TUESDAY, SEPT. 12 

“All Governments Lie” with Myra MacPherson, journalist and author, who will discuss her new biography of I. F. Stone, at 5:30 p.m. at North Gate Library, Grad. School of Journalism, Hearst at Euclid Ave., UC Campus. 643-3840. 

WriterCoach Connection seeks volunteers to help students inmprove their writing and critical thinking skills. Training session from noon to 3 p.m. in Berkeley. For information call 524-2319. www.writercoachconnection.org  

Docent Training at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden Learn about native plants and then give something back to the community by leading tours. Twenty sessions on Tues. through Feb. from 9 a.m. to noon at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park. Course fee is $125. To register call 527-9802. gkeator@aol.com  

“New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina: Lessons for California’s Levees” with Ray Seed, Prof. Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCB, at 5:30 p.m. at 250 Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Campus. 642-2666. 

Discover Northern Arizona’s Redrock Country A slide presentation with geologist Jim Scheihing at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

“Elderhostel: Adventures in Lifelong Learning” a video and talk by Margaret Hankle at 7 p.m. at El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave., El Cerrito. 526-7512. 

Free Quit Smoking Classes on six Tues. evenings from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. Optional free acupuncture provided. Registration required. 981-5330. quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

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

Handbuilding Ceramics Class from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. John’s Senior Center, 2727 College Ave. Also Mon. from noon to 4 p.m. and Wed. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, Ashby at Ellis Sts. Free, except for materials and firing charges. For information call 525-5497. 

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. 548-3991.  

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. We always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 13  

Lorin District Traffic Calming A community meeting at 7 p.m. at Spud’s Meeting Room, 3290 Adeline. 981-7130. 

Katrina Update Fundraiser at 7 p.m. at La Peña, 3105 Shattuck Ave. Donation $5-$20, no one turned away.  

“National Security and Intellectual Freedom” Panel discussion at 6:30 p.m. at the Free Speech Movement Cafe at Moffitt Undergraduate Library, UC Campus.  

Healthy Aging Fair, with information on services and resources and health screenings, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Centennial Hall, 22292 Foothill Blvd., Hayward. Sponsored by the Alameda County Commission on Aging. 636-0347. 

“The End of Suburbia” a documetary on oil depletion and the collapse of the American Dream at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., between Broadway and Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. www.HumanistHall.net 

East Bay Genealogical Society with Nancy Simons Peterson of the California Genealogical Society discussing her book, “Raking the Ashes: Genealogical Strategies for Pre-1906 San Francisco Research” at 10 a.m. in the Library Conference Room of the Family History Center, 4766 Lincoln Ave. Oakland. Guests are always welcome. 635-6692.  

Poetry Writing Workshop, led by Alison Seevak, at 7 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

New to DVD: “Cache” at 7 p.m. at JCC, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $3-$5. 848-0237. 

Current Events Discussion Group meets on Wed. at 7 p.m. at the Niebyl Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. Oakland. 597-4972. 

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

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6:30 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. 848-1704.  

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at 6:30 p.m. at the Berkeley BART Station. www.geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, SEPT. 14 

Amy Goodman and David Goodman talk with Pratap Chatterjee and Michael Shenoda about “STATIC: Government Liars, Media Cheerleaders and the People Who Fight Back” at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. Tickets are $10-$15 at Cody’s. Benefit for KPFA and CorpWatch. 559-9500. 

Richmond Southeast Shoreline Community Advisory Group meets at 6:30 p.m. at the Bermuda Room, Richmond Convention Center, 403 Civic Center Plaza, at Nevin and 25th Sts, Richmond. 367-5379. 

Financial Management Information for Seniors at 10:30 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst. 981-5190. 

Natural Baby Care with pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene at 7:30 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Estate Planning Seminar for You and Your Pets with attorney Timothy H. Smallsreed at 7 p.m. at Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society, 2700 Ninth St. at Carleton. Free but RSVP requested, 845-7735, ext. 19. 

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. 

East Bay Macintosh Users Group, meets to discuss Concept Draw V, at 6 p.m. at Expression College for Digital Arts, 6601 Shellmound St., Emeryville. Free, all welcome. www.ebmug.org  

FRIDAY, SEPT. 15 

Gary Hart “The Courage of Our Convictions: A Manifesto for Democrats” at 12:30 p.m. at The African American Museum & Library at Oakland, 659 Fourteenth St. Free, but please RSVP to 637-0200.  

“Building Peace” A panel discussion with Blue Star Mom Laura Monroe, Brigadier General Ralph Marinaro, General Paul Monroe, Gold Star Mom Nadia McCaffrey and Peoples Lobby Executive Director Dwayne Hunn at 6 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St., at Bonita. $20 donation requested, students, low-income $5. 528-5403. 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Benjamin Griffin, Editor, The Mark Twain Collection. Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $13.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925 or 665-9020.  

“Berkeley in the 60s” film showing, with Liberation News Service shorts from the 1960s, followed by a discussion about Berkeley's radical history at 7:30 p.m. at Long Haul Infoshop, 3124 Shattuck Ave. 540-0751. www.thelonghaul.org 

Friends of African Film “One Evening in July” by Raja Amari, Tunisia, and “Riches” by Ingrid Sinclair, Zimbabwe, at 7:30 p.m. at 464 Van Buren, at Euclid, Oakland. friendsofafricanfilm@yahoo.com 

Movies that Matter “The Whale Rider” at 6:30 p.m., followed by discussion of the spiritual aspects of the film. Call for location 451-3009. 

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. 16 

Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day Meet at 9 a.m. behind the Seabreeze Market at the corner of University and Frontage Rd. to sign waivers, get trash/recycle bags, pencils, tally cards and a map of the areas we need to clean. 981-6720. 

The Natural History of Garbage Coastal Clean-up Day at Point Pinole from 9 a.m. to noon with Tara Reinertson, Naturalist. For information and meeting place call Tilden Nature Center, 525-2233. 

Creek to Bay Day in Oakland Volunteers needed at 9 a.m. at several creek sites to help remove litter and non-native invasive plants. Sites include Glen Echo Creek, Monta Vista Ave. at Piedmont Ave., Lake Merritt Boating Center, 568 Bellevue Ave., Oakland Estuary at Arrowhead Marsh, at the end of Swan Rd off Doolittle Rd., Temescal Creek at the Claremont DMV. For other locations call 238-7611. 

Richmond Coastal Cleanup Day Meet at 9 a.m. at Shimada Friendship Park, at the end of Marina Bay Pkwy. Free BBQ at noon. Sponsored by the Watershed Project. 665-3689. 

String Band Contest and Crafts Fair from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Center St. at MLK, Jr. Way. 548-3333. 

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. 

“Megafollies: A Brief History of Bay Area HyperDevelop- 

ment Stopped by Citizen Activism” With Prof Gray Brechin, UCB, at 7 p.m. at the Home of Truth Center, 1300 Grand Street, Alameda. Sponsored by the Alameda Public Affairs Forum. www.alamedaforum.org  

Geology Rocks A short nature hike to discover the layers of our planet, for ages 9-12, at 10 a.m., at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $5-$7. 525-2233. 

Berkeley History Center Walking Tour “The New Berkeley City College” led by Charles Wollenberg and Shirley Fogarino at 10:30 a.m. Cost is $8-$10. for infromation call 848-0181. www.cityofberkeley.info/histsoc/  

Oakland Heritage Alliance Walking Tour of Mills College Campus Meet at 2 p.m. in front of Mills Hall. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

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. at the African American Museum and Library at 659 14th St. 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

Berkeley Progresssive Coalition Candidates Convention at 2 p.m. at Washington School Auditorium, Bancroft between MLK & McKinley. Vote for Mayor, City Council candidates and Berkeley Measures. 540-1975. 

Benefit for the Hillside Club with plein air paintings on sale from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., at 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $10. All sales will benefit local artists and the Hillside Club, which is making renovations.  

“A Union Man: The Life and Work of Julius Margolin” Film showing with folk music concert afterwards at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, Bonita at Cedar. Donation $5-$10.  

Vintage, Rare and Collectibles Book Sale, also record sets, comic books and a Silent Auction, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., Albany, 526-3720. 

Friends of the El Cerrito Library Book Sale Books on all subjects, books for children and large collections of books about quilting and cooking, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun. from noon to 5 p.m. in the El Cerrito Library parking lot and basement, 6510 Stockton Ave. El Cerrito. www.ccclib.org/libinfo/branch.html  

New Spirit Community Church 6th Anniversary Gala with auction, clowns and jugglers, buffet and a dance, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Parson’s Hall, 2450 LeConte Ave. Tickets are $36-$46. 704-7729. 

Vegetarian Cooking Class: Demystifying Tofu and Tempeh from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. at Castro. Cost is $45 plus $5 food/materials fee. Registration required. 531-COOK.  

Ceremony for Healing & Peace at 7 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center, Yoga Room, 2640 College Ave. Cost is $25. Sposored by the Hayehwatha Institute. 415-435-2255 

Gourd Crafting Techniques and Open House from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Caning Shop, 926 Gilman at 8th St. 1-800-544-3373.  

Painting Pots, a workshop with Keeyla Meadows at 3 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Piedmont Choir Placement Auditions New singers ages 6 to 10 welcome, no experience necessary. To schedule an appointment for Piedmont or Alameda call 547-4441. www.piedmontchoirs.org 

California Writers Club meets to discuss humor writing with Mary Hanna of the San Mateo County Times at 10 a.m. at Barnes & Noble, Jack London Square. 272-0120. 

Oakland Outdoor Cinema will screen “The Bourne Identity” at dusk on Ninth St., between Broadway and Washington. Limited seating, bring your own chair and blanket. 238-4734.  

Non-Anesthetic Teeth Cleaning for Pets from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at RabbitEars, 303 Arlington Ave. Call for appointment 525-6155.  

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

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

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 

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.  

Around the World Tour of Plants at 1:30 p.m., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. 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.  

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. 17 

How Berkeley? Parade up University Ave. at 11 a.m. followed by festival in Civic Center Park to 5 p.m. 644-2204, ext. 12. www.howberkeleycanyoube.com 

Sunday Morning Meditation Walk at 9 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Third Annual Fr. Bill O’Donnell BOCA Benefit with guest of honor and recognition of immigration rights attorney Mark Silverman from noon to 4 p.m. at Saint Mary Magdalen Church, 2005 Berryman St. 665-5821. berkeleyboca.org  

Incorporating Carnivorous Plants into the Garden with Stephen Davis, president of the Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society and Judith Finn, horticulturist from 10 a.m. to noon at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $25-$35, registration required 643-2755. 

Family Day at the Magnes to see the exhibition “My America” at 11 a.m. at Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. Cost is $6-$8. 549-6950.  

Bike Tour of Oakland Explore Oakland and learn about the incredible history of Oakland and its visionaries and scoundrels. Meet at 10 a.m. at the 10th St. entrace of the Oakland Museum of CA, 1000 Oak St., Oakland. Participants must be over twelve years old and provide their own bikes, helmets and repair kits. Free. 238-3514. www.museumca.org 

Solo Sierrans Emeryville to Berkeley Waterfront Bike Ride An easy 4 mile round trip with no car traffic. Meet at 4 p.m. in front of the Watergate Clipper Club, 6 Captain Drive, Emeryville. RSVP requested 923-1094. 

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

The Misty Redwood Run A 10 K fun run through the redwoods in Redwood Regional Park at 8:30 a.m. at Redwood Gate entrance, 7867 Redwood Rd., Oakland. Cost is $20-$25. Register online at www.theschedule.com/eventinfo.cfm?eventID+10675 

Spinning a Yarn Watch the spinning wheel turn, try your hand carding wool and learn how to use a drop spindle at 1:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

10-year Anniversary Party for the Westbrae Neighborhood Commons from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Peralta Community Garden, on Peralta between Hopkins St. and Gilman St.Food music, tile painting and more. Wheelchair accessible. 527-6443. 

“There’s No Place Like Home: Exploring Animal Habitats” Take a discovery hike through the Natural Sciences Gallery and learn how animals meet their needs for food, shelter, water, and protection. From 1 to 4 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of CA, 1000 Oak St., at 10th St., Oakland. Free with Admission. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

The Albany Library will be open on Sundays from 1-5 p.m. starting on Sept. 17 thanks to the successful passage of Measure G. Celebrate with a ribbon-cutting at 1 p.m. followed by music and refreshments, at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720. 

Sycamore Japanese Church Bazaar from noon to 5 p.m. at 1111 Navellier St., El Cerrito. Japanese music, food, handcrafts and games for children. 525-0727. 

Mad Hatter Jam ‘n’ Tea Party from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kensington Farmers’ Market, 303 Arlington Ave. kensingtonfm@yahoo.com  

Queer Contra Dance with Mavis McGaugh calling to Band du Jour at 6 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Everyone welcome. Cost is $10 or pay what you can. 430-2833. 

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 

Ancient Tools for Successful Living Workshops in Meditation, the I-Ching, and Qi Gong begin at 5272 Foothill Blvd. Oakland. Cost is $8 per class. 536-5934. 

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

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

Tibetan Buddhism with Ken McKeon and Tom Morse on “Freedom from Knowledge” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, SEPT. 18  

Lead Abatement Repairs Find out about funding for lead hazard repairs for rental properties with low-income tenants or vacant units in Oakland, Berkeley or Emeryville, from 4 to 6 p.m. at 2000 Embarcadero, #300, Oakland. Sponsored by Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. 567-8280. 

World Affairs/Politics Discussion Group for people aged 60 and over meets at 9:45 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. Donation $3. 524-9122. 

Zen Buddhist Meditation for Everyday Life An introduction at 6:45 p.m. at Bay Zen Center, 315 Alcatraz near College Ave. Suggested donation $10, no one turned away. Register in advance. 596-3087. www.bayzen.org 

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. 

CITY MEETINGS 

Berkeley Unified School District Board meets Wed. Sept. 13, at 7:30 p.m., in the City Council Chambers. Mark Coplan 644-6320. 

Commission on Disability meets Wed., Sept. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Don Brown, 981-6346. TDD: 981-6345.  

Homeless Commission meets Wed., Sept. 13, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Jane Micallef, 981-5426.  

Planning Commission meets Wed., Sept. 13, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7484.  

Police Review Commission meets Wed., Sept. 13, at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-4950.  

Waterfront Commission meets Wed., Sept. 13, at 7 p.m., at 201 University Ave. Cliff Marchetti, 981-6740.  

Commission on Early Childhood Education meets Thurs. Sept. 14, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5428.  

Community Health Commission meets Thurs., Sept. 14, at 6:45 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5356. 

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., Sept. 14, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. Mark Rhoades, 981-7410. 

Creeks Task Force meets Mon. Sept. 18, at 7 p.m. the North Berkeley Senior Center. Erin Dando, 981-7410.  

Council Agenda Committee meets Mon. Sept. 18, at 2:30 p.m., at 2180 Milvia St. 981-6900. 

Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board meets Mon. Sept. 18, at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Pam Wyche, 644-6128 ext. 113.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 12 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Flowers and Foliage” watercolors by Joanna Katz on display at Back in Action Chiropractic Center, 2500 Martin Luther King Jr Way, to Oct. 13.  

FILM 

Global Lens Film Festival “The Night of Truth” at noon, “In the Battlefields” at 2 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland.  

Alternative Visions: “Lunch with Fela” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Myra MacPherson on her biography of I. F. Stone, “All Governments Lie,” at 5:30 p.m. at North Gate Library, Hearst at Euclid Ave., UC Campus. 643-3840. 

Michael Chorost reads from “Rebuilt: How Becomming Part Computer Made me More Human” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. 

“Writers on Reading” with Jon Carroll, Maxine Hong Kingston and April Sinclair, in celebration of Rockridge Library’s 10th Anniversary at 7 p.m. at 5366 College Ave.  

Joan Roughgarden discusses “Evolution and Christian Faith” at 7:30 p.m. in the Large Assembly Room, First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way. Donation $10. 559-9500. 

“True Admissions” College essays by Berkeley High Students at 7 p.m. at JCC, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

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

Old Blind Dogs, Scottish acoustic, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761.  

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

Oliver Mtukudzi, African pop, at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $24, fundraiser for Zimbabwe AIDS Relief. 238-9200.  

Debbie Poryes & Friends at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 13 

THEATER 

California Shakespeare Theater “As You Like It” 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 Oct. 15. Tickets are $15 and up. 548-9666. www.calshakes.org 

FILM 

Global Lens Film Festival “Max and Mona” at 7 p.m., “Almost Brothers” at 9:30 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland.  

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

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Words Upon the Waters” A Poetic Response to Hurricane Katrina at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Fundraiser for Biloxi, MS. Cost is $5-$20. 849-2568. 

Michael Pollan discusses “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Lisa Jervis and Andi Zeisler celebrate “BITCHfest: Ten Years of Cultural Criticism from the pages of BITCH Magazine” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

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, clarinet concertos at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864.  

“The Art of Fugue” in math, music, and art, a concert and discussion with harpsichordist Davitt Moroney, printmaker Elizabeth Harington, and mathematician Robert Osserman at 5:30 p.m. in Chern Hall’s Simons Auditorium, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, 17 Gauss Way, near the intersection of Centennial Drive and Grizzly Peak Blvd. www.msri.org 

Christy Dana Quintet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $6. 841-JAZZ.  

Walter Strauss, blues, folk, rock, at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054.  

Vission Latina at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Rachel Efron at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Old Blind Dogs, Scottish acoustic, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761.  

Peter Barshay Trio at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Oliver Mtukudzi, African pop, at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s. Cost is $24, fundraiser for Zimbabwe AIDS Relief. 238-9200.  

THURSDAY, SEPT. 14 

EXHIBITIONS 

“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. 

FILM 

Global Lens Film Festival “In the Battlefields” at 2 p.m., “Stolen Life” at 7 p.m., “Almost Brothers” at 9:30 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. www.globalfilm.org 

Ali Kazimi: A Commitment to Justice Conversation with the filmmaker at 5:30 p.m. “Shooting Indians” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Hillside Club Arts and Crafts Lecture “Arts and Crafts Furniture Design” A lecture by Debey Zito at 8 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $10. www.hillsideclub.org 

“Signature Architects of the San Francisco Bay Area” with author Dave Weinstein, at 7:30 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Cost is $5-$15. 763-9218.  

Amy Goodman and David Goodman talk with Pratap Chatterjee and Michael Shenoda about “STATIC: Government Liars, Media Cheerleaders and the People Who Fight Back” at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. Tickets are $10-$15 at Cody’s. 559-9500. 

Cecil Brown, musicologist and historian of African-American culture reads from “I Stagolee: A Novel” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Summer Noon Concert with Rhonda Benin and Soulful Strut at the Downtown Berkeley BART station. Free.  

Charming Hostess music salon at 6:30 p.m. at Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. Cost is $6-$8. 549-6950.  

Berkeley Old Time Music Convention with Ginny Hawker, Jody Stechner & Hank Bradley at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Joe Beck & Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $8. 841-JAZZ. 

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

Stigma 13, Year of the Wildcat, Charlie Roman and the Teenage Werewolves at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. 

Uncle Buzzy’s Hometown Variety Show at 8 p.m. at Spud’s Pizza, 3290 Adeline.  

Larry Harlow and the Latin Legends at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $20-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

May Pole, Dora Flood, The Waxfire, indie rock, at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100.  

FRIDAY, SEPT. 15 

THEATER 

Altarena Playhouse “The Foreigner” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 1409 High St, Alameda, through Oct. 1. Cost is $12-$15. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

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

Berkeley High “I Love You, Your’re Perfect, Now Change” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., through Sept. 16 at the Schwimley Little Theater, 1930 Allston Way. Tickets are $6-$20. 

California Shakespeare Theater “As You Like It” 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 Oct. 15. Tickets are $15 and up. 548-9666. www.calshakes.org 

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. www.shotgunplayers.org 

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 

“The Face of Poetry” Photographs by Margaretta Mitchell on dispaly at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St., through Oct. 30. 981-6100. 

“Looking for Hope” Photograhs by Matt O’Brien with text by students in the Oakland Public Schools opens at the Peralta Hacienda Historical Park Museum Gallery, 2465 34th Ave. Artist talk at 6 p.m. Gallery open Thurs.-Fri. 4 to 6 p.m. and Sun. noon to 4 p.m. 532-9142. www.peraltahacienda.org 

“Textures of Space” new paintings by Michael Shemchuck and Mel Davis. Reception at 6 p.m. at Cecile Moochnek Gallery, 1809-D Fourth St. Exhibition runs through Oct. 29. 549-1018.  

“Educate to Liberate: A Retrospective of the Black Panther Community News Service” Exhibition in honor of the 4)th 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. www.oaklandlibrary.org 

Trent Burkett “New Work in Salt and Wood” Opening reception at 5 p.m. at Trax Ceramics Gallery, 1812 Fifth St. Exhibition runs to Oct. 15. 540-8729. www.traxgallery.com 

“Horses in the Trees” works by Mark P. Fisher at Alta Galleria, 2980 College Ave. #4. Exhibition runs to Oct. 7. 421-1255. 

FILM 

Arab Film Festival with 45 films from 12 countries, through Sun. at the California Theater, 2113 Kittredge St.TIckets are $8-$10, festival pass $60-$100. 415-564-1100. www.aff.org 

Friends of African Film “One Evening in July” by Raja Amari, Tunisia, and “Riches” by Ingrid Sinclair, Zimbabwe, at 7:30 p.m. at 464 Van Buren, at Euclid. friendsofafricanfilm 

@yahoo.com 

Global Lens Film Festival “Stolen Life” at 7 p.m., “Thirst” at 9:30 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. www.globalfilm.org 

Ali Kazimi: A Commitment to Justice “Runaway Grooms” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Susan Page discusses “Why Talking is Not Enough: Eight Loving Actions That Will Transform Your Marriage” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Los Utrera in a celebration of Mexican Independence at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $13-$15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Suzhou Kun Opera Theater of Jiangsu “The Peony Pavilion” Fri,. and Sat. at 7 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $30-$86. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Berkeley Old Time Music Convention with new Lost City Ramblers, Stairwell Sisters at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Rep’s Thrust Stage. Cost is $25.50-$26.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Pigeon John, hip hop at noon at Lower Sproul Plaza, UC Campus. 

Upsurge Jazz & Poetry Sextet, in a benefit for library literacy programs, at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Aphrodesia and guests from Ghana, Kusun Ensemble, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance workshop at 8:30 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Tesse Loehwing, jazz, at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Ned Boynton Quintet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Jaia Suri and Fernando Tarango at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Sorrow Town Choir, Trailer Park Rangers, Lansdale Station at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082.  

Risky Business, Wake Up Call at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

Shotgun Wedding Quintet, Dynamic at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $7. 548-1159.  

Human No Longer at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Larry Harlow and the Latin Legends at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $20-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, SEPT. 16 

CHILDREN  

Madeline Dunphy introduces children to the planet’s major ecosystems and the interdependence of wildlife in her books, at 11 a.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St.  

EXHIBITIONS 

“Chroma” works by artists of the Chroma Collective. Reception at 2 p.m. at the Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. Exhibition runs to Oct. 1. 848-1228. 

“Gods and Aeroplanes” mixed media by Sally Rodriguez. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Float Art Gallery, 1091 Calcot Place, Unit # 116, in the front of the historic cotton mill studios, Oakland. 535-1702. www.thefloatcenter.com 

FILM 

Arab Film Festival with 45 films from 12 countries, through Sun. at the California Theater, 2113 Kittredge St. Tickets are $8-$10, festival pass $60-$100. 415-564-1100. www.aff.org 

Global Lens Film Festival “Almost Brothers” at 2 p.m., “The Night of Truth” at 7 p.m., “Stolen Life” at 9:30 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. www.globalfilm.org 

Ali Kazimi: A Commitment to Justice “Continuous Journey” at 6:30 p.m. and “Narmada: A Valley Rises” at 8:45 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“A Fictional History of the United States with Huge Chunks Missing” with Daniel Alarcón, Adam Mansbach and T Cooper at 2 p.m. at Oakland Public Library, 125 14th St. 238-3134.  

Tom Hartman introduces “Screwed: The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class” at 6 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

“Aging Artfully” reading with Amy Gorman at 2 p.m. at Rockridge Library, 5366 College Ave. 527-4977. 

“Edge of Desire: Recent Art in India” Panel discussion at 3 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. Cost is $5-$8. 642-0808. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Benefit Concert to Restore the 1909 Steinway at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Hall, with rock and folk favorites at 6 p.m. at 1924 Cedar at Bonita. Donation $5. 841-4824. 

Zorina London, Huntley Brown and Heavenly Melody Choir at 7:30 p.m. at Black Repertory Theater, 3201 Adeline St. Tickets are $15. 562-2120. 

Araucaria, traditional Chilean music and dance, at 8:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Robin Gregory and her Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Berkeley Old Time Music Convention Square Dance with Squirrelly String Band, Uncle Wiggley, Adam Rose Band, at 7 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

John Richardson Band with Hudson Bunce and John Shinnick at 9 p.m. at the Circus Pub, 389 Colusa Ave, Kensington. 

Ellen Honert and TC at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Slapshaw’s Latin Tryout at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Neydavood Ensemble, classical Persian music, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

The Sick, Insolence, Re Ignition at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Ben Goldberg Quartet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazz- 

school.com 

Josh Workman Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

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

John Howland Trio, Peter Maybarduk, Steve Taylor at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Shinoubu, The Queers, Groovie Ghoulies at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, SEPT. 17 

EXHIBITIONS 

New Works by Kazuyo Sato-Leue, abstract expressionist. Reception at 2 p.m. at Westside Barkery Cafe, 250 Ninth St., and runs through Dec. 31. www.studiokazuyo.com 

“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 

Arab Film Festival with 45 films from 12 countries, at the California Theater, 2113 Kittredge St.TIckets are $8-$10, festival pass $60-$100. 415-564-1100. www.aff.org 

Global Lens Film Festival “Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures” at 2 p.m., “Global Shorts” at 7 p.m., “Stolen Life” at 9:30 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. www.globalfilm.org 

The Unsilent Film: “The Sentimaental Bloke” at 5 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Creative Aging Film Fest at 7 p.m. at JCC, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $10. 848-0237. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Folk and Fine Arts Flux in India Today” Gallery talk with Joanna Williams at 3 p.m. at at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. Cost is $5-$8. 642-0808 

“Building a Jewish Collection” with Alla Efimova, Karen Levitov and George Krevsky at 2 p.m. at Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. Cost is $10-$12. 549-6950.  

S. Beth Atkin talks about “Gunstories: Life-Changing Experiences with Guns” at 4 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Robin Morgan and Helen Zia discuss “Fighting Words” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Novello Quartet performs works of Haydn and Mozart at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Cost is $9-$10. 644-6893. berkeleyartcenter.org 

Jazz at the Chimes with Stephanie Bruce “Peace: An Invocation” at 2 p.m. at 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Cost is $10, includes reception. 288-3207.  

Zorina London, Huntley Brown and Heavenly Melody Choir at 4:30 p.m. at Black Repertory Theater, 3201 Adeline St. Tickets are $15. 562-2120. 

Bearfoot Bluegrass, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Nuccia Focile, soprano at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $48. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Americana Unplugged: Old-Time Cabaret from 3 to 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 655-5715. 

Peter Apfelbaum, The New York Hieroglyphics and Abdoulaye Diabate at 8 and 10 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $18-$20. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Ricardo Peixoto & Marcos Silva Duo, Brazilian classics, at 4:30 at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15-$18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Jason Armstrong & Joe Kenny at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Lethal Agression, Security Threat, Ill Content at 5 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

MONDAY, SEPT. 18 

FILM 

Global Lens Film Festival “Stolen Life” at 7 p.m. at “In the Battlefields” at 9:30 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. www.globalfilm.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Sunnylyn Thibodeaux and Julien Poirier at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Brian Copeland presents the book version of the one-man show he took to Broadway “Not a Genuine Black Man” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Anthony Horowitz, children’s fiction author, at 4 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Poetry Express with Jannie Dresser at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

Mary Gaitskill reads from her new novel “Veronica” set in Paris and Manhattan in the 1980s at 7 p.m. at Cody’s on Fourth St.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Khalil Shaheed, all ages jam, at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

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

Aaron Goldberg Trio at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$14. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com  

By Ken Bullock 

Special to the Planet 

“Bring to me, on a silver charger ...” The story of Salome is familiar enough. From a few terse words in two of the Gospels, in which an unnamed step-daughter of Herod, the Tetrarch of Judea, pleases him with her dancing—and as reward, asks for the head of John the Baptist—the image of Salome as temptress, lovelorn pagan, searching soul in the midst of archaic social decadence, has inspired religious and profane art for centuries. 

The Aurora Theatre’s currently producing Oscar Wilde’s Belle Epoch stage play of the legend, “slightly adapted” and directed by Mark Jackson, whose Death of Meyerhold, which he wrote and directed, was a great success for Shotgun a few years back. 

Probably Wilde’s Salome is more familiar to current audiences through the Richard Strauss opera and the pre-Expressionist, pre-Surrealist, extravagantly stylized illustrations to the book by Aubrey Beardsley. 

Wilde wrote the play in French; it was originally translated into English by Lord Alfred Douglas (there’s no translation credit in the Aurora program), the “Bosie” whose relations with Wilde would lead to the notorious libel suit against Bosie’s father, the Marquis of Queensbury, then Wilde’s trial shortly after Salome’s publication which resulted in Wilde’s imprisonment, the ruin of his career and his legend as a kind of “Poet Maudit” of England, homosexually debauched, artistically effete and grandiosely self-regarding.  

The real intent of Wilde’s writings for both page and stage is another story. But unfortunately director Jackson chooses to confabulate Wilde’s myth with contemporary preoccupations and abandon the dramaturgy of Wilde’s work. 

Wilde’s mother was an ardent Irish nationalist. In his university days and after, he never forgot he was something of an exotic dinner guest at the imperial British table, and he played the part to the hilt. Like a court jester, he wittily impugned the corruption he saw around him, most memorably in bon mots tossed off as if careless, carefree witticisms. They pepper his plays and other writings, besides being a staple of his act of man-about-town, of-the-world. 

Salome seems like an anomaly to all of this. Sometimes dismissed as an over-the-top wallowing in purple verse, it harkens back to Wilde’s close reading of the classics and of scripture at Oxford. Victorian society was much taken up with the notion of its origins in the two opposing traditions of the Greek and the Hebraic—Athens and Jerusalem. 

Thomas Hardy, among others, worked up this opposition of Grecian Beauty versus Judaic Morality into full-blown (and censured) attacks on the hypocrisy and repression of British society and its cultural and moral pretensions. Salome wasn’t produced in Wilde’s lifetime due to a prohibition on plays with biblical personae, not because of its sexual implications  

Wilde’s play takes the story of Palestine under Roman rule, rife with rebels and prophets, and puts it together for the stage in the form of a Greek tragedy, with its chorus opening the play quietly (here more declamatory), gossiping about events already unfolding and about “the Quality” (Herod and his family), utilizing a broad dynamic of voice registers. The chorus of servants and functionaries (Joel Rainwater, Beth Wilmurt, Deontay Wilson, Trish Mulholland) comes from all across the Empire in what should be a range of social mannerism in Tragic speech ignored by most modern translators and adapters, Ezra Pound a notable exception.  

The action develops as Salome (Miranda Calderon) enters, peeling off from a banquet, complaining that Herod keeps looking at her and asks to see Iokannan (John, played by Mark Anderson Phillips) the prophet, whose prophetic outcries from the dungeon fill the palace. She confronts that “voice crying in the wilderness,” makes advances on him--and is spurned. 

Herod (Ron Campbell) and his consort (who is Salome’s mother by Herod’s brother), Herodias (Julia Brothers—splendid throughout), enter, with Herod later requesting for Salome to dance (Herodias protesting). Then comes the dance—and Salome’s own, ghastly request in return (with Herodias, taking Iokanaan’s prophecies of doom as personal libel, approving, to Herod’s dismay), her revenge on the one man who wouldn’t look at her. 

Herod’s offer of all the jewels in his treasury, if Salome will relinquish her grisly request, glitters with their names. Wilde here (and elsewhere) poses the erotically poetic language of the Old Testament’s “Song of Songs” (which became an anthem to European nationalism when translated into the vernaculars) against the stark, spare New Testament admonitions of Iokanaan. Ron Campbell, a talented if problematic comic actor, fiddles so much with gestural and vocal schtick (sometimes palletizing and nasalizing from a whisper up to a scream) that the audience loses the hypnotic language, and the meaning and direction, of the text.  

Wilde’s original is a seductively subversive attack on the English dysfunctional family, via this caricaturish Roman “royal” family of a colonial viceroy and his menage, sunk in decadent and corrupt luxury, strangely fascinated by their “fundamentalist” prisoner, who prophecies of the coming of a new order, of redemption—and judgment. 

With all the recent crop of movies, in particular, that use the Middle American dysfunctional family to criticize the national sense of mission to democratize the world, it’s hard to see how a production of Wilde’s very theatrical rhetoric against the crown of that Empire “on which the sun never set” couldn’t be posed so as to find a contemporary voice, at least vibrate some resonance. 

But Jackson’s sense of Salome as a “coming out” play, a tale of “paedophilia” (though Salome seems to be of marriagable age, if still young), makes this show an awkward manifestation of tabloid aestheticism, taking Wilde’s disguise(s) for the substance of his art. 

The production, with its tiled and marble set, with a metal cage like a lift suspended above (designed by Mikiko Uesugi), and sumptuous costumery (Callie Floor) is irrelevantly relocated to Art Deco New York. And there’s none of the dreamlike grotesquery or strange timelessness of the Aubrey Beardsley figures, just a parody of pantomime instead of stylization, gestures with locked musculature that look like neo-Reichian exercises. 

Salome’s dance itself turns out to be the best thing in the show, choreographed by Chris Black, with Calderon as a kind of Electra of the Discos (Wilde’s Salome reminds one alternately of Electra and of Hamlet with their incestuous familial predicaments), doing a wild combo of Mideastern and Interpretive Dance (and Campbell’s lascivious onlooking finally hits the mark). But lights and sound, even here, are Disneyish illustrations of the action, the stage bathed in red when “blood” is mentioned, wind whistling when Herod alone hears a breeze—and much over-projection by the cast in a small auditorium. 

Sadly, Oscar Wilde’s reputation is built on mostly cheap sensationalism. This production passes up the chance to explore a seldom-produced work, to reveal the face of the artist—and its true expression—behind the rather louche grimace of his mask. 

Salome 

Through Oct. 1 at the Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St. $38. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org.