FRIDAY, SEPT. 22 

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

Discussion of Artist Live/Work Space in West Berkeley with the Civic Arts Commission from 1 to 2 p.m. at 2246 Fifth St., conference room. For information please call 981-7533. 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with John Sutter on “What is New in the Regional Parks?” 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.  

Declaration of Peace Benefit Dinner with panel discussion with Sarad Seed, Michael Eisenschauer, Margot Smith and Jim Haber at 6:30 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Hall, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. Donation $25, no one turned away. 495-5132. 

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

Kol Hadash Humanistic Rosh Hashanah Service at 7:30 p.m. at Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. 428-1492. 

SATURDAY, SEPT. 23 

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tour of Old and New in the North Shattuck Neighborhood, led by Robert Johnson, from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $8-$10. To sign up and for meeting place call 848-0181. www.cityofberkeley. 

info/histsoc/  

Family Nature Hike to meet the creatures around Jewel Lake in Tilden Park. Meet at 10 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center. 525-2233. 

Farm Friends Meet the latest additions to the farm and say hello to the established residents on an interactive tour at 2 pm. at Tilden Little Farm, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Latino Art, Health and Community with vendors, support groups, social services and complementary treatments from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 5741 Telegraph Ave., OAkland. 420-7900. 

Banned Books Week Celebration with a community read-aloud, for all ages, of Alvin Schwartz’s “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” at 4 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6133. 

Poison Oak Learn to identify, prevent and heal poison oak at 11 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

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. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. 

Solo Sierrans Hike in Tilden Park Meet at 5 pm at Lone Oak picnic area for an hour hike through the woods. Optional dinner afterward. 234-8949. 

Autumnal Equinox Gathering Led by Rabbi David Cooper at 6:15 at the Interim Solar Calendar, in Cesar Chavez Park, Berkeley Marina. www.solarcalendar.org 

Free Market Day of Exchange from noon to 4 p.m. at People’s Park. Bring your extra things to give away, and find treasures from others. Everyone welcome. rachel@cathaus.org 

Know Your Rights Training and CopWatch Orientation from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

“The Fight for Immigrant Rights and Black Liberation” with Don Alexander, Spartacist League Central Committee, at 4 p.m. at the YWCA, 1515 Webster St., Oakland. 839-0851.  

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

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.  

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. 

Animal Healing Cicle, a guided meditation to send healing energy to pets at 5 p.m. at RabbitEars, 303 Arlington Ave. Suggested donation $5. 525-6155. 

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. 24 

Farm Stories and Songs Come clap your hands or your paws and sing along at 11 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

“Bee Keeping in the City” A hands-on workshop from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Berkeley Eco-House, 1305 Hopkins St. Cost is $15 sliding scale, no one turned away. For information on what to bring call 547-8715. 

BCA Endorsement Meeting for candidates and ballot measures at 3 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 549-1208. 

Military Families & War Resisters Speak Out at 1 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, Oakland. Donation of $10 to $25 at the door, and $5 for students and seniors. 415-864-5153. 

“9/11 & American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out” with David Ray Griffin, Peter Dale Scott, and Ray McGovern at 7 p.m. at Martin Luther King Middle School. Cost is $15-$20. Sponsored by KPFA. 848-5006. 

“Church House, Dope House, Dream House” a one-woman show by Yehmanja, at 3 p.m. at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. Coomunity discussion following the performance. www.churhchousedopehousedreamhose.org 

“Are We Still Dinosaurs? The Asteroid Test – Protecting the Earth from the Next Big Collision” at 4 p.m. at Chabot Space & Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd. Oakland. Tickets are $6-$8, seating is limited. 336-7373. 

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 Hands-on Bicycle Clinic Learn how to repair flats from 10 to 11 a.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Bring your bike and tools. 527-4140. 

Community Peace Tashlick, the start of the Jewish New Year at 3 p.m. at the Emeryville Marina Follow Powell Street towards the bay past the Holiday Inn and Watergate apartment complex. The road curves to the right. Follow it to the end and park. The event is a short walk from the parking lot. www.bayareawomeninblack.org 

Berkeley City Club free tour from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tours are sponsored by the Berkeley City Club and the Landmark Heritage Foundation. Donations welcome. The Berkeley City Club is located at 2315 Durant Ave. For group reservations or more information, call 848-7800 or 883-9710. 

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  

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. 

Fall Plant Sale at the UC Botanical Garden at 10 a.m. 643-2755. 

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

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 Jack Petranker on “Awareness, Self-Healing and Meditation” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. 

MONDAY, SEPT. 25 

“Encounter Point” A documentary about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. www.encounterpoint.com 

Berkeley School Volunteers Training workshop for volunteers interested in helping the public schools, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. 644-8833. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from noon to 6 p.m. at the Pauley Ballroom, MLK Student Union, UC Campus. Appointments recommended. 773-2404. 

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. 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

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. 

TUESDAY, SEPT. 26 

Tuesday is for the Birds An early morning walk for birders through Bay Area parklands. Bring water, sunscreen, binoculars and a snack. This week we will visit Point Pinole. For meeting location or to borrow binoculars, call 525-2233.  

WriterCoach Connection seeks volunteers to help students improve their writing and critical thinking skills. Training from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. For information contact 524-2319. writercoachconnect@yahoo.com 

“Encounter Point” A documentary about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. Q & A with the filmaker after the 7:30 screening. www.encounterpoint.com 

Albany Library Homework Center is open from 3 to 5 p.m., Tues. and Thurs. for students in third through fifth grades. Emphasis is placed on math and writing skills. No registration is required. 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720 ext 17.  

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

“Older and Wiser: Basic Legal Knowledge for Seniors” Estate planning for seniors at 1:15 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 981-5190. 

Choosing Infant Care A workshop for parents at 7 p.m. at Bananas, 5232 Claremont Ave., Oakland. 658-7353. www.bananasinc.org  

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. 

Handbuilding Ceramics Class from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. John’s Senior Center, 2727 College Ave. Free, except for materials and firing charges. 525-5497. 

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. 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 always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27  

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! We’ll learn about spiders, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Tilden Explorers An after-school nature adventure program for 5-7 year olds, at 3:15 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Circus Circus with Lovee the Clown, face painting and more at 11 a.m. at Habitot, 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111. 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland around Preservation Park to see Victorian architecture. Meet at 10 a.m. in front of Preservation Park at 13th St. and MLK, Jr. Way. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

Discussion of the November Ballot Propositions Sponsored by the Berkeley Grey Panthers at 1:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 548-9696. 

“Help Democrats Take Back Congress” at Bay Area Political Forum at 7 p.m. at the Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. 

“The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil” at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., between Broadway and Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. www.HumanistHall.net 

League of Women Voters “California Clean Money Campaign” with Trent Lange, at 5 p.m. at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Cost is $15. For reservations call 843-8828. 

“The Founding Fathers’ Religious Reasons for Separation of Church and State” with Barbara McGraw, Professor of Business Administration, Saint Mary’s College of California, at 4 p.m. at 110 Barrows Hall, UC Campus. 642-1640. 

Bayswater Book Club meets to discuss “Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11” by David Ray Griffin at 6:30 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, El Cerrito. 433-2911. 

WriterCoach Connection seeks volunteers to help students improve their writing and critical thinking skills. Training session at 6:30 p.m. For information call 524-2319. www.writercoachconnection.org  

Spirited Child Series Learn how temperament affects children’s behavior and how to best live and work with inborn traits at 7 p.m. at Bananas. To register call 752-6150. If you need child care, at $5 per child, call 658-7353.  

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

“Introduction to New Body–New Mind” with Robert Litman at 7 p.m. The Teleosis Institute, 1521 5th St., corner of Cedar St., Upstairs Unit B. Cost is $5-$10. RSVP to 558-7285. 

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

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 

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

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

vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, SEPT. 28 

Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors with Iraq War resister, Latino activist and former Navy Fire Controlman, Pablo Paredes at 6 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th Street between Telegraph and Broadway, Oakland. Donation $5-$10, no one turned away. 465-1617. 

Radio Zapatista Report back and benefit for health care in autonomous Zapatista Communities at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $5-$10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Shopping with the Chef All-organic shopping advice with Lucy Aghadjian at 4 p.m. at the North Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Shattuck Ave. at Rose. 548-3333. 

Easy Does It Disability Assistance Board of Directors Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at 1744A University Ave., behind the Lutheran Church between Grant and McGee. All welcome. 845-5513. www.easyland.org 

Free SAT Strategy Session from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave., El Cerrito. 526-7512. 

Woman’s Heart Health Panel discussion at 7 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Volunteer at Lawrence Hall of Science Open house for new volunteers at 2 p.m. or Sun. at 2 p.m. For information call 643-5471. lawrencehallofscience.org. 

FRIDAY, SEPT. 29 

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 

First Amendment Assembly Speakers include Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post; Daniel Ellsberg, leaker of the Pentagon Papers; Judith Miller, former New York Times reporter; Gabriel Schoenfeld, Commentary Magazine essayist; and Dan Weintraub, political columnist for the Sacramento Bee Fri. from 3:15 to 8:45 p.m. and Sat. from 8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. at UC Graduate School of Journalism, North Gate Hall. Cos tis $50. To register see www.cfac.org 

“Bridging the Chasm between Islam and the West” with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Founder & Director of the American Society for the Advancement of Muslims at 7:30 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. www.uucb.org  

BOSS’s Homeless Graduation and the 60th birthday of Executive Director boona cheema at 6 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. For tickets and information call 649-1930.  

“East Asia in Transition: Comprehensive Security in the Pacific Rim”Conference from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Toll Room, Alumni House, UC Campus. 642-2809. http://ieas.berkeley. 

edu/events/2006.09.29.html 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Bart Ney of CalTrans on “Retrofitting the Bay Bridge.” 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.  

CITY MEETINGS 

Parks and Recreation Commission meets Mon., Sept. 25, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5158.  

City Council meets Tues., Sept. 26, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900.  

Library Board of Trustees meets Wed., Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6195.  

Civic Arts Commission meets Wed., Sept. 27, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7533.  

Disaster and Fire Safety Commission meets Wed., Sept. 27, at 7 p.m., at the Emergency Operations Center, 997 Cedar St. 981-5502.  

Energy Commission meets Wed., Sept. 27, at 6:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Neal De Snoo, 981-5434.  

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

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., Sept. 28 at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. Mark Rhoades, 981-7410.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 22 

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 

Berkeley Rep “Mother Courage” at 8 p.m. at the Roda Theater, 2025 Addison St., through Oct. 22. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

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 

“Church House, Dope House, Dream House” a one-woman show by Yehmanja, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $25. www.churhchousedopehousedreamhose.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater, “The Orchid Sandwich” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. through Oct. 21. at 951 Pomona Ave. El Cerrito. Tickets are $11-$18. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Impact Theatre “Colorado” A dark comedy about celebrity worship, Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. Tickets are $10-$15. Runs through Oct. 28. 464-4468. www.impacttheatre.com 

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 

“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. Gallery open Thurs.-Fri. 4 to 6 p.m. and Sun. noon to 4 p.m. 532-9142. www.peraltahacienda.org 

“The Halloween Show” Mixed media group show. Reception at 7 p.m. at Eclectix, 7523 Fairmont Ave., El Cerrito. Runs through Nov. 4. 364-7261. 

FILM 

The Cinema of Jea-Pierre and Luc Dardenne “La promesse” at 7 p.m. and “Je pense a vous” at 9 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Oakland S.O.U.P.: Sing, Open Up, and Poetize, with Jan Steckel at 6:30 p.m. at Temescal Café. 4920 Telegraph Ave. selene@matchlessgoddess.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Deep Roots Dance “Envoi” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Eighth Street Studio Theater, 2525 8th St. Cost is $10-$15.  

Toshi Reagon at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Savion Glover, tap dancer, at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $28-$68. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Tom Peron/Bud Spangler Interplay Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Pele Juju with the Shelley Doy Extet at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15-$17. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Amy Meyers and Judea Eden at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Storyhill, contemporary folk duo, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Matt Renzie Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Johnny Reyes and Amy Obenski at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. 

Guerilla Hi-Fi, Double Stroke, Myles Boisen’s Past-Present-Future at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082.  

Allegiance, Ceremony, Acts of Sedition, benefit for the American Cancer Society, 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. 

Native Elements, live roots reggae, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $7-$9. 548-1159.  

San Pablo Project at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Lava Nights, One in the Chamber at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $8. 451-8100.  

Karrin Allyson at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $22-$26. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, SEPT. 23 

EXHIBITIONS 

“The Face of Poetry” Photographs by Margaretta Mitchell. Artist talk at 3 p.m. in the Community Room 3rd Flr., Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St., through Oct. 30. 981-6100. 

“Flowers and Foliage” watercolors by Joanna Katz. Reception at 3 p.m. at Back in Action Chiropractic Center, 2500 Martin Luther King Jr Way. 

“Symbols and Myths” Chinese Hill Tribe Batiks and Embroideries. Reception at 5 p.m. at Ethic Arts and Red Gingko, 1314 10th St. 527-5270. 

FILM 

The Cinema of Jea-Pierre and Luc Dardenne “Rosetta” at 6:30 p.m. and “Falsch” at 8:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Peter Phillips, Dennis Loo and others talk about “Impeach the President: The Case Against Bush and Cheney” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Robert Harris describes “Imperium” the story of Marcus Cicero’s rise to power, at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Brian Daffern introduces his new fantasy-adventure “The Ambient Knight” at 2 p.m. at the ASUC Bookstore, Bancroft and Telegraph.  

Rhythm & Muse features Upsurge! with jazz poets Zigi Lowenberg and Raymond Nat Turner, at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., between Eunice & Rose Sts. 644-6893.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Trinity Chamber Concerts presents Stephen Sondheim’s “Company” at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St., between Durant and Bancroft. Tickets are $8-$12. For reservations call 549-3864. www.trinitychamberconcerts.com 

One Soul Sounding Concert and Ritual Autumn Equinox Celebration at 7:30 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $15-$22. www.lisarafel.com  

Bryan Baker, piano and Rod Lowe, tenor, at 8 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensingon. Tickets are $15-$50. 525-0302. 

“A Walk by the Sea” World dance and music performance by Mahealani Uchiyama and guests, at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Cost is $20. 845-2605. www.mahea.com 

“Movements of Bliss” Sacred dance of India by the Odissi Vilas Dance Company at 7 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $12-$15. 415-456-2799. 

Bayanihan Philippine National Dance Company at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $22-$42. 642-9988.  

Bird by Snow, Spencer Owen, and James Moore at 8 p.m. at The Living Room, 3230 Adeline St. Donation $2. 601-5774. 

Los Boleros at 9:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12. 849-2568.  

Rhonda Benin & Soulful Strut at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054.  

Cyndi Harvey and Johnny Mac at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

David Jacobs-Strain, progressive roots and blues, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Mimi Fox, solo guitar, at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15-$18. 845-5373. 

Ken Berman Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

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

The Ravines at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

KC Booker & Big Soul, Rock ‘n’ Roll Adventure Kids, Little Boy Blue, at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. All ages show. Cost is $7. 841-2082.  

Matt Morrish & Trinket Lover at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Tinkture, Toast Machine at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, SEPT. 24 

THEATER 

African-American Shakespeare Company “Taming of the Shrew” at 4 p.m. at Woodminster Amphitheater, 3300 Joaquin Miller Rd. Oakland. 238-7275.  

EXHIBITIONS  

“The Whole World is Watching” Peace and Social Justice movements of the 1960’s & 1970’s documentary photographs. Reception at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893.  

Judith Corning “Parklands” Reception with the artist at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

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

“Measure of Time” Guided tour at 2 p.m. lecture by Linda Dalrymple Henderson at 3 p.m at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. 

FILM 

The Mechanical Age “Sherlock Jr.” at 4 p.m. and “The Man with a Movie Camera” at 5:20 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Annual Grito de Lares Celebration from 4 to 7:30 p.m. p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$15. 849-2568.  

“9/11 & American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out” at 7 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. School. Tickets are $15 in advance. 486-0698.  

Murray Silverstein reads “Any Old Wolf” and “Patterns of Home” at 4 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Benefit Classical and Jazz Concert to restore the 1909 Steinway at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Hall, from 2 to 6 p.m. at 1924 Cedar. Donation $5. 841-4824. 

Rolando Villazón, tenor, at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $68. 642-9988.  

Tilden Trio at 7 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost ia $10-$15. 845-1350. 

Opera at the Chimes: Scenes from Carmen at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $18-$22, includes reception. 836-6772. 

Sundays at Four Concert with oboist Laura Reynolds, clarinetist Bruce Foster, and the Sor Ensemble Series at 4 p.m. at Crowden Music Center, 1475 Rose St. Tickets are $18, children under 18 free. 559-2941.  

Crosspulse Rhythm Duo at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $7.50-$12.50. 925-798-1300. 

Vern Williams Memorial Concert at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $22.50-$23.50. 548-1761.  

Brazilian Soul Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Americana Unplugged: The Whiskey Brothers at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 655-5715. 

Kenny Werner Trio at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $18. 845-5373. 

Nate Lopez at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. 

Zoe Ellis Group at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

MONDAY, SEPT. 25 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Ayun Halliday reads from “Dirty Sugar Cookies” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

“The Myths and Reality of the Near-Death Experience” with author PMH Atwater at 7 p.m. at Unity, 2075 Eunice St. Donation $10. 523-4376. 

Poetry Express theme night on favorite poems at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

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.  

Musica ha Disconnesso at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Sarah Manning at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $6-$12. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com  

TUESDAY, SEPT. 26 

FILM 

Alternative Visions “Charming Augustine” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson talks about the mental and emotional loves of animals at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Maybeck Trio at 8 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Tickets are $20. 525-5211. www.berkeleychamberperform.org 

Tom Rigney & Flambeau at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun Zydeco dance lesson a 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

Beth Custer’s Clarinet Thing at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Randy Craig Trio at 7:30 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Larry Coryell, Victor Bailey, Lenny White Trio at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Jazzschool Tuesdays, a weekly showcase of up-and-coming ensembles from Berkeley Jazzschool at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Colors” A group show by East Bay Women Artists opens at Royal Ground Gallery, 2058 Mountain Blvd., Montclair, Oakland. Exhibition runs to Jan. 7. 451-2661. 

FILM 

Celebrate Oaxaca! “Sketches of Juchitan” at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $13-$15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Pirates and Piracy “Sonic Outlaws” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Writing Teachers Write” featuring Amy Brooks at 5 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

John Stauber describes “The Best War Ever: Lies, Damned Lies, and the Mess in Iraq” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

“Iranian Voices in Diaspora” with Iranian writers including poets Persis Karim and Mahnaz Badihian and Persian-inspired music by Aleph Null at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

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, with University Symphony Orchestra at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864.  

UC Jazz Ensembles at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ.  

Arwen Castellanos & Jorge Liceaga, film and concert celebrating Oaxaca at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $13-$15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Tribute to the Conga at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Salsa lessons at 8 p.m. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Izabella at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Maria Kalaniemi Trio at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761.  

Larry Coryell, Victor Bailey, Lenny White Trio at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, SEPT. 28 

THEATER 

Shotgun Players “Love is a Dream House in Lorin” by Marcus Gardley, inspired by true stories of Berkeley’s historic Lorin District, Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Nov. 5. Sliding scale $15-$30. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

Civic Center Art Exhibition 2006-2007 Opening ceremony at 3 p.m. at Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center Courtyard, 2180 Milvia St. RSVP to 981-7541. 

FILM 

The Mechanical Age “The Serial and the Mechanical Age” at 7:30 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.  

Vangie Buell reads from her memoir of growing up in the Philippines “Twenty-five Chickens and a Pig for a Bride” at at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Laurence Juber, guitar, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Wayward Monks at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Omar Ait Vimoun, Algerian Berber music on mandol and oud, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Is, The Bluegrass Revolution, at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082. 

A Tribute to Tony Williams with Allan Holdsworth, Alan Pasqua Group, at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $20-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com

Film was the dominant art form of the 1920s, an international cultural phenomenon which, in the days before sound, was considered a universal language.  

No one seemed to have more fun with the form and its potential than the Germans, who exploited every camera angle, every trick of light, every effect—technical, psychological and otherwise—that the medium had to offer. 

Two rare German silents have been released by Kino that illustrate the point beautifully. Asphalt and Warning Shadows, masterpieces of Expressionism, take vastly different approaches to the form while reveling in its indulgences. 

If, as Godard said, the history of cinema is men photographing women, these two films fit the mold. Both feature luminous beauties in the lead roles, with the men around them driven nearly to ruin by desire and lust.  

Asphalt starts with a cinematic bang, with a rush of images merging and hurdling by in a stunning montage of the throbbing city, the hustle and bustle, the energy and the vice. Then, about 20 minutes in, it takes a step toward melodrama, but beautifully constructed and artful melodrama, with every furtive glance, every emotion, every moment drawn out for maximum effect. The plot is remarkably simple, and could be explained in 10 seconds. But it is not the story that matters so much as the manner in which it is conveyed. Director Joe May constructs the film like a master musician playing just a few notes but playing them with such virtuosity that a few notes are all that are needed.  

Warning Shadows is slightly less accessible but no less remarkable in its achievement. It is a purely visual film, with no intertitles to convey plot or dialogue—beyond the opening credits, that is, which feature each actor appearing on a proscenium, each introduced along with his shadow, for shadows prove to be characters as much as the people who cast them.  

The story concerns a woman and her husband. They are hosting a dinner party of her suitors. A traveling entertainer crashes the party and proceeds to put on a show of shadow puppetry, a show that plumbs the depths of each character’s consciousness. The shadows take on the semblance of reality, acting out a passion play that, in the best Expressionist fashion, gives shape to the tensions and desires in the minds of the party’s hosts and their guests. The husband, overcome with jealous rage, seeks revenge on his flirtatious wife and her ardent suitors, while her beauty and careless allure lead the men to destroy first her and then each other.  

The film was photographed by Fritz Arno Wagner, the famed cinematographer who also shot F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu and Fritz Lang’s M. 

Expressionism can be an acquired taste, but it holds many of the same pleasures as American film noir: the overwrought emotion, the heightened reality, the dark shadows and shady characters. And these two films play up those qualities, creating strange, twisted, fever-pitched realities. It is an art that celebrates its own artifice. 

Fritz Lang is best known today for Metropolis, the 1927 science fiction classic that recently screened at Pacific Film Archive. The film has been tremendously popular throughout the decades, and the fact that much of the film has been lost, cut by censors and misguided studios, has only added to its allure. 

But the unfortunate result is that a misconception has developed over the years, leaving many modern viewers with the notion that Metropolis represents not only the best of Lang, but the best of silent cinema. 

As fine an achievement as Metropolis is, it is by no means the best film of its time. Not even close. Influential, yes. Enjoyable, yes. Well made, yes. But for the most part it is influential primarily in its own genre.  

Lang was hardly devoted to science fiction. In fact, he was primarily interested in realism; he wanted to tell stories rooted in the realities of Germany life. But Metropolis does contain many typical Lang characteristics: It is full of the sort of grand production values and plots that Lang could indulge in when backed by Ufa, the powerful and financially flush German studio that produced most of Lang’s early films.  

Lang made several long, somewhat overblown films for Ufa in the 1920s, including Die Nibelungen (1924), Spies (1928) and Woman in the Moon (1929), all of which have been previously released on DVD by Kino in excellent editions based on restored prints. But the best film he made in the silent era precedes all of these.  

Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (1922) catches Lang before his visions became quite so grandiose. It is pure Lang in so many ways: a pulpy, somewhat lowbrow story; a lengthy running time; an obsession with grand, symmetric imagery. Kino has just released the film in a newly restored version on DVD, tracking down more previously missing footage to make this the most complete version yet. The visual quality is spectacular, and the scoring is also excellent. And Kino has placed the two parts on two separate discs, reinforcing a detail that has been glossed over in some presentations: Dr. Mabuse is actually two films, released separately over a short period of time—the original Kill Bill. 

The only drawback is that the set contains no extra features. The previous DVD incarnation, released by Image Entertainment, boasted an excellent commentary track with historical background and insightful criticism. For those interested in delving deeper into this classic, that edition is still indispensable.  

The opening scenes of Mabuse quickly and brilliantly set the tone, establishing Mabuse’s master-of-disguise persona before diving immediately into intrigue with a sequence in which a government document is stolen and used by Mabuse to manipulate the stock market. It is a complex bit of choreography that features great use of Lang’s favored symmetric compositions, the most striking image being a trestle bridge that crosses the screen, framing beneath it a road on which a speeding automobile hurdles toward the camera, contrasting the horizontal rush of the train with the rapidly approaching vertical movement of the car. 

The sequence ends with the final result of the theft: a decimated stock exchange, empty except for the ominous superimposed face of the supercriminal Mabuse.  

Lang was bold and brash with his scope and subject matter—even more so with his own public persona—but despite these few examples, he was rarely daring in a technical sense. His camera rarely moves, his shots are rarely dynamic; indeed, they contain little of the style and flourish typical of German films of the period. Instead he holds the camera still, creating mostly static compositions, relying on character and context to hold the viewer’s attention. The idea was that surprising angles and compositions were too easily undermined by their overuse. Therefore a more restrained style would increase the impact of more experimental shots. However, when the actors are weak, the weakness of the technique reveals itself, especially when Lang chose to employ another of his vacuous paramours. But with Rudolf Klein-Rogge in the title role, Lang had found his true muse, an actor who could hold the camera’s attention.  

Those static, symmetric shots have their own power, but Lang overuses them. In fact, it can come as something of a relief when he veers from them, for then the film develops a more dynamic energy. Shots of the Excelsior Hotel, for instance, are photographed dead-on from the outside, the revolving door and sign center screen. Likewise the Andalusian nightclub. Until, that is, the maitre d’ takes Inspector Van Wenk out the back door to lead him to the illicit gambling den. Here Lang, just for a moment, embraces the Expressionist aesthetic of the era with an excellent composition: straight ahead, a balcony runs across the top of the screen, with a dark, shadowy staircase running down the right side of the frame. In the foreground, a decaying archway and pillars with peeling paint frame the scene as the two men traverse the frame from left to right, through the archway, behind the pillar, up the stairs and through a doorway. It is simple but immensely effective, taking what could have been a perfunctory moment and transforming it into something much more dramatically compelling. 

And this is where Lang truly excels: In taking relatively mundane, pulpish subject matter and elevating it to the point of artful melodrama. When he takes things too seriously he fails. Die Niebelungen collapses under the weight of its own gravity; Metropolis, which for the most part consists of fun, melodramatic silliness, is diminished by its trite, tacked-on message (“The mediator between Head and Hands must be the HEART!”). With Spies, Lang returned to the Mabuse mold, with Klein-Rogge again playing a criminal mastermind, but the film is somewhat less successful than the Mabuse films.  

Mabuse is pure schlock, but it is schlock of a high order. It was meant to reflect the tawdry side of the waning days of the Weimar Republic, but that intellectual aspect is hardly necessary to enjoy the movie. Indeed, it seems more like an after-the-fact rationalization for a wild, silly tale. In fact, the film really has more of the feel of a serial, and this may in fact be the best way to enjoy it, watching just a couple of acts at a time, as each act without fail ends with a cliffhanger. 

Eventually Lang would find himself on a tighter leash. Without Ufa’s backing—lost in part due to Metropolis’ extravagant budget—Lang was no longer able to indulge his every whim. The result were films in which he displayed remarkable economy and ingenuity, overcoming small budgets and limited resources with innovation and improvisation. The first of these, M (1931), Lang’s first sound film, is his best work. And this was followed by another Mabuse film, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1932). Both films catch Lang at his peak, with taught, economical visual storytelling combined with innovative use of sound. Lang counterpointed his sound effects with sequences of absolute silence, evincing a confidence and sophistication rare in the early sound era. These two films have none of Lang’s heavy-handed, plodding story development and few of his mind-numbing symmetric compositions, but instead transform their minimal resources into movies of maximum effect. Both have been previously released in excellent DVD editions by the Criterion Collection.  

Ranging from a violent clash between brothers in a quiet orchard, to edgy life at court under the onus of a suspicious usurper, to philosophical exile in the Forest of Arden where the usurper’s own brother, the deposed duke, has fled with his retinue, CalShakes’ As You Like It, directed by artistic director Jonathan Moscone, spreads out from a series of situations and encounters into a big show (if not quite a spectacle), incorporating a gypsy band, vocal renditions of The Bard’s sublime songs, a rather modest drag act, a little Big Time Wrestling, a good deal of business and routines imported from cabaret, burlesque and sitcom ... in other words, something of an extravaganza, played out under an enormous moon waxing through the boughs of trees (all scenery) to the nighttime sound of crickets (very real), in the Bruns Amphitheatre, facing the hills over Siesta Valley near Orinda.  

The central focus is the love between Rosalind (Susannah Schulman) and Orlando (Stephen Barker Turner)—she the daughter of an exiled duke, banished herself by her usurping uncle (both men played by Peter Callender); he the wrongly disinherited son of the old duke’s retainer, who also flees to the Forest of Arden to escape the wrath of his brother. 

But as in many of Shakespeare’s comedies, each action, every predicament is mirrored or contradicted by another, the very words flying “like a white doe,” as Melville said of the Truth in Shakespeare, “from tree to tree in the woodlands,” striking strange chords from simple tunes, all resolved in the marriage of four unlikely couples. 

“One of Shakespeare’s most eloquent Romantic comedies,” says Moscone, and this production’s a breezy one, with quick scene changes, some overlapping. Quickly working through the various encounters that establish all the various interweaving complications, the action passes to the exiled duke’s habitat, where he lives “with many merry men in the Forest of Arden, like the old Robin Hood of England.” The ebullient exile is contrasted with his terse, cruel brother through lightning-quick costume changes as much as by manner.  

Here, in a sublunar Arcady, rustics pursue each other in love-play, and the love-lorn Orlando finds himself hanging leaves of verse on the bare branches, proclaiming his love for the briefly-glimpsed Rosalind (besides throwing them into the audience as reams of broadsides, as well as hoisting her name alphabetically on a display of banners, its cord finally cut by melancholic Jaques—a fine casting of Andy Murray—the humorist). Here, too, Orlando again meets his love, but unawares (“Does he know I am in this forest, and in man’s apparel?”)—and she slurs love itself to him, saying, “I would not be cured, youth! I would cure you if you come every day to my cot, and call me Rosalind and woo me.” 

It’s in the Forest that the music strikes up, Gina Leishman’s hot gypsy strains, played behind and in front of the action with brio by “The Band from Amiens,” Dan Cantrell, Lila Sklar and Djordje Stijepovic, on accordion, skirling violin and bass fiddle plucked and bowed. The show truly comes into its own then, with rousing group dancing, and song in unison, as well as a particularly good solo, almost chanson, by Julie Eccles (finely playing Celia, Rosalind’s cousin, who follows her into the Forest as “Aliena”) of “Under The Greenwood Tree.” “I like this place, and willingly could waste my time in it.”  

There are good, almost cracker barrel, burlesques in the comic routines that stand out: Dan Hiatt as a wonderful Touchstone, the Fool who follows the ladies from court into exile, lolling in a rocking chair he’s just rocked himself out of, exchanging drolleries with an astute shepherd (Rod Gnapp) and proposing to his match, rustic Audrey (“I do not know what poetical is!”). A drunken minister and an obtuse boyish bucolic cluelessly in love with Audrey are skillfully portrayed by James Carpenter, who also plays Adam, Orlando’s loyal retainer. Max Gordon Moore essays the parts of a foppish courtier frog who drops his accent for streetwise talk when he warns off Orlando from the usurper’s wiles and a gawking shepherd boy, whose cig-puffing intended Phoebe (Delia MacDougall) ends up pursuing cross-dressed Rosalind, even coming on with a torch song, in feather boa at a stand-up mic. 

The wedding at the end is grand, with a bride in topper and suspenders over white veil and ruffles. The threat from the usurper is gone through a Deus ex machina: an unseen religious man has turned him into an anchorite, and Jaques, who once was “ambitious for a motley coat,” flees the general happiness to join the converted villain in the hermitage. 

“And so from hour to hour we ripe and ripe, from hour to hour we rot and rot, and there hangs a tale ... and so I laughed.” Jaques the melancholy serves as counterpoint, and underlines the Bard’s sly logic—and strange dispassion—of love. When Andy Murray is reciting, or Julie Eccles is singing, they (and we) taste his words and the shadow of the world behind them. But sometimes the trimmings get too rich and run over, obscuring the geometry of the clear, clean lines moving in a coincidence of opposites. On Kris Stone’s marvelous set (well-lit by Alexander V. Nichols, with sound by James Ballen and wildly diverse costumery by Katherine Roth), the cast moves with alacrity (well-choreograhed and fight-directed by MaryBeth Cavanaugh and Dave Maier) and speaks well. “Say then good-bye, and you talk in blank verse!” 

But the showmanship can stir up the dust in the missed silences that dog the glib speech (“Why, it is good to be sad and say nothing!” exclaims Jaques), and also pile gesture upon gesture unto gesticulation. There are moments—belied by Audrey’s noodling a line from My Fair Lady—where one asks, “Is this Brigadoon or what?”  

But in any case, it really is, in Ed Sullivan’s words, a really big show. 

AS YOU LIKE IT 

7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday through Oct. 15 at the Bruns Amphitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd., Orinda. $15 and up. 548-9666. www.calshakes.org.