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.  

SATURDAY, SEPT. 30 

2nd Annual Berkeley Juggling and Unicycling Festival Sat. and Sun. beginning at 10 a.m. at King Middle School, 1781 Rose Ave., with a show at 7:30 p.m. www.berkeleyjuggling.org 

Take Back the House with the Progressive Democrats of the East Bay and East Bay Young Democratic Club at 3 p.m. at Albatross Pub, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $30-$35. 601-6456. www.pdeastbay.org 

Community Reading of “Funny in Farsi” and “The Circuit” at 11 a.m. at the West Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6147. 

IMPACT Bay Area’s Advocates for Women Awards Luncheon and Auction from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Scott’s Seafood Restaurant, Oakland. Cost is $65. www. impactbayarea.org 

“Untraining White Liberal Racism” An introductory workshop from 1 to 5 p.m. at Berkeley High School Library, 1980 Allston Way. Cost is $10-$50 sliding scale, no one turned away. 235-3957.  

“Positively Ageless: A Celebration of Art and Aging” Art auction and benefit for Adult Day Services of Alameda County from 6 to 8 p.m. at 4th Street Studio, 1717 Fourth St. Tickets are $25. For reservations call 577-3543. 

Walking Tour of Jack London Waterfront Meet at 10 a.m. at the corner of Broadway and Embarcadero. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234.  

Don’t be Rattled Learn about the rattlesnake, one of the Bay Area’s most misunderstood inhabitants at 10:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Evergreen Shrubs for Structural & Architectural Solutions at 10 a.m. at Magic Gardens, 729 Heinz Ave. 644-2351. 

“Creating An Ecological House” with Skip Wentz on natural building materials, solar designand alternative construction methods, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Building Education Center, 812 Page St. Cost is $75. 525-7610. 

“Special Circumstances” A film on Héctor Salgado, Chilean political prisoner, at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Discussion with filmmakers will follow. Cost is $8-$10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Circle Dancing Simple folk dancing for all, beginners welcome, no partners needed. At 7:30 p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St. at University Ave. Donation $5. 528-4253.  

The Asthma Walk at Lake Merritt supports asthma research & education. Check in at 9 a.m., walk starts at 10 a.m. For information and directions call 893-5474. www.alaebay.org 

Passport Fair with information from Lonely Planet authors about planning your next trip from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Oakland Main Post Office, 1675 7th St., Oakland. 

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

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

Animal Communication for healing or therapy at RabbitEars, 303 Arlington Ave. Cost is $25 for 15 minute session, call for appointment. 525-6155. 

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. 

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

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

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

SUNDAY, OCT. 1 

People’s Park Community Garden Day Come join other gardeners as we spiffy up the west end Community Garden in People’s Park from noon to 4 p.m. 658-9178. 

Tenth Anniversary Celebration of Halcyon Commons Park Block party between Prince & Webster, from 1 to 4 p.m. with music, fun activities for children, and a program on the history of the community-designed park. Free. 849-1969. 

Spinning a Yarn Learn how yarn is made on a spinning wheel and try your hand with a spindle from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Owls and Oaks Learn the folk legends and the true stories of owls at 11 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Otsukimi Japanese Moon Viewing Festival at 5:30 p.m. at the Lakeside Park Garden Center, 666 Belleview Ave., Oakland. 482-5896. www.oakland-fukuoka.org 

Animal Day at the Kensington Farmers Market to support the work of local rescue groups, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 303 Arlington Ave. at Amherst, behind Ace Hardware. 528-4346. 

Vernon Wenrich Memorial Picnic will be held at 1 p.m. to honor the life of a man who served as counselor at Berkeley High School for over 40 years, many of those as head counselor. For more details call Marjorie Wenrich at 206-355-5197.  

East Bay Atheists Annual Picnic from noon to 4:30 p.m. at Big Leaf Picnic Area, Tilden Park. Please bring a dish to share with everyone else. We will provide hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks. Donation $8. 222-7580. 

Equal Partner Yoga from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club Open House from 1 to 4 p..m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

Volunteer at Lawrence Hall odf Science Open House for new volunteers from 2 to 3:30 p.m. For informati`on call 643-5471. 

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

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

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

Tibetan Buddhism with Sylvia Gretchen on “Sustained by Joy” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, OCT. 2 

Evening of Conscience to Benefit World Can’t Wait-Drive Out the Bush Regime with Daniel Ellsberg, Boots Riley, and Alice Walker at 7 p.m. at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave. Suggested donation $15-$50. 415-864-5153. 

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. 

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. 

Awakening Your Inner Healer An introduction to qi gong at 7 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Lead Abatement Repairs Find out about funding for lead hazard repairs for rental properties with low-income tenants or vacant units, from 4 to 6 p.m. at 2000 Embarcadero, #300, Oakland. 567-8280. 

TUESDAY, OCT. 3 

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 Arrowhead Marsh. For meeting location or to borrow binoculars, call 525-2233.  

Berkeley School Volunteers Training workshop for volunteers interested in helping the public schools, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. 644-8833. 

Torture Teach-in and Vigil with Father Louis Vitale at 12:30 p.m. at the fountain on UC Campus, Bancroft at College. 649-0663. 

Environmental Links to Breast Cancer at 7:30 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Discussion Salon on Clean Money and Campaign Reform at 7 p.m. at JCC, 1414 Walnut.  

Sleep Soundly Seminar A free class on how hypnosis can help you sleep at 6:30 p.m. at 378 Jayne Ave., Oakland. To register call 465-2524. 

Guitars in the Classroom Free music and guitar classes for public school elementary teachers, beginners at 5:30 and intermediate at 6:30 p.m. at Lakeview Elementary School, 746 Grand Ave., Oakland. Classes run for 8 weeks. Advanced registration is required. 848-9463. 

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

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. 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. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 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, OCT. 4  

Berkeley Path Wanderers Association’s Fall Leaf Walk An easy stroll to enjoy falling leaves, ending with making leaf prints. Meet at the picnic area with the large fireplace in Live Oak Park, between Shattuck and Walnut, north of Rose. 524-2383. www.berkeleypaths.org  

Neighborhood and Community Green Space with David Dobereiner on “The Legacy of Karl Linn” at 1 p.m. in Wurster Hall, Room 315A, UC Campus. 

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. 

Friends of the Albany Library Annual Meeting with local author Ellen Ekstrom reading from her new novel, “The Legacy” at 7:30 p.m. at 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 16. 

Friends of the Oakland Library Booksale at The Bookmark Bookstore from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to Oct. 7 at 721 Washington St. 444-0473. 

Youth Media Council’s “Unplug Clear Channel” Party at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $3-$5. 849-2568. 

“Know Your Rights: What Employers Don’t Want You to Know” with author Carol Denise Mitchell at 6:30 p.m. at the Oakland Public Library, West Auditorium, 125 !4th St. 238-3134. 

WriterCoach Connection seeks volunteers to help students improve their writing and critical thinking skills. Training session from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. For information call 524-2319. www.writercoachconnection.org  

American Red Cross Blood Services Volunteer Orientation from 10 a.m. to noon. Various East Bay opportunities available. Advanced sign-up is required; please call 594-5165.  

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 and a warm hat. 548-9840. 

“Living with Ones and Twos” Practical advice for parents with Meg Zweiback, nurse practitioner at 7 p.m. at Bananas, 5232 Claremont Ave., Oakland. Advance registration requested. 658-7353. www.bananasinc.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, 5232 Claremont Ave., Oakland. To register call 752-6150. If you need child care, at $5 per child, call 658-7353.  

New to DVD “Water” Film and discussion at 7 p.m. at the JCC, 1414 Walnut St. Donation $3-$5. 848-0237, ext. 132. 

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

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

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

vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, OCT. 5 

North East Berkeley Association Candidates Night for Mayor and School Board at 7 p.m. at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 

“Maquilapolis” A documentary on lives caught in the border-zone of the globalized economy, by Vicky Funari and Sergio De La Torre at 8:30 p.m. at Transmissions Gallery, 1177 San Pablo Ave. 558-4084. www.transmissions-gallery.com  

Workshop for Educators “More Than Your Standard Garden” Your school garden can be an outdoor classroom for science, math, or language arts. Learn how to develop standards-based lesson plans and link existing activities to California Content Standards. From 4 to 6 p.m.. in Oakland. Cost is $25, scholarships available. 665-3546. www.thewatershedproject.org  

Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival at 7 p.m. at the Lawrence Hall of Science. Tickets are $13-$15. 530-265-6424.  

Environmental Film Series “Life + Debt”on the effects of globalization on Jamaica and on the world’s developing countries at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

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

Drop-in Health Clinics from 9 to noon at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst. 981-5190. 

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. 

Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters Club meets at 6:45 a.m. at Spud’s Pizza, 3290 Adeline at Alcatraz. Free, all are welcome. namaste@avatar.freetoasthost.info  

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

ONGOING 

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

CITY MEETINGS 

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

www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil/agenda-committee 

Commission on the Status of Women meets Wed., Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Tasha Tervelon, 981-5190. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/women 

Downtown Area Plan Advisory Commission meets Wed. Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7487. 981-7487. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/planning/landuse/dap 

School Board meets Wed. Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m., in the City Council Chambers. Queen Graham 644-6147 or Mark Coplan 644-6320. 

Housing Advisory Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 5, at 7:30 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Oscar Sung, 981-5400. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/housing 

Landmarks Preservation Commission meets Thurs. Oct. 5, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Gisele Sorensen, 981-7419. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/landmarks 

Public Works Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 5, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Jeff Egeberg, 981-6406. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/publicworks 

West Berkeley Project Area Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 5, at 7 p.m., at the West Berkeley Senior Center. Iris Starr, 981-7520. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/westberkeley

FRIDAY, SEPT. 29 

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 

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. 

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 

UC Dept. of Theater “Suburban Motel” six plays by George Walker at Zellerbach Playhouse, UC Campus, through Nov. 19. Tickets are $8-$14. For schedule see http://theater.berkeley.edu 

FILM 

The Cinema of Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne “The Son” at 7 p.m. and “The Child” at 9:05 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Taiwan Film Festival “Murmer of Youth” at 3 p.m. at Pacific Fim Archive, and “Tigerwomen Grow Wings” at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum Theater, 2621 Durant. 642-2809. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Frankie Holtz-Davis reads from “Mahrynie Red - The Journey” at 6 p.m. at the African American Museum & Library, 659 Fourteenth St., Oakland. RSVP to 637-0200. 

David Kamp describes “The United States of Arugula: The Sun Dried, Free Range, Extra Virgin Story of How We Became a Gourmet Nation” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. www.codysbooks.com  

Genieve Abodo discusses “Mecca and Main Street: Being Muslim after 9/11” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

“Aging Artfully” with Amy Gorman at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 527-4977. 

Brian Morton reads from his new novel “Breakable You” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Jon Fromer, Francisco Herrera and the Molotov Mouths at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$25. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Finless Brown at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Taylor Eigsti/Dayna Stephens Duo at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Joel Dorham Latin Jazz Octet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Grapefruit Ed, with Bill Cutler and the Hounds of Time at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. m 

Sam Bevan at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Bill Kirchen, rockabilly, dieselbilly at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

The Oh Yeahs! at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Pockit, Ubzorb, Precise Device at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082.  

La Plebe, Inspector Double Negative, Static Thought 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. 

Marcus Shelby Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

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

The Girlfriend Experience, The Hundred Days, Charmless, indie rock, at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100.  

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 

SATURDAY, SEPT. 30 

CHILDREN  

“Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day” at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $10-$18. 925-798-1300. 

THEATER 

“Happy Days” Beckett’s last play at 8 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Tickets are $9-$25. 415-531-8454. 

FILM 

“Special Circumstances” the story of Héctor Salgado, Chilean political prisoner, at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Discussion with filmmakers will follow. Cost is $8-$10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

The Mechanical Age “The Magic Lantern and the Mechanical Age” 7 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. 

“Milarepa” from Tibet. Benefit screening at 6:30 p.m. at Wheeler Hall Auditorium, UC Campus. Tickets are $15. 877-697-2998. 

Taiwan Film Festival “Secret Love for the Peach Blossom Spring” at 2:30 p.m. and “How High is the Mountain” at 4 p.m at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-2809. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

John Brady Kiesling discusses “Diplomacy Lessons: Realism for an Unloved Superpower” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Joe Quirk reads from his book “Sperm Are From Men, Eggs Are From Women” at 10 a.m. at C’era Una Volta, 1332 Partk St. at Redwood Square, Alameda. 769-4828. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

“King Arthur” by Henry Purcell, directed by Mark Morris at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus, through Oct. 7. Tickets are $42-$110. 642-9988.  

Faye Carroll and her Trio featuring Frederick Harris on the piano at 8 and 10 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

West African Highlife Band at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. African dance lesson at 9 p.m. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054.  

Evelie Posch and Brook Schoenfield at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Bulk at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Dougie MacLean at 8 p.m. at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. Cost is $27.50-$28.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Omnesia, Holden, Future Action Villans at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886.  

Jarrett Cherner Trio at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Arlington Houston Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Dangerous Rhythm: Tim Fox at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Misner & Smith, acoustic rock, at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7-$10. 558-0881. 

Deep Hello, Alexis Harte, Steve Taylor-Ramirez at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. All ages show. Cost is $6. 841-2082.  

While it Lasts, See it Through, New Soldiers at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St.Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

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 

SUNDAY, OCT. 1 

CHILDREN 

Circus for Arts in the Schools with Jeff Raz, clown, and much more at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Kofman Auditorium, 2200 Central Ave., between Oak and Walnut Ave., Alameda. Tickets are $10-$12.50. Children under 3 free. 587-3399. 

Bongo Love Band at Ashkenaz at 3 p.m. Cost is $4-$6. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

“Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day” at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $10-$18. 925-798-1300. 

THEATER 

“Pagbabalik” A Filipino-American multi-disciplinary play at 7 p.m. at La Peña, 3105 Shattuck Ave. www.lapena.org 

FILM 

Taiwan Film Festival “Viva Tonal-The Dance Age” at 7:30 and “The Strait Story” at 9:30 p.m. at Pacific Film Archive, 2575 Durant Ave. 

The Mechanical Age “Pandora’s Box: The Engineer’s Plot” and “The General Line” at 2:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Mutabaruka, dub poet, at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $8. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Four Flavors of Jazz, new talent from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and veterans from 2 to 6 p.m. at Woodminster Amphitheater, 3300 Joaquin Miller Rd., Oakland. 238-3052.  

Live Oak Concert with Rebecca Rust, ‘cello, Friedrich Edelmann, basson, and Vera Breheda, piano at 7:30 pm. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Cost is $10. 644-6893. 

Brand Nubian at 9 p.m. at 2232 MLK, 2232 Martin Luther King Blvd, Oakland. Cost is $10-$12. 384-7874.  

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

Jonathan Kreisberg Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $15. 841-JAZZ.  

Vegitation, reggae, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10, or $20 including 8 p.m. poetry reading with Mutabaruka. 525-5054. 

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

Hernan Gamboa, Venezuelan folk music, at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$18. 845-5373.  

MONDAY, OCT. 2 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Whitework Embroidery” opens at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles, 2982 Adeline St. and runs through Feb. 5. Hours are Mon.-Sat. noon to 6 p.m. Free. lacismuseum.org 

FILM 

Alternative Visions: Works by Bay Area Student Visionaries at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Last Word Poetry Reading with Patricia Edith and Jan Steckel at 7 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Poetry Express with Martin Marshall at 7 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

Neil Gaiman reads from “Fra- 

gile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders” at 7 p.m. at the Roda Theater, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $10. 559-9500. 

Readings from “The Womanist” Mills College Literary Journal at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Khalil Shaheed, all ages jam, at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

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

TUESDAY, OCT. 3 

CHILDREN 

Gretchen Woelfle reads from “Animal Families, Animal Friends” at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Tania Katan will read from her memoir, “My One-night Stand with Cancer” at 7 p.m. at Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 5741 Telegraph Avenue at 58th St., Oakland. 601-4040, ext. 111. 

Mary Gordon reads from “The Stories of Mary Gordon” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Freight and Salvage Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $4.50-$5.50. 548-1761. 

“Voices of East Bay Lesbian Poets” an anthology by Linda Zeiser at 7:30 p.m. at Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Club, 1650 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $5. 276-0379.  

Agi Mishol, Isreali poet, at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Joe Gores introduces his latest political thriller, “Glass Tiger” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

RebbeSoul, world beat, Jewish roots music at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

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

Jimmy Bosch at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200.  

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4 

THEATER 

“The Secret Circus” Wed. and Thurs. at 8 p.m. at The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, through Oct. 19. Cost is $10-$20 sliding scale. 800-838-3006 www.themarsh.org  

EXHIBITIONS 

“Wild About Birds” paintings by Rita Sklar opens at the Lakeview Branch of the Oakland Public Library, 550 El Embarcadero. 238-7344. 

FILM 

Pirates and Piracy “A High Wind in Jamaica” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Ellen Ekstrom reads from her new novel, “The Legacy” at The Friends of the Albany Library Annual Meeting at 7:30 p.m. at 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720 

Paola Gianturco, photographer, on “Viva Colores! A Salute to the Indomitable People of Guatemala” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Daniel Goleman explores “Social Intellegence: The New Science of Human Relationships” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Berkeley Poetry Slam at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Terracotta Warriors, Chinese dance, music, martial arts and acrobatics at 8 p.m. at Paramount Theatre of the Arts, 2025 Broadway, Oakland, through Oct. 8. Tickets are $45-$95, discount for children. 625-8497. 

Wednesday Noon Concert: Classical Percussion at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

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

Creepy, Sugar Eater, Stonecutter at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $8. 451-8100.  

K23 Orchestra, CD release party at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $8. 525-5054.  

Rumba Cafe at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

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

Bruce Molsky at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Maraca and The New Collective at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $24-$28. 238-9200.  

THURSDAY, OCT. 5 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Colors” A group show by East Bay Women Artists. Reception at 6 p.m. at Royal Ground Gallery, 2058 Mountain Blvd., Montclair, Oakland. Exhibition runs to Jan. 7. 451-2661. 

FILM 

Discovering Syrian Cinema “Shadows and Light” at 5:30 p.m. and “Today and Everyday” at at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Lunch Poems with Les Murray at 12:10 p.m. in the Morrison Library, in the Doe Library, UC Campus. http://lunchpoems.berkeley.edu 

Susan Snyder talks about and shows slides on “Past Tents: The Way We Camped” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Camille T. Dungy, poet, at 7 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720 ext 17. 

Bruce Wagner and James Ellroy read at at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500.  

George Rabasa reads from his novel “The Cleansing” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Richmond Arts and Culture Commission Youth Performance in celebration of National Arts and Humanities Month. Spoken word, dance, and song presented by youth from East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, Masquers Playhouse, Familias Unidas at 5:30 p.m. at the Richmond Convention Center, 403 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. 620-6952.  

“King Arthur” by Henry Purcell, directed by Mark Morris at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus, through Oct. 7. Tickets are $42-$110. 642-9988.  

Ancient Vision 3, with Wadi Gad, Malika Madremana, Arkangel, We A Dem Band at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Noah Grant at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Daniel Ho, Keoki Kahumoku and Herb Ohta, Jr. at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Boneless Children Foundation, Midline Errors, The Young Has Beens at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082.  

The Swamees, Hollywood 

dopesick, Hobo Jungle, southern and folk rock, at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100. 

Victor Erice’s The Spirit of the Beehive (1973) is one of the most influential and iconic of Spanish films. Set “somewhere on the Castillian plain” in 1940, just after the Spanish Civil War, Erice’s film conjures a remote village where the echoes of war and repression resound in the lives of an increasingly fragmented family.  

Criterion has just released the film on DVD in an excellent edition which faithfully renders the film’s honey-colored lighting and evocative score. The two-disc set also includes informative extra features, including an interview with Erice and a documentary about the film in which Ana Torrent, the child actress, returns to the village as an adult. 

Torrent plays a young girl, also named Ana, just 6 or 7 years old, who becomes mesmerized when she and her older sister attend a screening of James Whale’s Frankenstein, an experience that inspires a series of thoughts, emotions and free associations which haunt her and dramatically transform her interpretation of the world in which she lives. 

The two girls live with their parents in a shell of house, a hollowed-out Faulknerian manor that stands like a decaying relic of a long-lost past. And contained within that house are likewise faded, hollowed-out people, seemingly damaged by years of conflict, both personal and political. I say seemingly because Erice never spells anything out with any degree of certainty; he merely suggests, presenting his characters as they exist in the present, their withdrawn behavior providing the only intimation of what happened in the past.  

Distance and space are major themes. The horizon of the plain is high and far, with fields stretching for miles in all directions. And the distances between people seem greater still. The parents, for instance, are rarely shown in the same shot, and each frequently seems to have no idea where the other has gone. The wife bicycles off to the train station to deliver a letter, and we get the feeling she has done it surreptitiously. She stands for a moment on the platform, watching with detachment as soldiers on the train gaze at her through the windows as they briefly pass in and out of her world. Meanwhile the father returns home from his beekeeping tasks and settles himself in a chair in his study, facing away from the door and toward a window as he puts on headphones to listen to a short-wave radio. Their connections with each other and with the outside world are tenuous; the world, for whatever private reasons, is held at arm’s length. 

In one extraordinary shot, Erice keeps the camera trained on the wife’s face as she feigns sleep when her husband enters the room and fumbles his way into bed. He never enters the frame; he is but a vague, shapeless shadow on the wall behind her. And when he finally settles in, she opens her eyes again and simply stares straight ahead until the fadeout. Her husband is no longer a partner and companion, but merely something she lives with, a regularly occurring event she has ceased to even acknowledge.  

The film is based primarily on the childhood memories of Erice and his co-screenwriter Ángel Fernández Santos. It began, Erice says, with the image of the Frankenstein monster and the little girl together at the water’s edge in the 1931 movie. That image, he said, conveyed to him all one could ever wish to express in an image. But the cinematic influences on Spirit of the Beehive go further than Frankenstein. In fact, the film is full of subtle references to other films, for its premise is based on the dreamlike qualities of the cinematic experience. The scene at the train station is staged to resemble one of the Lumiere brothers’ earliest films; many of the wide shots of the plain suggest the panoramic drama of American westerns; and the scene in the cinema, with the faces of enthralled children gazing in rapt attention, is reminiscent of the scene in Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows when the young protagonist skips school and takes in a Punch ‘n’ Judy show at the local amusement park. 

There is a crucial moment in the cinema scene that sets the stage for the rest of the film. The children, including Ana, were in fact watching Frankenstein while Erice and his cameraman staked out a spot off to the side and filmed them with a hand-held camera, capturing the reactions on their faces. It was a gamble and it paid off, for Erice got exactly what he was looking for: At the moment when the monster kills the little girl, Ana’s face changes; her eyes widen as she leans forward and appears to catch her breath. She has clearly identified with the characters on the screen and is seeking to understand the monster, his lumbering, primitive form something of a reflection of the walking dead around her. It is the magic of cinema, just as Erice remembered it from his own childhood.  

Thus begins a subtle and complex inner drama as Ana, too young to distinguish between fantasy and reality, internalizes the story, becoming deeply concerned for the ostracized monster. Her older sister tells her that the monster is not really dead, that he lives nearby in an abandoned well. Eventually Ana makes the trip out to the well alone, and finds in the adjoining farmhouse an escaped freedom fighter. And when the fighter is later discovered and executed, screen fantasy and daily life become inextricably linked in her mind; she confuses the freedom fighter with the monster, his death with the monster’s death, the film’s vengeful townfolk her own townfolk.  

And here again we see the brilliance of Erice’s use of long takes. Previously they had been used to emphasize the spaces between people and the slow passage of time. But with Ana they express much more, dramatizing that stretch of time between a child’s absorption of events and her final synthesis and interpretation of those events, the melding of disparate experiences into a new and private reality.  

Photograph: Ana Torrent (left) plays a young girl haunted by the free associations that stem from a screening of James Whale’s Frankenstein in Victor Erice’s Spirit of the Beehive (1973). 

THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE (1973) 

$39.99. 99 minutes. Criterion. www.criterionco.com.

Even today, 30 years after his death and nearly 100 years since he first stepped before a motion picture camera, Charlie Chaplin is still one of the most recognizable people in the world. The dandified Tramp, with his brush mustache, ill-fitting clothes, wicker cane and derby hat, is an iconic figure, but one whose familiarity has to some extent undermined his art. Chaplin today has become something of a two-dimensional figure, a static icon that means little to those born in the decades since his heyday; he exists as a fully formed entity, a known quantity, and is therefore just as easily ignored, an image from the past that no longer requires our attention.  

A new four-disc 90th anniversary edition DVD set of the 12 films Chaplin made for the Mutual Film Corporation has recently been released by Image Entertainment, featuring new restorations, complete with previously missing footage, and brand new scores by Carl Davis. Image released these films on DVD about 10 years ago, but this new set, in addition to superior image quality, has many other features that distinguish it, the best of which is the arrangement of the films in chronological order, providing the viewer with a glimpse of the arc of Chaplin’s art at a crucial stage in his development.  

The image of the Tramp is so ingrained in our consciousness that it is hard to imagine that he had to be invented, and that film comedy itself had to be invented. But that’s essentially what Chaplin did, and he did it, for the most part, single-handedly. He took the crude, knockabout, ensemble comedy of Mack Sennett’s Keystone Studios and zeroed in on character and personality, forging a strong individual identity as well as a unique bond with his audience.  

Once Chaplin broke away from Keystone he went to work for the Essanay company here in the East Bay. (The studio, in what was once known as Niles, near Fremont, is now a museum that offers screenings of silent films every Saturday night.) He made 14 short films for Essanay, firmly establishing himself as the most popular performer in the movies.  

But it is in the next group of films, made for the Mutual Corporation, where Chaplin finally realized his potential. The Mutual films represent the first blossoming of his comic genius. He was already enormously famous, the first international superstar, and his comic exploits had made him something of a populist hero. But it is the Mutual series that truly endeared him to his fans, for it is in these 12 two-reelers that he delved deeper into the nature of the tramp character: his fastidious habits, his contempt for authority, his longing for beauty and love, his artistic temperment.  

With films such as Easy Street and The Immigrant, Chaplin depicted the poverty and strife of his childhood while taking his first steps toward a more rounded cinematic ouvre with forays into social commentary.  

Later, of course, Chaplin would more completely incorporate drama and commentary into his work, drawing complaints from fans and critics alike that Chaplin was abandoning his comedic roots in the pretentious pursuit of Art. But in the Mutual films, the Tramp retains the rambunctious, anarchic, irrepressible humor that Chaplin’s detractors found lacking in his later, more sentimental work. 

The series begins with films that are not much different from his Essanay work and steadily progresses from there, with increasing complexity, finely tuned comedic timing, and brilliantly choreographed action sequences. In One A.M., Chaplin performs a solo tour de force, the film’s 20 minutes entirely devoted to a drunk man’s efforts to get home and into bed; in The Rink, Chaplin demonstrates his remarkable physical agility, tangling with his rival in an elaborate rollerskating sequence; and in The Immigrant, Chaplin makes one his first overtly political statements, as a boatload of immigrants gazes in awe at the Statue of Liberty before being roughly herded behind a restraining rope. So much for liberty. 

Too often forgotten in appreciations of Chaplin is the fact that he was not just a great comedian, but a great actor. In Easy Street he summons both drama and comedy—an innovation at the time—in the depiction of an unflinching portrait of poverty, crime and drug use while never compromising his comedic instincts. And again in The Immigrant, Chaplin creates one of his best depictions of the rapture of love, with the Tramp and the girl (Edna Purviance) finding the silver lining by getting married during a rainstorm.  

With these early masterpieces, Chaplin set the standard for the comedians who would follow in his wake: Roscoe Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Harry Langdon. Arguably some would surpass him, in inventiveness, in direction, staging and camerawork, even in pure laughter. But no one ever came close to matching his enormous talent, his instinctive sense of pathos, or the unique and affectionate bond between the performer and his audience. 

Some say the Mutuals are his best period; certainly he was never again so free from self-consciousness, so anarchic and inventive. But a sound argument can be made that the Mutual period represents the artist’s adolescense, with his full artistic maturity expressed most clearly in his features of the ’20s and early ’30s: The Kid, The Gold Rush, The Circus and City Lights.  

But though those later films are more fulfilling and emotional, it is the casual, careless fun of the Mutuals that lends them to repeated viewings, that entices us to immerse ourselves again and again in the madcap adventures of a newly famous, newly wealthy 27-year-old comedian who had suddenly found himself on top of the world. 

The set also includes two documentaries. The Gentlemen Tramp (1975) is a fuzzy, hagiographic film by Richard Patterson that is more content to deify the man than understand him, and Chaplin’s Goliath (1996), an appreciation of the all-too-brief career of Eric Campbell, the huge Scottish actor who played the heavy in most of Chaplin’s Essanay and Mutual films until his life was cut short by a car accident. Also included are essays by Chaplin historians and a gallery of rare still photographs of Chaplin at work on the Mutual films. 

THE CHAPLIN MUTUAL COMEDIES (1916-17) 

$59.99. Image Entertainment. www.image-entertainment.com.

On the wall was chalked:/They Want War./The man who wrote it/Has already fallen. 

Bertolt Brecht’s terse poem itself is scrawled in chalk on four doors painted black that stand on the Roda Stage as a visual prelude to Berkeley Rep’s production of Mother Courage, before the cast carries them off and begins the show. 

The dates and changing locations, and song titles, of the dozen scenes of the play are also inscribed, one after the other, and sometimes overlapping, like graffiti on the stage’s back wall, as Mother Courage and her children and hangers-on pull her cart across from Sweden across Poland and through Germany, following the armies which buy the good Mother’s wares and services. 

Brecht adapted Mother Courage from a 17th-century novel by Grimmelshaven about a petty war profiteer plying her goods amid the hellish cycles of battle and looting that engulfed Central and Northern Europe during the Thirty Years’ War. It was the leftist German playwright’s response to the 1939 invasion of Poland, a warning to Scandinavia, where he was living in exile, not to get embroiled. 

“To sup with the devil, you need a longhandled spoon,” as The Chaplain says to The Cook (the Mother’s rival hangers-on) and to Mother Courage herself, halfway through the play. 

Mother Courage and Her Children was the full title of the play, and the opening scene introduces the Courage brood: her two sons, Eilif the strong--and rapacious (Justin Leath), honest Swiss Cheese (Drew Hirshfield), and mute, compassionate daughter Kattrin (Katie Huard), already a traumatized victim and the only one in the family who hopes for peace. Each is from a different father. 

They’re introduced, and almost immediately begin to disappear. Playing a fortune-telling game to get a sergeant (Brent Hinkley)to pony up for more booze, Mother Courage (Ivonne Coll) has him draw a lot from his helmet; it has a black cross, signifying death. But her children all draw, too, and each lot is marked. Meanwhile, a recruiter (Marc Damon Johnson) has talked up Eilif, who runs off seeking martial glory and the spoils of war.  

There’s also a wayward hooker, Yvette (Katie Barrett), whose liaisons with doddering old officers move her up the social scale, as changes in costume (David Zinn’s designs), from bright plumage (the hat and blue high-heeled boots Kattrin craves) to embroidered heavy mourning as officer’s widow clearly indicate. 

The cast is quick and game—too quick, it seems. The production plan defuses their focus both as characters and ensemble by substituting vaudeville for Epic Theater, epic in the sense of telling a social tale, demonstrating the relations between characters under the unusual conditions depicted, bringing it to the audience as evidence to a jury that will be engrossed in deliberation. 

Brecht intended a show centered on scene after scene that demonstrated what he called “the social gest, which alone introduces the human element.” Mother Courage biting the sergeant’s coin, or haggling a bit too much in trying to save one son’s life at bargain rates are examples of the social gest. But in this production, these are glossed over, as the cast races about, tossing off the lines from British political playwright David Hare’s remarkable translation like a series of burlesque routines. 

The songs (Gina Leishman’s music, which would be fine in another context) are a particular case in point. Perhaps the best moment of the show is Jarion Monroe’s delivery of “The Solomon Song.” Brecht’s lyrics were originally featured in his Threepenny Opera, with Kurt Weill’s caressing, disturbing melody. It became Lotte Lenya’s (Weill’s wife and the originator of several early Brechtian roles) touchstone number in cabaret. When Brecht recycled it for a different use in a play with music, the music had a different effect. 

Monroe as the cynical Cook serves it straight to the audience, and very well: “Wisdom, Courage, Honesty ... what else turns out to be not of much use? Ah, yes: Charity! ... You’re better off without!” But the tune is an oom-pah number now, accenting the barroom and carnivalesque senses that alternate and whirl away the choice, concentrated images, the “pregnant moments” of the songs and scenes. 

Ivonne Coll cuts a fine figure as Mother Courage; Monroe and Patrick Kerr are the right choices to play her self-absorbed “admirers;” Huard as Kattrin is admirable throughout. It’s the confusion between “putting on a show” in Brecht’s sense and the sketchy, song-and-dance divertisements of director Lisa Peterson’s conception that squanders this theatrical opportunity.  

MOTHER COURAGE 

Through Oct. 22 at the Roda Theater, 2025 Addision St. www.berkeleyrep.org, 647-2949.