoing preservation projects at the Cohen-Bray House, built in 1884, from noon to 4 p.m. at 1440 29th Ave., Oakland. Donation of $10 requested. www.cohen-brayhouse.info 

Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley 's “La Place du Marché” French marketplace from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1009 Heinz Ave. www.eb.org 

Berkeley CyberSalon “Is the Future of Music Now?” with Gerd Leonhard, author of “The Future of Music”; Tom Conrad, CTO of Pandora; Ann Greenberg, cofounder of ION; Brian Zisk, founder and board member of the Future of Music Coalition; and Amy Tobin, singer, composer, and multimedia show producer, at 5 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $15. 

Salem Salutes Recognition Banquet honoring the 2006 recipient of the Milton Moore Award, Joan Roberts, at 5 p.m. at Scott’s Seafood Restaurant at Jack London Square, 2 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $100 for dinner and entertainment. 434-2828. 

Young People’s Symphony Orchestra Auditions from 2 to 6 p.m. Rehearsals are every Mon. eve. in Berkeley. For audition time please call 849-9776.  

Hands-on Bike Clinic Learn how to fix a flat at 10 a.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Bring your bike and tools. Free. 527-4140. 

KIDsational Fashion Benefit for Music in the Community at 5 p.m. at Black Repertory Group, 3201 Adeline St. Tickets are $15-$20. 652-2120. 

Meet the Guinea Pigs Learn all about guinea pigs and how enjoyable they can be as companion animals for every family member, from 2 to 4 p.m. at RabbitEARS, 303 Arlington Ave., behind ACE Hardware, Kensington. 525-6155. 

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

Tibetan Buddhism with Lama Palzang and Pema Gellek on “The Healing Mantras” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812.  

MONDAY, MAY 22 

Free Bone Density Testing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Cancer Prevention and Survival Cooking Course meets for four Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at Keller Williams, 4341 Piedmont Ave., 2nd Floor, Oakland. Free. Sponsored by the Cancer Project. To register call 531-2665. 

Kensington Library Book Club meets at 7 p.m. to discuss Ernest Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” at 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043. 

Soroptimists International of Oakland Tea and Fashion Show at 5:30 p.m. at Zazoo's Restaurant, 15 Embarcadero West, Oakland. Benefit for the Charlotte Maxwell Complementary Clinic, assisting women in recovery from cancer. Donation $25. 444-2386. 

World Affairs/Politics Discussion Group for people 60+ years old meets Mon. at 10:15 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave, through June 19th. Cost is $2.50. 524-9122. 

Breathexperience?Classes “Oh, My Aching Back!” 12-1 p.m, $10; “Restoring Viitality” 5:30-6:45 p.m. $10; “The Experience of Breath” 7-8:15 p.m.$12, at MIBE, 830 Bancroft Way, #104. 981-1710. 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. Join us to work on current issues around police misconduct. Volunteers needed. For information call 548-0425. 

TUESDAY, MAY 23 

“Hiking the America Discovery Trail” with Ken and Marcia Powers who have walked more than 13,000 trail miles through 30 state, at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Free. 527-4140. 

Aging & Health Care with Judith Steinberg Turiel on “Our Parents, Ourselves: How American Health Care Imperils Middle Age and Beyond” at 7 p.m. at the El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave. El Cerrito. 526-7512.  

Berkeley High School Site Council meets at 4:30 p.m. in Conference Room B. 525-0124. 

Classroom Safari meet real wild animals at 6:30 p.m. at the Kensington Branch Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Free, all ages welcome. 524-3043. 

Embracing Diversity Films “Out of the Shadow” a documentary of a woman with paranoid schizophrenia, at 7 p.m. at Albany High School Library, 603 Key Route Blvd. Enter through gym doors on Thousand Oaks Blvd. Suitable for children over 12. Free. Discussion follows 527-1328. 

Berkeley PC Users Group Problem solving and beginners meeting to answer, in simple English, users questions about Windows computers. At 7 p.m. at 1145 Walnut St. corner of Eunice. 527-2177. 

Being in the World: Transforming Our Relationships with “Opponents” and “Enemies” with Donald Rothberg at 7:30 p.m. Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, 2304 McKinley. 527-2935.  

Raging Grannies of the East Bay invites new folks to come join us from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. to sing and have fun at Berkeley Gray Panthers office, 1403 Addison St., in Andronico’s mall. 548-9696. 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers Join a few slowpoke seniors at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot near the Little Farm for an hour or two walk. In case of questionable weather, call around 8 a.m. 215-7672, 524-9992. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 548-3991.  

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24  

Tilden Explorers An after-school nature adventure program for 5-7 year olds, who may be accompanied by an adult. We will learn about the seasons from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8, registration required. 636-1684. 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland “New Era/New Politics” highlights African-American leaders who have made their mark on Oakland. Meet at 10 a.m. and the African American Museum and Library at 659 14th St. 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

“The Immigration Dilemma: What Kind of Country Are We?” with Cary Sanders, Policy Analyst for The California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative, at 1:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst. Sponsored by the Berkeley East-Bay Gray Panthers. 548-9696. 

“In Harms Way: Toxic Threats” with Dr. Brian Linde of Kaiser Oakland and Physcians for Social Responsibility at 7:30 p.m. at BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. Donation $5. 848-0237, ext. 127. 

“Electile Dysfunction: Take Back Your Right to Vote” a film at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donations of $5 accepted. 

“How to do Space Age Work with a Stone Age Brain” analyze your productivity with Eve Abbott from 8 to 10 a.m. at Linen Life, 1375 Park Ave. Emeryville. 601-5550.  

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. 548-9840. 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6:30 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. Sponsored by the Ecology Center’s Farm Fresh Choice. 848-1704.  

Prose Writer’s Workshop at 7 p.m. at BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237.  

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station. Sing for Peace at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m.  

THURSDAY, MAY 25 

Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association Preservation Awards with Jane Powell on “Travels in Preservation: Success Stories of Restoration and Adaptive Reuse” at 7 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. 841-2242. www.berkeleyheritage.com 

Richmond Greenway Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new community bicycle and walking trail, at 10 a.m. at the 6th St. crossing of the Greenway at Ohio. For more information call 415-397-2220. 

Teen Book Group meets to discuss “Cheaters” by Eric Jerome Dickey at 4 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, South Branch, 1901 Russell St. 981-6147. 

An Evening with Father Michael Hensley Lapsley, South African anti-aparthied activist at 7:30 p.m. at BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. Donation $10-$20. 848-0237. 

Easy Does It Disability Assitance Board of Directors meets at 6:30 p.m. at 1744A University Ave., behind the Lutheran Church. Fully accessible and all welcome. 845-5513.  

Berkeley School Volunteers Training workshop for volunteers interested in helping the public schools, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. 644-8833. 

World of Plants Tours Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 p.m. at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $5. 643-2755.  

CITY MEETINGS 

Parks and Recreation Commission meets Mon., May 22, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Virginia Aiello, 981-5158.  

Zero Waste Commission Mon., May 22, at 7 p.m., at 1201 Second St. Tania Levy, 981-6368. www.ci.berkeley.ca. 

us/commissions/solidwaste 

City Council meets Tues., May 23 at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Civic Arts Commission meets Wed., May 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Mary Ann Merker, 981-7533. www.ci.berkeley. 

ca.us/commissions/civicarts 

Disaster and Fire Safety Commission meets Wed., May 24, at 7 p.m., at the Emergency Operations Center, 997 Cedar St. Gil Dong, 981-5502. www.ci.berkeley.ca. us/commissions/disaster 

Energy Commission meets Wed., May 24, at 6:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Neal De Snoo, 981-5434. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/energy 

Mental Health Commission meets Wed. May 24, at 6:30 p.m. at 2640 MLK Jr. Way, at Derby. Harvey Turek, 981-5213. www.ci.erkeley.ca.us/ 

commissions/mentalhealth 

School Board meets Wed., May 24, at 7:30 p.m., in the City Council Chambers. Queen Graham 644-6147 or Mark Coplan 644-6320. 

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., May 25, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. Mark Rhoades, 981-7410. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

commissions/zoning  

FRIDAY, MAY 19 

THEATER 

Altarena Playhouse “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” at 8 p.m. Fri. and Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. 1409 High St. through June 11. Tickets are $12-$15. 523-1553.  

Berkeley Rep “The Miser” at 8 p.m. at the Roda Theater, 2015 Addison St. Tickets are $53. Runs through June 25. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Berkeley Rep “The Glass Menagerie” at 8 p.m. at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $59. Runs through June 18. 647-2949.  

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Animal Crackers” at 8 p.m. Fri and Sat., and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Contra Costa Civic Theater, 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through May 20. Tickets are $12-$20. 524-9132.  

Impact Theater “Money & Run Episode 4: Go Straight, No Chaser,” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. Cost is $10-$15. Runs through May 27. 464-4468.  

Shotgun Players “King Lear” Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. to June 18. Tickets are $15-$30, reservations suggested. 841-6500.  

Subterranean Shakespeare “Richard III” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. at Rose in Live Oak Park, through May. 20. Tickets are $12-$17. 276-3871. 

TheatreFIRST “World Music” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. at Old Oakland Theatre, 461 Ninth St. at Broadway. Tickets are $18-$22. 436-5085.  

EXHIBITIONS 

“Notations” Introducing artists Keiko Ishihara, Erik Schmitt, and Carol Lee Shanks. Reception at 6 p.m. at Cecile Moochnek Gallery, 1809-D Fourth St. 549-1018. 

“Mindscapes” Paintings by Dianne Arancibia. Reception at 6:30 p.m. at Red Oak Realty Gallery, 1891 Solano Ave. 849-9990, ext. 2160. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Vision and Misperception: What Art Lovers Need to Know” with Ariella Popple, Vision Scientist, UCB, at 7:30 p.m. at 4th Street Studion, 1717D Fourth St. 527-0600. 

Paul Rieckoff describes “Chasing Ghosts: A Soldier’s Fight for America From Baghdad to Washington” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Telegraph Ave. 845-7852.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Kairos Youth Choir “We Travel Along, Singin’ Our Song ... Side by Side” at 4 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, Live Oak Park. Tickets are $8-$12. 704-4479. 

Oakland East Bay Symphony “Let Us Break Bread Together” Chorale Concert with the Oakland Symphony Chorus, the Kucy Kinchen Chorale, the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and Mt. Eden High School Choir at 8 p.m. at Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $15-$60. 625-8497.  

Soli Deo Gloria and the Russian Chamber Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 1700 Santa Clara, Alameda. Tickets at the door are $20-$25. www.sdgloria.org  

Jacqueline Castro Ravelo, Chilean singer, with Raphael Manriquez at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568.  

Culture Shock Oakland “Bringing Back the Boogie!” at 8 p.m., Sat. at 7:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $12-$20. www.shockfamily.org  

Forensic Science, Enzyme Dynamite, Distant Relatives at 8:30 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886.  

Beegie Adair Trio, piano jazz, at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15-$18. 845-5373.  

Ed Reed with Laura Klein Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ.  

Don Neely’s Royal Society Five at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $16. 525-5054.  

Amy Meyers, singer-songwriter, at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761.  

Terry Rodriguez Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Jaia Suri and Renee Asteria, singer-songwriters, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Jonathan Segel, Victor Krummenacher, Lucio Menegon at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082.  

Batalion of Saints, Deadfall at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

Santero, latin fusion, soul at 8 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low. Cost is $5. 548-1159.  

The Mad Youth Orchestra at 9 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $10. 451-8100.  

Gabriel Mann, Cas Lucas and Zack Hexum in an all ages show at 8 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5. 644-2204. 

The Regiment at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Keiko Matsui at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $24-$28. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, MAY 20 

CHILDREN  

“How to Be” Lisa Brown introduces her new picture book for children at 11 a.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

“It’s NOT a Piece of Cake” Children’s Theater by the Berkwood Hedge School at 2 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $6 at the door. 

THEATER 

Living Arts Playback Theatre Ensemble Personal stories shared by audience members then transformed by the ensemble into improvised theater pieces at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $12-$18. 595-5500, ext. 25.  

Livarte opens at 8 pm, with a stage appearance and art installation in a living room atmosphere, 3230 Adeline St. 601-5774. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“FinnArt” Art by Finns and art inspired by Finland From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Finnish Kavela Hall, 1970 Chestnut St. Free. www.geocities.com/finnartexhibits/info.html  

“Fresh Paint - Second Coat” works by 25 Bay Area artists opens with a reception at 6 p.m. at Piedmont Lane Gallery, 4121 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Exhibit runs to June 17. www.3lisha.com/freshpaint/  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Jan Steckel reads from her new book of poetry, “The Underwater Hospital” at 5 p.m. at the Laurel Book Store at 4100 MacArthur Blvd., corner of 39th Ave., Oakland. 531-2073. 

Storytelling Festival from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Sun. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area in El Sobrante. Tickets $11-$55. 869-4946. www.bayareastorytelling.org 

Matthieu Racard, a Buddhist monk, introduces “Happiness” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Telegraph Ave. 845-7852.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

“Celebrating 25 Years of Integrated Dance in America” a festival of physically integrated contemporary dance featuring AXIS Dance Company, Dancing Wheels and Full Radius Dance at 8 p.m. at Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. Tickets are $10-$20. 925-798-1300.  

Chamber Mix performs music of Tann, Hoover, Tower, Bilotta, McManus, and Stoddard, at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St. bet. Durant and Bancroft. Tickets are $12-$18. 549-3864.  

“Till You Find Your Dream” Broadway selections, American folk and popular music by the Cantare Chorale and All Star Singers at 7:30 p.m. at Woodminster Amphitheater, 3300 Joaquin Miller Rd., Oakland. Tickets are $10-$25. 836-0789.  

Young People’s Symphony Orchestra at 8 pm at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. www.ypsomusic.net 

Hip Hop Festival at 7 p.m. and Dream, El Efe and Company of Prophets at 9:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $15 for both shows, or $10 for each. 849-2568.  

Robin Gregory & Bill Bell Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Tom Rigney & Flambeau at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054.  

Steve Taylor, folk-country-blues, at 7 p.m. at A Cuppa Tea, 3202 College Ave., at Alcatraz. 

Jared Karol, singer-songwriter, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Jody Stecher & Kate Brislin at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Re-Ignition, The Miserables, Index A, Displace at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886.  

Good for Cows and John Schott’s Dream Kitchen at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12. 845-5373.  

Caroline Chung Duo at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

George Cotsirilos Jazz Trio at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Ray Cepeda at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7-$10. 558-0881. 

The Hoo, The Rave Ups, Sun Kings at 8 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $20. 451-8100.  

bonoR, Danny Partridge Experience at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082.  

Jinx Jones Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Corrupted Youth, Civilian Outbreak, The Deadly Rhythm at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

Keiko Matsui at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $24-$28. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SUNDAY, MAY 21 

CHILDREN 

Asheba, participatory Caribbean music concert, at 3 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $4-$6. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

“It’s NOT a Piece of Cake” Children’s Theater by the Berkwood Hedge School at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $6 at the door. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Healing Waters” paintings by Judi Miller, glass sculpture by Carol Holmes, and “Katrina’s Children” art and poetry by gulf coast youth from River of Words. Reception at 4 p.m. at the Community Art Gallery, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, 2450 Ashby Ave. Exhibit runs through July 5. 204-1667.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Storytelling Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area in El Sobrante. Tickets are $11 for a single event, $55 for the entire weekend. 869-4946. www.bayareastorytelling.org 

Joe Fischer will discuss his new book “Poker Passion” at 2 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Poetry Flash with Lynne Knight and Kathleen Lynch at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Telegraph. Donation $2. 845-7852.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Jazz on Fourth Street from noon to 5 p.m. with Bill Bell Quartet, Big Belly Blues Band, John Santos Quartet and the Berkeley High Jazz Orchestra & Combos. 526-6294.  

Volti and the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra “Our Voices Rise in Song Together” at 4 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way, at Ellsworth. Tickets are $15-$20. 415-771-3352. www.voltisf.org 

Prometheus Symphony Orchestra performs Mahler’s Ruckert Lieder with Elspeth Franks, mezzo soprano, and Claudio Santome, tenor, at 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Ave., Oakland. Admission is free, donation requested. www.prometheussymphony.org 

Kairos Youth Choir “We Travel Along, Singin’ Our Song ... Side by Side” at 4 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, Live Oak Park. Tickets are $8-$12. 704-4479. 

Golden Gate Boys Choir at 2 p.m. at Calvary Christian Center, 1516 Grand St., Alameda Tickets are $10 adults, $5, children. 887-4311. www.ggbc.org 

Organ Music at St. John's with Roberta Gary, University of Cincinatti, in an an all-Bach recital on the Brombaugh organ at 4 p.m. at St. Johns Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Donation $15. Reception follows performance. 845-6830. 

Oakland School for the Arts Big Band, Drum Corp, and Percussion Ensemble at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Donations benefit Oakland School for the Arts. 228-3207. 

Kenny White at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Ben Adams Quintet, CD release party, at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Americana Unplugged, bluegrass and oldtime showcase, with The Earl Brothers at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 655-5715. 

Creative Aging Benefit Concert with Avotcja, Rafael Gonzalez, and many others, at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12. 849-2568.  

Advanced High School Jazz Workshop Ensemble at 4:30 at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373.  

Stephanie Neira, flamenco, at 7 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

DJ Hamouris at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Howard Alden Quartet at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

MONDAY, MAY 22 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Page to Stage A conversation with Rita Moreno at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Rep, 2025 Addison St. Free. 647-2949.  

Mark Levy will discuss “Void in Art” at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Sarah Schulman reads from her novel “Empathy” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Telegraph. 845-7852.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

West Coast Songwriters Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $5. 548-1761.  

Hot Frittatas, café music, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Blue Monday Jam at 7:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100.  

Zilberella Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Opie Bellas at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $6-$10. 238-9200.  

TUESDAY, MAY 23 

FILM 

Embracing Diversity Films “Out of the Shadow” a documentary of a woman with paranoid schizophrenia, at 7 p.m. at Albany High School Library, 603 Key Route Blvd. Please enter through gym doors on Thousand Oaks Blvd. Suitable for children over 12. Free. Discussion follows. 527-1328. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Swamp Coolers at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054.  

The Weepies at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Ellen Hoffman Trio and Singers’ Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Mel Martin Quartet at 8 and 10 p.m. Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$14. 238-9200.  

Free Persons Quartet, jazz, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Jazzschool Tuesdays at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Leslie Larson reads from her new novel “Slipstream” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Telegraph. 845-7852.  

Daniel C. Matt introduces “The Zohar” at 7:30 p.m. at BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. Donation $10-$20. Benefits Aquarian Minion. 848-0237, ext. 110. 

“Writing Teachers Write” monthly reading series at 5 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Music for the Spirit Organ music at 12:15 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Broadway. 444-3555. 

UC Jazz Ensembles at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ.  

The Kaveman Experience, 15-17 year old musicians, at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10. 849-2568.  

The New Sing Sextet at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Regina Maria Pontillo & Le Jazz Hot at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Afro Man, Mad Ro at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10-$15. 848-0886.  

Dope at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100.  

Hanneke Cassel at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

William Parker Quartet at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, MAY 25 

FILM 

A Theater Near You “The Weeping Meadow” at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Nomad Spoken Word Night at 7 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Composer John Adams and Crowden School Students in a Spring Clelebration at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Free. 559-6910.  

Raquy and the Cavemen, progressive Middle-Eastern dance music at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Drum workshop at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $13-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Bryan Bowers at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Terence Brewer Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

The Wild Life, Luminous Family Trust, Naomi & The Courteous Rudeboys at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. 

Chico Debarge and Family “A Night for the Ladies” at 8 p.m. at Kimballs Carnival, 522 2nd St., Oakland. Tickets are $25-$35. www.ticketweb.com 

Fusion, mixed heritage spoken word artsists and musicians at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$15. 849-2568.  

Showtime @ 11 Hip Hop at 10 p.m. at the Ivy Room, 585 San Pablo Ave. at Solano. 524-9220. www.ivyroom.com  

Jennifer Johns at 9 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $8. 451-8100.  

Robben Ford Band at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $15-$26. 238-9200.  

Berkeley filmmakers Cliff Orloff and Olga Shalygin return to the public airwaves this weekend with their latest documentary about Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban.  

Afghanistan’s Fatal Flower, a half-hour look at the opium trade, airs on KQED at Sunday at 2 p.m. and again on KQED World at 9 a.m. and noon on Tuesday, May 23. 

Orloff and Shalygin track the production of opium from the poppy fields of Afghanistan to the streets of the world’s urban capitals. The path, like the issue itself, is complex, winding through various strata of society.  

Though the reins of power have changed hands, Afghanistan is far from the success story the Bush administration would have us believe. The warlords may have exchanged their fatigues for business suits in an attempt to gain public respectability but their practices have apparently changed little, as they still maintain private militias that are funded primarily by the opium trade. And their opulent lifestyles, in marked contrast to the people they claim to represent, can only be funded—in a country where the average income is well below a dollar a day—by illicit activity. 

Afghanistan is responsible for 87 percent of the world’s heroin, which may give an idea of just how much money is to be made in the business, and consequently just how strong the allure of the trade is for the country’s poor farmers. One farmer is quoted as saying that a field of poppies can bring in more than 20 times as much money as a field of cotton.  

Gold is still the traditional method of storing one’s wealth, but Fatal Flower shows that opium has become far more lucrative. It essentially serves as Afghanistan’s stock market. From farmers and smugglers to politicians and warlords, everyone along the chain of production socks away stockpiles of opium to sell at a later date when the price is high. In a nation of great uncertainty, the illicit opium trade has filled a gaping void, proving to be not just a seductive and lucrative side business, but one of the few sources of economic and cultural stability.

The Sisters, opening today (Friday) at Shattuck Cinemas, is an adaptation of a play by Richard Alfieri, which was in turn derived from Anton Chekhov’s play The Three Sisters. Alfieri himself wrote the screenplay, and that fact may be largely responsible for the film’s undoing. 

The Sisters is a highly literate movie, in the sense that its characters are highly literate, highly articulate and endlessly chatty. Other than that, it’s really a simple family drama, examining the threads that bind and constrict three sisters and a brother. But this is not quite your average family. All are somehow involved, like their late father, in academia, or at least in rather academic professions, making them educated, ruthlessly ambitious and more than a little smug.  

The story takes place in New York and begins with a birthday party for the baby of the family, a college student whom the two elder sisters have essentially raised. Guests at the party, held in the university’s faculty lounge, include two other professors and a visiting professor who knew the girls when they were children but hasn’t seen them since.  

This gathering—Act 1—becomes a cauldron of volatile emotions, establishing the relationships between the characters and setting the stage for a series of confrontations, confessions and recriminations that quickly unravel the family’s carefully constructed myths. 

The first half-hour is pretty rough going, not because of its content but because of its form. Alfieri and director Arthur Allan Seidelman have essentially put the stage play directly on screen, resulting in a stagy and excessively verbose film, with the actors pitching their performances toward the cheap seats. The dialogue is constant, using words, words and more words to say what a glance, a pause or a gesture could have expressed so much more simply and effectively. 

Though it may have been a more successful film had it been rendered more cinematically, the filmed-play technique is a valid stylistic choice, and might have worked much better had the filmmakers stuck to it. But ultimately Alfieri and Seidelman give in and make a few tepid concessions to the cinema.  

For instance, virtually the entire film takes place in the faculty lounge. However, the filmmakers attempt to paper over this with unnecessary flashbacks and cutaways. Gaps between scenes and acts are papered over as well, with clichéd montage sequences of turning leaves and couples removing their clothing used to communicate the passage of time and the changing of relationships, whereas a simple fade-out and fade-in would have sufficed. 

There are many examples of stage plays successfully transferred to the screen without these compromises. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? comes to mind, a film that made excellent use of a single set and of highly educated and verbose characters. The Sisters could have used some of that confidence, locking its characters in that lounge for two hours and letting them have at it. Instead, the brief excursions outside the hall only serve to remind us of the artifice of the exercise. 

The highlight is Maria Bello. She carries the film, forging through the material with charm, beauty and charisma, bringing to life the character of Marcia—proud, angry and fierce, yet battered, fragile and slightly unhinged.  

Marcia flaunts her intelligence, her wit and her beauty, yet Bello does an excellent job of revealing that that very beauty is in fact the source of much of Marcia’s pain. We learn that she has always been something of an ornament adorning the men in her life: a surrogate society matron for her widowed father; a charming companion to her esteemed psychiatrist husband; an object to be displayed. 

Marcia can be coy and seductive in flirtation, then doubly so by preemptively admitting to her coyness. Then doubly so again as she drapes herself across a sofa, like a patient on a psychiatrist’s couch, revealing—along with plenty of skin—the motivations and agony behind that coyness and seduction. This is all she knows how to do; it is both her survival technique and a trap she longs to escape. She puts herself on display, either physically or emotionally, at every opportunity; it is a role she has played for so long that she can no longer do anything else. Though she considers herself brutally honest, her outbursts and insults are little more than melodrama. Marcia is so enthralled by her own pain and her own drama—and her public performances of that drama—that she really has little understanding of her siblings. She has a few insights into them, but her badgering displays of self-absorption have only driven them into protective foxholes. What’s really at work here is not honesty at all; it’s deception, self-preservation and vitriol. 

Most of the other actors do well enough with the material they’ve been given, but they’re essentially just playing types, marking time until each is granted one soul-baring expository scene to reveal their characters’ motivations and secrets—secrets which are rarely very surprising or insightful. Like much of the film, these details seem perhaps a little too rote—off-the-shelf Freudian explanations for characters who should and could be so much more interesting. 

The Sisters was probably engaging and energetic on stage, and might have been on screen, but what we’re left with is a half-hearted hybrid of stage and screen, labored yet lacking, overwrought and underthought. 

THE SISTERS 

Written by Richard Alfieri.  

Directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman. 

Starring Maria Bello, Mary Stuart Masterson, Erika Christensen, Tony Goldwyn, Steven Culp, Rip Torn, Erik McCormak, Chris O’Donnell.  

Playing at Shattuck Cinemas.

If ticket shock is the only thing stopping you from going to live jazz in clubs and concerts, you will not want to miss hearing the top-rated artists who will be performing al fresco and for free at the Jazz on 4th Street Festival this Sunday. 

The Bill Bell Quartet, the Big Belly Blues Band, the John Santos Quintet, and the Berkeley High Jazz Orchestra plus two of its combos will all be on hand to entertain you and to give you a taste of what can come from top-flight musical pedagogy.  

Public school jazz education began in Berkeley in 1966 when Herb Wong, the principal at Washington Elementary, offered a jazz class to his music students. It was not long before every school in the district had a jazz band. 

When Phil Hardymon, who had worked with Wong at the grade school level, became band director at Berkeley High in 1975, he parlayed all the work that had gone on in the lower grades into the top-rated high school jazz education program in the country. 

Berkeley High jazz bands and members regularly win state and national competitions and scholarships and have performed at the Monterey, North Sea and Montreux Jazz Festivals—and why not when their alumni include such stellar players as David Murray, Craig Handy, Josh Redman, Benny Green and Peter Apfelbaum? 

What Herb Wong began has become a multi-generational community of teachers, alumni and students that gives the Berkeley jazz community a depth and resonance often lacking elsewhere. Unfortunately, major budget cuts are threatening this innovative and successful program. 

The proceeds from this Tenth Annual Festival, sponsored by KCSM/Jazz 91, Yoshi’s and 4th Street Merchants, will benefit Berkeley High School Performing Arts to help ensure that the jazz program is able to continue. 

Appropriately, the featured musician at this year’s festival is pianist, composer, arranger and revered music educator Bill Bell, known to many as the Jazz Professor. Bell has taught in colleges and universities for over three decades. 

Although he just retired, he still holds adjunct professor positions in jazz at both UC Berkeley and Stanford University. From 1991 to 2001, he was the chairman of the College of Alameda’s music department. Trumpeter Jon Faddis, pianists Benny Green and Michael Wolfe and drummer Will Kennedy are just the most well-known of the thousands of players who have benefited from his instruction. 

For all his work as a teacher, Bell made his name as a performing artist. He toured as musical director and accompanist for vocalist Carmen McRae and provided the same solid backing for other vocalists like Joe Williams, Anita O’Day, Nancy Wilson, Lou Rawls and the Supremes. He always knows what chords to play underneath a lyric to give just the right support to a jazz singer. 

That same ability to feed a soloist the most stimulating changes made him a favorite with instrumentalists like Benny Carter, Louie Bellson, Milt Jackson, Clark Terry, Art Farmer and Kenny Burrell. One of his most impressive gigs was as choir director for a 1967 Duke Ellington Sacred Concert at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.  

It has long been known to both fans and visiting jazz stars that having Bill Bell accompanying you means having the best. His latest album, Just Swing Baby, indicates that Bell is just as sensitive, creative, swinging and virtuosic as ever. 

Two other excellent bands with strong connections in the Bay Area complete the lineup. Like Bill Bell, Afro-Latin percussionist John Santos is an educator and scholar as well as a major performer who has worked with Latin stars like Yma Sumac, Tito Puente, Patato Valdés, Armando Peraza, Lalo Schifrin, Santana, Cachao and Omar Sosa as well as jazz masters like Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Art Farmer, Bobby Hutcherson, McCoy Tyner and John Faddis. His knowledge and experience of Afro-Latin percussion traditions, rooted in family, community, tradition, study, practice and meditation is profound. 

The Big Belly Blues Band is a mid-size orchestra with a large sound that brings together horns, keyboards, bass, guitar and percussion plus vocalists to explore the affinities shared by jazz, blues, rhythm and blues and hip hop. Various combinations of the highly esteemed Berkeley High Jazz Ensemble will open and close the festivities.  

The Bill Bell Quartet (1:15-2 p.m.), the Big Belly Blues Band (2:15–3 p.m.), the John Santos Quintet (3:10-4 p.m.), and the Berkeley High Jazz Orchestra and two combos (noon–1:15 p.m. and 4–5 p.m.) perform at the Tenth Annual Jazz on Fourth Street Festival, Sunday, May 21, noon-5 p.m., on Fourth Street in Berkeley, between Hearst Avenue and Virginia Street. For more information call 526-6294.

“I’ll spare no-one ... I’ll break with the whole human race.” In the darkness before curtain at the Berkeley Rep, the audience hears these ominous words. The lights go up on the set of a ruined drawing room, the salon of some great old house “before the Revolution” in France, walls stained with neglect and the ceiling drooping down. 

It’s Moliere, but not The Misanthrope. The strange comedy we see begin through a plastic scrim as two young persons get up from the floor and quibble over their mutual devotion and chances for marriage, is The Miser, as adapted by David Ball and staged by Theatre de la Jeune Lune, guest touring company at The Berkeley Rep, under the direction of its cofounder, Dominique Serrand.  

The two figures in the sidelit morning tableau are Elise, daughter of the title character (Sarah Agnew), and her secret beau, Cleante (Stephen Cartmell), sycophantic steward of the household and a castaway dignitary of Naples posing as a servant. Soon the whole cast suddenly leaps up from the corners where they’ve huddled unnoticed, like a pile of rags, reef the plastic scrim—and enter “the world’s least human human,” Harpagon (Steven Epp), The Miser. 

As portrayed by Epp, Harpagon is a manic salamander of a creature, scurrying back and forth, tongue darting or lolling. Serrand has noted that it was only in the post-war French theater that Harpagon was shown as vigorous, standing upright, an innovation of Jean Vilar of the Theatre Nationale Populaire. There’s a moment of great physical humor in the close byplay between Harpagon and young La Fleche (Nathan Keepers), like mirror images of each other as they skitter nervously around the stage as The Miser shouts, “Like a tree waiting for a dog ... Your bulging eyes take in everything I own.”  

Harpagon also rails at and strip-searches his own servants. Crazy invectives and great lines from Moliere’s original stand out in a blur of dialogue and speeches delivered with an odd, rickety syncopation, sometimes broken with inarticulate mouthings and odd gestures sawing the air. 

The story jolts along amid much side business, which takes center stage. Both Harpagon’s children are desperate to marry. His gambler son Cleante (Stephen Cartmell), accouttered like a post-punk rooster, wants ingenue Mariane (Maggie Chestovich, with sharp gestures and poses), only to have his unwitting father as rival. Frosine (Barbara Kingsley), an older woman, serves as go-between. 

In truth, the plot seems more a ploy for the cast to work back, with various schtick, through Moliere to the improvisations of his predecessors and inspiration, the Italian Commedia Dell’Arte troupes—a logical mission for a touring company founded by alumnai of the Ecole Jacques LeCoq. 

But the sometimes mismatched and broken off routines aren’t so much lazzi as a showcase of The Three Stooges after a course of shock treatment. And the attitudinizing is less stylized, less grotesque than a warmed-over bizarrie-unto-itself. There’s often a kind of lassitude to the timing, a drag to the quirky pace of this long show, especially before intermission. 

Some of this is a result of the curious halting vocal delivery, a version of the jerky claptrap that occurs either when stylized speech is translated too literally into highly-accented English, usually sounding like mumbling or babytalk, or to archly signal with its pauses that the dialogue’s an arty put-on (early John waters and later David Lynch films come to mind). 

The articulation of more than the speech is slipshod, too, inconsistant even in regard to individual players’ mannerisms, much less the integration of gestural business in ensemble playing. 

Serrand has mentioned “the comedy of tragedy” and a “language based on lies” in “a desperate world where because you’re dealing with a tyrant, everything has to be coded.” 

But there’s less tragedy than anxiety, even stress, expressed onstage, and the social comment seems more on the level at times of an art school production, convinced that tragedy and comedy are euphemisms for self-display. The ultrachromatic, even atonal overtones of the show are reflected in the uncomplementary colors of the otherwise wellmade costumes, a kind of blotchy spectrum, for a postmodern parody of a parody, or burlesque of a burlesque. 

Not all is over or underblown. There’s real talent for physical comedy in the players, and some of them execute very well within the constraints of all the conceptualism--especially David Rainey as Master Jacques, a recent addition to the cast, who turns a consistant, wonderfully nuanced performance. There are explosions of slapstick, and local performers GreyWolf (as Anselme) and an ensemble of six (including Clive Worsley) cringe, cavort and sound out (there’s not much strutting) on Riccardo Hernandez’s funhouse set. 

It’s a little like that old story of George Kaufman backstage at a Marx Bros. show he wrote: Moliere can be imagined in the wings, saying, “I thought for a minute I heard one of my own lines ...” Too bad Jeune Lune missfires at the ultraburlesque shredding of conventions and expectations the Marxes reveled in. 

THE MISER 

Presented by the Berkeley Repertory Theatre through June 25 at the Roda Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647.2900. www.berkeleyrep.org  

Photograph by Kevin Berne 

Stephen Cartmell, Steven Epp and Sarah Agnew in The Miser.