FRIDAY, SEPT. 1 

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 Fridays until impeachment is realized. www. Impeachbush-cheney.com 

“Engaging a New Generation of Activists” An Anti-Poverty Teach-in and Strategy Forum with speakers, Frank Chong, Van Jones, Sharon Cornu, Hallie Montoya and others, at 6 p.m. at Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon St., Oakland. Free, but RSVP requested, fightpoverty@youthlaw.org 

Circle Dancing Simple folkdancing, beginners welcome, no partners needed, at 8 p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St. at University Ave. 528-4253. Donation $5. www.circledancing.com 

“Architects at Play” An opportunity for children to build free-form structures at Habitot, 2065 Kittredge St. Cost is $5-$6. 647-1111. 

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

SATURDAY, SEPT. 2 

Art & Soul Oakland Festival from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Mon. at the Frank Ogawa Plaza and City Center. Cost is $5. www.artandsouloakland.com 

Walking Tour of Historic Oakland Churches and Temples Meet at 10 a.m. at the front of the First Presbyterian Church at 2619 Broadway. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

Sick Plant Clinic UC plant pathologist Dr. Robert Raabe, UC entomologist Dr. Nick Mills, and their team of experts will diagnose what ails your plants from 9 a.m. to noon at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. 643-2755.  

Spiritwalking: Aqua Chi(TM) at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley High Warm Pool. Also Wed. at 3:30 p.m. Cost is $5.50, $3.50 seniors & disabled. Bring your own towels. 526-0312. 

Yoga for Peace at 9:30 a.m. at Ohlone Park, MLK at Hearst. Bring a yoga mat, warm blanket, and peace sign.  

Adult Fast Pitch Softball at noon. For location call 204-9500.  

Urban Releaf Tree Tour of Oakland and workshops in urban forestry that teach tree planting, maintenance, GIS/GPS systems, and community advocacy. For information call 601-9062. www.urbanreleaf.org 

Produce Stand at Spiral Gardens Food Security Project from 1 to 6 p.m. at the corner of Sacramento and Oregon St. 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden Sat. and Sun. at 2 pm. Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Around the World Tour of Plants at 1:30 p.m., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

Car Wash Benefit for Options Recovery Services of Berkeley, held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lutheran Church, 1744 University Ave. 666-9552. 

SUNDAY, SEPT. 3 

Gala Convergence of Storytellers from 1 to 4 p.m. at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Jack London Square, 98 Broadway, Oakland. 238-8585. 

East Bay Atheists shows the video,"The Root of All Evil," Part 1, by Richard Dawkins, the renowned evolutionary biologist, at 1:30 p.m. Berkeley's Main Library, 2090 Kittredge Street, 3rd floor. 222-7580. 

Free Sailboat Rides from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Cal Sailing Club in the Berkeley Marina. Bring change of clothes, windbreaker, sneakers. For ages 5 and up. cal-sailing.org  

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

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 

Balinese Dance Class with Tjokorda Istri Putra Padmini at 11 a.m. at Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 237-6849. 

Kickabout at Codornices Park Soccer for all, skill and talent not required. For more information contact cambour@hotmail.com  

Tibetan Buddhism with Sylvia Gretchen on “Ancient Wisdom; Modern Application” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, SEPT. 4 

Art & Soul Oakland Festival Sat. - Mon. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza. Cost is $5, children under 12 free. www.ArtandSoulOakland.com 

TUESDAY, SEPT. 5 

“The Politics of Bones: Dr. Owens Wiwa and the Struggle for Nigeria’s Oil” with J. Tompthy Hunt, Michael Watts, and Anna Zalik at 4 p.m. at 150 University Hall, UC Campus. Sponsored by the Center for African Studies and the Center for Human Rights. 642-0721. 

Berkeley School Volunteers Training workshop for volunteers interested in helping the public schools, from 3 to 4 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. 644-8833. 

“Taste of Judaism: Are you Curious?” Explore Jewish spirituality, ethics and community, open to all. Tues. evenings, Sept. 5, 12, 19, in Berkeley. Free but registration required. 839-2900 ext 347. 

Torture Teach-in and Vigil every Tues. at 12:30 p.m. at the fountain on UC Campus, Bancroft at College. 

Discussion Salon on Humor at 7 p.m. at 1414 Walnut.  

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. 215-7672, 524-9992. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. We offer ongoing classes in exercise and creative arts, and always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 6  

Strawberry Creek Greenway Proposal Community discussion on daylighting the creek at the abandonned West Campus Schoolyard, at 6:30 p.m. in the Green Room, City Corporation Yard, 1326 Allston Way. For information call Carole Schemmerling 512 4005. carole 

schem@hotmail.com 

Walking Tour of Oakland City Center Meet at 10 a.m. in front Oakland City Hall at Frank Ogawa Plaza. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. 

“The Oil Factor: Behind the War on Terror” A documentary at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., between Broadway and Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 393-5685. 

Density Bonus Workshop with the Planning Commission, Housing Advisory Commission, Zoning Adjustments Board at 6 p.m. at the West Berkeley Senior Center, 1900 SIxth St. at Hearst. 981-7490. 

“Homegrown Tomatoes Are Great, Unless They Are Toxic,” with Christopher Harkness of the San Jose Redevelopment Agency at 1 p.m. in Room 315A, Wurster Hall, UC Campus.  

American Red Cross Blood Services Volunteer Orientation at 10 a.m. at the Oakland headquarters. Various East Bay opportunities available. Advanced sign-up is required please call 594-5165.  

East Bay Food Not Bombs Volunteer Meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Long Haul Infoshop, 3124 Shattuck Ave. 644-4187. 

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets 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 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. 848-1704. www.ecologycenter.org 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. Sing for Peace at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geocities.com/ 

vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, SEPT. 7 

Buffalo Field Campaign Road Show discussion the plight of Yellowstone’s wild buffalo, with music by 7th Generation Rise at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2220. 

9/11 Press for Truth A documentary and Q & A with Co-Executive Producer, Ken Ellis, at 7 and 9 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $5-$10. Proceeds benefit Cooperative Research and Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance. 

Full Moon Walk at John Miur National Historic Site See nocturnal animal and plant life and walk the same trail John Muir walked with his daughters. For reservations and details of meeting time and locations, call 925-228-8860. 

Street Fair and Farmer’s Market at Fruitvale Village, Fruitvale BART, Oakland, from 5 to 8 p.m. with live music, melon and jicama tastings, and activities for children.  

Poetry Workshop with Donna Davis from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. Offered by the Berkeley Adult School. 644-6130. 

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. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters Club at 6:45 p.m. at Spud's Pizza, 3290 Adeline at Alcatraz. 

CITY MEETINGS 

Downtown Area Plan Advisory Commission meets Wed. Sept. 6, at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7487. 

Berkeley Unified School Board meets Wed. Sept. 6, at 7:30 p.m., in the City Council Chambers. Mark Coplan 644-6320. 

Commission on the Status of Women meets Wed., Sept. 7, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Tasha Tervelon, 981-5190.  

Housing Advisory Commission meets Thurs., Sept. 7, at 7:30 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Oscar Sung, 981-5400.  

Landmarks Preservation Commission meets Thurs. Sept. 7, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Gisele Sorensen, 981-7419.  

Mental Health Commission meets Thurs., Sept. 7, at 6:30 p.m. at 2640 MLK Jr. Way, at Derby. Harvey Turek, 981-5213.  

Public Works Commission meets Thurs., Sept. 7, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Jeff Egeberg, 981-6406.  

ONGOING 

Each One Teach One Mentoring Program of the Oakland Unified School District is curbing student absenteeism, decreasing suspensions and increasing student participation with the help of volunteer mentors like you. For more information call 495-4010, 495-4011.  

Berkeley Adult School Register for programs in High School Diploma, GED Preparation, Citizenship and ESL classes, Mon.-Thurs. 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Fri. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1701 San Pablo Ave. 644-6130. http://bas.berkeley.net

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 

THEATER 

Aurora Theatre “Salome” at 8 p.m. at 2081 Addison St. and runs Wed. - Sun. through Oct. 1. Tickets are $38. 843-4822.  

California Shakespeare Theater “The Merchant of Venice” at the Bruns Amphitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd., Orinda. Tues.-Thurs., 7:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 4 p.m. through Sept. 3. Tickets are $15 and up. 548-9666. 

Encore Theatre Company and Shotgun Players “The Typographer’s Dream” at 8 p.m. at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Sept. 17. Tickets are $15-$30. 841-6500.  

Masquers Playhouse “Diary of a Scoundrel” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. and Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond across from the Hotel Mac. Through Sept. 30. Tickets are $15. 232-4031. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Jugglers of Color” Works by Albert Hwang, Douglas Light, and Sue Averell opens at Estaban Sabar Gallery, 480 23rd St. at Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 444-7411. 

“A Balanced Life” sculptures by Will Furth and “Ma Vie en Rose” paintings by Jennifer L. Jones at the Community Art Gallery, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, 2450 Ashby Ave. through Nov. 10. 204-1667.  

Anna W. Edwards Abstract Paintings Opening reception at 5:30 p.m. at Joyce Gordon Gallery, 406 14th St., Oakland. Exhibition runs to Sept. 30. 465-8928. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Los Rakas, reggae, dancehall and hip hop at 10 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$12. 849-2568.  

Ellen Honert at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston WAy. 841-JAZZ. 

Junior Reid, Everton Blender and The Reggae Angels at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $17-$20. 525-5054.  

The Dave Matthews Blues Band at 8 p.m. at The Warehouse Bar, at 4th & Webster, Oakland. 451-3161.  

Steve Taylor-Ramirez, acoustic folk-country-blues, at 7 p.m. at A Cuppa Tea, 3200 College Ave. 420-0196.  

J-Soul at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Jon Steiner Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

The Ravines and Gery Tinelenberg at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

D Tox, The Few at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10. 848-0886. 

The Hooks, Joel Streeter, Nine Pound Shadow at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082.  

Eskapo, Acts of Sedition, Deconditioned at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Dynamic, jazz-funk, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Bayonics, 40 Watt Hype, latin, fusion, soul, funk at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low. Cost is $5. 548-1159.  

The Moanin Dove, jungle jazz rock, at 9 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100.  

Elvin Jones Birthday Salute with Delfeayo Marsalis, Dave Liebman, Nicholas Payton, Anthony Wonsey and Jason Marsalis at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $20-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, SEPT. 2 

THEATER 

Shotgun Players “Ragnarok: Doom of the Gods” Sat. and Sun. at 4 p.m. at John Hinkle Park, through Sept. 10. Free, with pass the hat donation after the show. 841-6500.  

EXHIBITIONS 

“Educate to Liberate: A Retrospective of the Black Panther Community News Service” Exhibition in honor of the 40th Anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party, on diplay in the Oakland History Room at the Oakland Main Library, 125 14th St. 238-3222.  

FILM 

A Theater Near You “Blue Velvet” at 6:30 p.m. and “Notorious” at 8:50 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Art & Soul Oakland Festival Sat. - Mon. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza. Cost is $5, children under 12 free. www.ArtandSoulOakland.com 

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

Ray Abshire at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Rachel Effron Quintet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ.  

Transbrasil at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10-$12. 548-1159.  

Rebirth of the East Bay Music Scene at 8 p.m., at Historic Sweet’s Ballroom, 1933 Broadway, Oakland. Cost is $16.50. Ticketweb.com  

Hip Hop Competition at 8 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568.  

Three Apparitions and Theo Hartman at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Tre Hardson, Tracey Amos, Space Monkey Gangsta’s at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10. 848-0886. 

Macy Blackman Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Blind Lemon Phillips & the Lemon Squeezers at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082.  

Will Bernard Quartet at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Hellshock, Wartorn at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, SEPT. 3 

EXHIBITIONS  

“Edge of Desire: Recent Art in India” Guided tour at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. 

FILM 

The Mechanical Age “Metropolis” at 3 p.m. and “Modern Times” at 6 p.m.at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Twang Cafe with Davis Morreales 2 Wheel Tour and Crooked Roads at 7:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 644-2204.  

Mauro Correa’s Brazillian Soul at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. 841-JAZZ.  

Game Bros at 10 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10-$15. 848-0886. 

Paul H. Taylor & The Montara Mountin Boys at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. 

Americana Unplugged: The Blind Willies at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 655-5715. 

MONDAY, SEPT. 4 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Marc Elihu Hofstadter and Eliot Schain at 7 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Art & Soul Oakland Festival from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza. Cost is $5, children under 12 free.  

Trovatore, traditional Italian music, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

TUESDAY, SEPT. 5 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Geographic Premonitions” Group show of fifteen emerging artists opens at the Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond. Exhibition runs through Nov. 11. 620-6772.  

FILM 

Alternative Visions: Recent Avanat-Garde Films at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Works In Progress” Women’s open mic at 7:30 p.m. at Montclair Women's Cultural Center, 1650 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. Donation $5.  

Susan Alcorn talks about “Camino Chronicle: Walking to Santiago” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Bert Lams, classical guitar and Tom Griesgraber, Chapman Stick at 7:30 p.m. at A Cheerfull Noyse, 1228 Solano Ave., Albany. Seating is limited. Please bring a folding chair. 524-0411. 

Singers’ Open Mic with Ellen Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ.  

Mal Sharp at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Oscar Peterson at 8 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $85-$100. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 6 

FILM 

2nd Annual International Small Film Festival to Sept. 10 at Berkeley Art Center Gallery, 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park. Cost is $2-$10. 644-6893.  

Pirates and Piracy “The Sea Hawk” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Andrew Lam will discuss ”Perfume Dreams: Reflections on the Vietnamese Diaspora” at 6:30 p.m. at Bookmark Bookstore, 721 Washington St. Space is limited, please RSVP to 531-3420. 

Robert Fuller will discuss “All Rise: Somebodies, Nobodies and the Politics of Dignity” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

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 

Wednesday Noon Concert, faculty recital performing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864.  

Whiskey Brothers Old Time and Bluegrass at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Sean Smith, Matt Baldwin, and Adam Snider, acoustic guitars, at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $8. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Gerard Landry and the Lariats at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054.  

Danilo, Orquestra Universal at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Salsa dance lessons at 8 p.m. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Calvin Keys Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. 841-JAZZ. 

Chirgilchin, throat singers from Tuva, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761.  

Ten Ton Chicken, groove-rock, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Lady Soul, Sonny, Mista Kista at 9:30 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10. 848-0886.  

THURSDAY, SEPT. 7 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Chroma” works by artists of the Chroma Collective opens with a reception at 5 p.m. at the Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. Exhibition runs to Oct. 1. 848-1228. 

Kala Art Institute Residency Projects Part Two Opening reception at 6 p.m. at 1060 Heinz Ave. Exhibition runs to Oct. 14. Gallery hours are Tues.-Fri. noon to 5:30 p.m., Sat. noon to 4:30 p.m. 549-2977. 

“Edge of Desire: Recent Art in India” Guided tour at 12:15 and 5:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. 

Works by Erin McGuiness, ceramicist. Reception at 6 p.m. at Earthworks Clay Co-op, 2547 8th St., at Dwight. 841-9810. 

“2 the Nines” Photography by Stephen Keller. Opening reception at 4 p.m. at Lavezzo Designs Studio, 5751 Horton St., Emeryville. 428-2384. 

“Vibration” Sound photographs of Hiroshi Morimoto and the Japanese calligraphy of Sara Morimoto. Opening reception at 5 p.m. at Transmissions Gallery, 1177 San Pablo Ave. Exhibition runs to Oct. 5. www.transmissions-gallery.com 

THEATER 

“Color Stuck” a one-man show by Donald E. Lacy, Jr. at 8 p.m. at Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon St., Oakland. Benefit for LoveLife Foundation. Tickets are $50. 663-5683. 

FILM 

The Mechanical Age “The Mechanical Man” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Free screening. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“The Riddle of Tabo: The Origin and Fate of a West Tibetan Manuscript Collection” A colloquium with Paul Harrison, Visiting Professor, Dept of Religious Studies, Stanford at 5 p.m. at the IEAS Conference Room, 2223 Fulton St., 6th Flr. 643-6492. 

Phyllis Stowell, poet at 7 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Leonard Pitt shows slides and talks about “Walks Through Lost Paris” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

John Sumser will introduce his lastest book, “A Land Without Time: A Peace Corps Volunteer in Afghanistan,” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Blue Roots, blues, gospel, New Orleans jazz and soul at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Duamuxa & Ricardo Cuevas at 8 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

David Berkeley, alt folk country, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Joe Beck & Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Mitch Landy at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Tom Huebner, Kitty Rose at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

Buffalo Field Campaign Road Show with music by 7th Generation Rise at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2220. 

Glass Candy, The Chromatics, Death of a Party, dance rock, at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $7. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com

Pacific Film Archive is taking a look back at the mechanical age from the vantage point of the digital age, screening films that in one way or another exemplify cinematic obsessions with machines. The films range from the silent era—including works by Fritz Lang and comedians Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin—to more recent fare such as Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands (1990) and David Cronenberg’s Crash (1996). 

The series ties in with the concurrent “Measure of Time” exhibit at the Berkeley Art Museum. 

Lang’s Metropolis starts things off at 3 p.m. Sunday, followed by Chaplin’s Modern Times at 6 p.m. Both films as categorized by PFA as depictions of “machine anxiety.” 

Metropolis, one of the most influential of all science fiction films, is a dystopian nightmare in which the age of machines enables a repressive societal structure in which workers are forced underground to work as slaves, running the machinery that enables the ruling class to thrive above ground. The film is full of typical Langian imagery—stark, symmetric compositions, grand in size and scope—including the iconic moment when the protagonist is bound to a machine that resembles a large clock, trying to keep up with the never-ending task of matching the movement of the machine’s arms to a series of flashing lights. The purpose of the machine is never explained but used merely as an Expressionistic and symbolic device: Mankind enslaved to both time and its own machines. 

Later in the film the mad scientist Rotwang sends his robot down into the workers’ netherworld, disguised as their saintly leader Maria, with the intent of using the machine-woman to spark a revolt. Again, man’s demise is threatened by the specter of his own machines run amok.  

Pairing Metropolis with Chaplin’s Modern Times makes for an interesting double feature. Neither film represents the best work of its creator, but both feature iconic moments that have stood the test of time. One of the most memorable images of Chaplin’s career comes when his beleaguered assembly line worker, in a mad frenzy of widget-tightening glee, hurls himself onto a conveyor belt and gets caught in the machine’s giant gears, only to single-mindedly begin tightening their bolts.  

Other themes in the series include “Mechanical Men,” featuring Edward Scissorhands as well as more silent films such as The Mechanical Man (1921) and the work of animator/comedian Charely Bowers; “Soviet Social Mechanics,” featuring Sergie Eisenstein’s The General Line (1929), and Pandora’s Box, Episode One: The Engineer’s Plot (1992); and “Terminal Machines,” featuring Stanley Kubrick’s experimental masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Cronenberg’s Crash (1996), in which a married couple discovers the thrill of having sex while watching or participating in car accidents.  

Two more silent films turn the camera’s gaze back on itself under the category of “The Mechanics of Cinema.” Dziga Vertov’s The Man with a Movie Camera (1929) is a dizzying work which attempts to grant the camera the agility of the human eye. In another inspired double feature, it will be preceded by Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr. (1924), which is not only a brilliant and clever piece of filmmaking, with elaborately choreographed action and comedy sequences, but also a great piece of film criticism, employing innovative special effects techniques in a self-reflexive statement on the nature of film and filmgoing. It’s film-within-a-film structure, in which Buster, a projectionist, leaves the booth and walks onto the screen (a theme which later inspired Woody Allen’s Purple Rose of Cairo), sets up a series of masterly cinematic illusions which highlight the gaps in reality that come to light when three-dimensional action is relegated to the flat, two-dimensional surface of a movie screen.  

“The Mechanical Age” runs through Sunday, Oct. 22 at Pacific Film Archive’s theater at 2575 Bancroft Way. For a complete schedule, as well as information on the Berkeley Art Museum’s “Measure of Time” exhibit, see www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. 

By Ken Bullock 

An ambitious young man from a ruined family of Russian gentry decides, in the decade after the freeing of the serfs in 1861, that the way to get on in the world is to milk the self-love of those in position, to listen to their inane chatter (everybody knows in Moscow people only talk, they don’t work), and not to speak his own sarcastic mind, just to commit his acid observations to his journal. 

Thus, Diary of a Scoundrel, the classic satire by Alexander Ostrovsky, now onstage at the Masquers Playhouse in Pt. Richmond. 

Aided and abetted by his widowed mother (Joyce Thrift) and their ex-serf manservant (Alex Shafer), Yegor (Ulysses Popple) launches his climb to the top, the first rungs being a government job and a socially advantageous betrothal. 

He begins by tricking the blustery Mamaev (John Hutchinson) into his squalid little apartment so the young man—a second cousin—can humbly ask his “uncle” for advice (with which the fatuous Mamaev’s overflowing) and insinuate himself into “uncle’s” professional life and contacts--as well as into the affections of lonely socialite “Auntie” Kleopatra (Adele Margrave). 

Posing as a pleasant young idiot (as everybody in Moscow knows that only the insipid and lazy are accorded respect), the scheming Yegor’s path upward seems almost too easy, as he finds himself ghostwriting speeches and articles for the doddering Kroutitsky (David J. Suhl) and the affable, opportunistic Gorodoulin (Mark Shepard), and supplants a hussar officer with an enormous shako (Paul J. White as another Yegor) in the affections of not so much the gushing, youthful Mashanka (Heather Morrison) as her superstitiously pious benefactress aunt Sofia with the wild past (Amy Landino), achieving his desirable engagement. 

But then again, there’s that diary with the caustic truth written in it floating around. 

The Masquers make hay with this surgical yet absurd satire, revving up a packed house into explosions of laughter as the Moscow hoi polloi go through the motions of their eccentric rituals, telling anybody who’ll listen (as well as talking to themselves) about their well-considered, off-the-wall “reasons” for their wildly askew way of life. 

Carlene Collier Coury and Marilyn Kamelgarn have co-directed a tight little show that makes use of a fine script and of the Masquers’ small, floor-level proscenium stage and apron/orchestra “pit” to spin out this droll tale of cupidity with an economy rare in community theater. 

They’ve been ably abetted by designers John Hull (set), Adam Fry (lights), Carol Wood (costumes) and Linda Bradshaw (properties--though a manilla envelope containing a suspiciously modern newspaper stands out strangely from the otherwise pleasant period feel of the show). 

The most successful feature is the portrayal of the grotesques that pass for characters. The younger folk are a little bland and flat, and 15-year-old Ulysees Popple, with a good look for the part, isn’t experienced enough vocally or in movement to more than pantomime and intone the mannerisms of a con-man who should syncopate his flagrant but deadpan trickery with peekaboo signs of malice. 

But the older folk he tricks are sharper in their turns and in the case of that fine actor John Hutchinson, delicious. His Mamaev textures the sound and the action with every feline movement and wide-eyed verbal absurdity. Joyce Thrift, Adele Margrave, Mark Shepard, and especially Amy Landino, add to this menagerie of caricatures, and Alex Shafer makes a nice routine of his other role, ostensibly a small one, of a disapproving butler announcing the constant arrival of conniving “holy” mendicants. 

Jo Lusk as an offbeat, drunken seeress, “free from the vanities of this world,” who stumbles in and out of the otherwise clockwork action, and C. Conrad Cady as genial blackmailer Golutvin, “a man without an occupation,” also deserve mention, adding their own flavor to this rich yet piquant borscht of a play. 

One only wishes they’d taken it a little farther. The director’s notes in the program mime surprise at a 19th century Russian comedy, but it all began with Gogol’s gargoyles and the early Dostoyevsky’s strange, funny creatures, who quickly found their way to the stage, culminating in the grotesque, often acrobatic “events” of Meyerhold in the 1920s. 

The complaint of many a Western audience, looking for the much-touted “realism” of Russian theater (and film) is a note of surprise, even shock, at the almost burlesque cartoonishness of the humor the actors bring to their characters. 

A bit more of this would’ve made for an even better ensemble feel to the Masquers’ show, more of a sense of culmination when each of the “wronged” blowhards explodes with outrage when the truth is put to them, and the cool con-man high-handedly dismisses them as hypocrites, himself the single honest man! 

But the Masquers have put together quite an evening of theater, with the true community spirit of contributions from all (a cast of 14 and staff and crew of more than a dozen), as so often, a very pleasant surprise from this little company that began in El Cerrito in 1955, and has been housed in Pt. Richmond for 45 years now, raving up an evening with a mock-serious cry of “Stupidity? That’s nonsense!” 

Diary of a Scoundrel runs through Sept. 30 at the Masquers Playhouse,105 Park Place, Richmond. Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2:30 p.m. Tickets $15. For more information, call 232-4031.