FRIDAY, MARCH 23 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Dr. Anna Barbara Moscicki on “Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine.” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For reservations call 526-2925.  

“Hybridizing Irises” Larry Lauer will discuss his breeding program and new seedlings at the Sydney B. Mitchell Iris Society meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Free. 277-4200. 

“Impacts of War, Paths to Healing” Panel discussion with experts to help service members better manage their return from combat, at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Free to veterans and their families, $10 suggested donation for others. Daylong workshop for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan and their families follows on Sat. 415-387-0800. www.cominghomeproject.net 

“50 Years Is Enough” with Sameer Dossani speaking on the IMF, War, Class, and Migration in U.S. foreign policy at 7 p.m. at the Connie Barbour Room, upstairs at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1606 Bonita. 525-5497. 

Film Festival for Diversity “That’s a Family” at 6:30 p.m. in the Longfellow Middle School Auditorium, 1500 Derby at Sacramento. Free, including dinner and child care. Presented by the Berkeley PTA Council. 644-6320. 

CopWatch Movie Night “A Legacy of Torture” and “Mumia Abu Jamal: A Case for Reasonable Doubt.” Potluck at 6 p.m. at the Grassroots House, 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

“Homeland” A film on the Native American struggle to preserve their resources at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation $5. www.HumanistHall.net 

Banff Mountain Film Festival at 7 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. Tickets are $13-$15 available from REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

“Are We Winning the War Against Colorectal Cancer?” at 6:15 p.m. at Alta Bates Summit, 450 30th St., Room 2810, Oakland. Free, but RSVP requested. 869-8833. 

Circle Dancing, simple folk dancing with instruction at 7:30 p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St at University. Donation of $5 requested. 528-4253. www.circledancing.com 

Kol Hadash Humanistic Judaism Family Pot Luck at 6 p.m. at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. Please bring dinner food appropriate for children, and non-perishable food for the needy. 428-1492.  

SATURDAY, MARCH 24 

Open the Little Farm Join us to greet the animals in the morning and help the farmers with their chores at 9 a.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Berkeley History Center Walking Tour “The Rise and Fall and Rise of Telegraph Ave” led by Steve Finacom at 10 a.m. Cost is $8-$10. For information on meeting place and to register call 848-0181. 

Spring Equinox Meditation Walk from 9 to 11 a.m. in Tilden Park. Meet at the Tilden Nature Area. 525-2233. 

Neighborhood Peace Rally from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the corner of Acton and University, sponsored by Strawberry Creek Lodge Tenants Association. 841-4143. 

Spring in the Ponds Put on your rubber boots and come explore the underworld of the fresh water ponds, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

“Cerrito Creek Work Party” Join Friends of Five Creeks to help remove invasive weeds to restore a creekside willow grove. Wear shoes with good traction and clothes that can get dirty. Meet at 10 a.m. at Creekside Park, south end of Santa Clara Ave., El Cerrito. 848-9358. www.fivecreeks.org  

Mt. Wanda Bird Walk Join a Park Ranger for a walk in the hills. Terrain is steep, wear walking shoes and bring water and binoculars. Rain cancels. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Cal-Trans Park and Ride lot at the corner of Alhambra Ave. and Franklin Canyon Rd., Martinez. 925-228-8860. 

Townhall Meeting with Congresswoman Barbara Lee Topics of discussion will include legislation to bring the troops home and end the war, efforts to stop a U.S. preemptive strike on Iran, and what you can do to end the war and work for peace, from 10 a.m. to noon at Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. 452-3556. 

East Bay Sanctuary Covenant 25th Anniversary at 7 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way. Free, but donation accepted. www.eastbaysanctuary.org 

“Impeachment How To” Presentation and Planning Session with Carol Wolman and Jack Rasmus, author of “The War at Home” at at 6:15 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. Suggested donation $10. 845-4154. 

“Is Peace Possible?” with Steve Masters, Brit Tzedek V'Shalom National co-chair of Advocacy at 7:30 p.m. at JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Donation $5. sf-bayarea@ 

btvshalom.org 

“Brainiacs” Interactive neural anatomy lesson for children at Hall of Health, 2230 Shattuck Ave., lower level. Program for grades K-2 at 1 p.m., and for grades 3-6 at 2:10 p.m. Cost is $5. 705-8527. 

“Pirate Radio USA” a documentary about the underground world of illegal radio in America at 6 p.m. at the Long Haul Infshop, 3124 Shattuck. 540-0751. 

East Bay Baby Fair Information for new and expecting parents from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the JCCEB, 1414 Walnut St. 540-7210. 

Study Medicine in Cuba Information Fair from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Laney College, 900 Fallon St., Oakland, Room 401 A and B. 219-0092. 

“Karma & Dharma” with Dr. Toshikazu Arai of SOAI Univ., Japan, at 10 a.m. and again at 4 p.m. at the Jodo Shinshu Center, 2140 Durant at Fulton. 809-1460. 

Hopalong Animal Rescue Come meet your furry new best friend from noon to 3 p.m. at 2940 College Ave. 267-1915, ext. 500. www.hopalong.org  

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

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

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.  

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, MARCH 25 

Shoreline Discovery Walk along Wildcat Creek Regional Shoreline with Bethany Facendini, naturalist, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Call for meeting place. 525-2233. 

Family Hike in Miller Knox to discover life on the rocky shore, from 10 a.m. to noon. Meet at Ferry Point. 525-2233. 

“Open Garden” Join the Little Farm gardener for composting, planting, watering and reaping the rewards of our work, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. Cancelled only by heavy rain. 525-2233.  

Garden Spring Start Day Help start the People’s Park Community Garden from noon to 4 p.m. Organic gardening demonstration at 2 p.m. 658-9178. 

Tree Stories in the Grove with Redwood Mary at 2 p.m. in the Memorial Oak Grove. jeanmudge@comcast.net 

Permaculture Bike Tour of gardens involoved in the Food and Environmental Justice movement in West Oakland, featuring examples of urban farming, remediation of toxic soil, green and natural building, graywater systems, neighbor cooperation, and community activism. Meet at 1 p.m. at the West Oakland BART Station. 295-2641. isisferal@yahoo.com 

Forum on the City Budget hosted by Berkeley Citizens Action with Mayor Tom Bates at 4 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst. 549-0816. 

“Women’s Global Agenda: Peace-builders and Activists” A conference hosted by the United Nations Association - USA East Bay Chapter with Charlie Toledo, Chairman of the Women’s Intercultural Network at 2 p.m. at the Community Center at Harbor Bay Isle, 3195 Mecartney Road, Alameda. For more information visit www.unausaeastbay.org 

Spring Equinox Celebration at 2 p.m. at Dream Institute, 1672 University Ave. Cost is $10-$20. 845-1767. 

Berkeley City Club Tour of the “Little Castle” designed by Julia Morgan at 1:15, 2:15 and 3:15 p.m. at 2315 Durant Ave. 883-9710. 

Socially Responsible Shopping Habits and Business Practices with Richie Unterberger at 6 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Berkeley Cybersalon “Life After TV” with execs from Dabble, Brightcove, Fiber-to-the-Home Council, and MobiTV, at 5 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St.Cost is $10. www.hillsideclub.org 

“Rumi: Preposterous Paths to Joy, Service, and Facing Death Without Fear” with Victoria Lee at 9:30 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. Community poetry reading at 1 p.m. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

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 Barr Rosenberg on “Longchenpa’s Teachings about the Bodhisattva Way” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812.  

“Symbolism of the Passover Seder Plate” with Rabbi Chaim Mahgel-Friedman at 11:30 a.m. at Afikomen Judaica, 3042 Claremont Ave.  

MONDAY, MARCH 26 

Women’s Health Issues Lecture and discussion at 1 p.m. at Laney College, Classroom B210, 900 Fallon St. Oakland. Part of Women HerStory Month http://laney.peralta.edu/womensherstorymonth 

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

TUESDAY, MARCH 27 

Tuesdays for the Birds Tranquil bird walks in local parklands, led by Bethany Facendini, from 7 to 9:30 a.m. Today we will visit Briones Regional Park. Call for meeting place and if you need to borrow binoculars. 525-2233. 

Women: America’s Greatest Untapped Natural Resource Lecture and discussion with Jerri Lanfe at 1 p.m. at Laney College Forum, 900 Fallon St. Oakland. Part of Women HerStory Month. Cost is $7-$12. http://laney.peralta.edu/womensherstorymonth 

“Maquilopolis” Screening of the documentary on globalization through the eyes of Tijuana’s factory workers at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St.  

“Forced Displacement and the Merowe Dam: The Other Human Rights Crisis in the Sudan” with Ali Askouri, Sudanese human rights activist at 7 p.m. in the Morgan Lounge, Morgan Hall, UC Campus. Sponsored by International Rivers Network. 848-1155. 

“Finding Your Roots on the Web” A class on genealogy research at 7 p.m. in the Berkeley History Room, Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. To register call 981-6148. 

Zoo Ambassador Training Orientation The Oakland Zoo is looking for volunteers to help teach visitors about the zoo and the animals. Training from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Oakland Zoo. For information call 632-9525. 

Free Diabetes Screening from 8 a.m. to noon at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Do not eat or drink anything for 8 hours beforehand. 981-5332. 

National Nutrition Month Cooking Demonstrations at 3 p.m. at the Tuesday Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Derby St. at Martin Luther King Jr. Way. 548-3333. 

Glucometer Demonstration from noon to 3 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Berkeley School Volunteers Training workshop for volunteers interested in helping the public schools, from noon to 1 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. 644-8833. 

Berkeley Home Safety and Repair Program presentation at 1:15 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5190. 

“Across the Atlas Alaskan Adventure” A video by Pietro Simonetti and Greg Cook at 7 p.m at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Berkeley PC Users Group meets at 7 p.m. at 1145 Walnut St., near the corner of Eunice St.  

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. 

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

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

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

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 

Teach-In and Vigil Against American Torture every Wed. at noon at Boalt Hall, Bancroft Way at College Ave.  

“Health Care for Everyone: Plans or Scams” with Jessica Rothhar of Health Access at the Gray Panthers Membership Meeting, North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 548-9696. 

Walk, Talk, Buck the Fence What’s at stake in the Ecology of Berkeley’s Strawberry Canyon A walk at 5 p.m. every Wed. with Ignacio Chapela and expert guests to discuss what is at stake in the proposed steps for the filling of the Canyon by the UC-LBL Rad-Labs, and now British Petroleum. http://canyonwalks.blogspot.com  

“How to Shop Consciously: The Better World Shopping Guide” with Dr. Ellis Jones at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave, near Dwight Way. 548-3402.  

“The Aging Eye” a free lecture with Dr. Erich Horn, opthamologist, at 9:30 a.m. at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Cafeteria Annex B and C, 350 Hawthorne St., Oakland. 869-6737. 

New to DVD: “Children of Men” at 7 p.m. at JCCEB, 1414 Walnut St. Discussion follows. 848-0237. 

El Grupito, a group for practicing and maintaining Spanish skills, meets at 7:30 p.m. at Diesel Books, 5433 College Ave., Oakland. 653-9965. 

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. Heavy rain cancels. 548-9840. 

Stitch ‘n Bitch at 6:30 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

THURSDAY, MARCH 29 

“Berkeley, Her Land, Her Gift of Early Neighborhoods” An illustrated lecture with Richard Schwartz at 7:30 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Tickets are $15-$20. 848-4288. 

“Fight in the Fields” A doumentary on Cesar Chavez and the farmworkers’ struggle at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

Teen Book Club meets to discuss the books we could not live without at 4:30 p.m. at the Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue at Ashby. Bring a book to share. 981-6107. 

Family Story Time for children ages 3-7 at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, North Branch, 1170 The Alameda, at Hopkins. 981-6107. 

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 

Tax Help at the Berkeley Public Library Sat. from 11:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the South Branch. Call for appointment. 981-6260. Also every Tues. and Thurs. at the West Branch from 12:15 to 3:15 p.m. Call for appointment. 981-6270. 

Berkeley Youth Alternatives Girls Basketball Age 15 and under league begins April 11 and 18 and under begins April 13. From 5:30 to 8:30 at Emery High School, 1100 47th St. Emeryville. Cost is $175 per team. 845-9066.  

CITY MEETINGS 

Parks and Recreation Commission meets Mon., March 26, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5158.  

Zero Waste Commission Mon., March 26, at 7 p.m., at 1201 Second St. 981-6368.  

City Council meets Tues., March 27, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Civic Arts Commission meets Wed., March 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Mary Ann Merker, 981-7533.  

Energy Commission meets Wed.,March 28, at 6:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5434.  

Planning Commission meets Wed., March 28 , at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7484.  

Police Review Commission meets Wed., March 28 at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-4950.  

FRIDAY, MARCH 23 

THEATER 

Altarena Playhouse “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” Fri and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 1409 High St., Alameda, through April 1. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Berkeley Rep “To the Lighthouse” at the Roda Theater, 2015 Addison St. and runs through March 25. Tickets are $45-$61. 647-2917 

.Central Works Theater Ensemble “Lola Montez” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. through March 25. Tickets are $9-$25. 558-1381. www.centralworks.org 

Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company “unconditional” A movement/theater piece Fri. and Sat. at 7:30 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. at Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. Tickets are $12-$20 sliding scale for adults and $6 for youth under 18. 597-1619. www.destinyarts.org. 

Shotgun Players “Blood Wedding” opens at 8 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., and runs Thurs.-Sun. through April 29. Tickets are $17-$25. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

“The Apple Tree and Other Forbidden Fruits” musical and dramatic vignettes Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. and Sun. at 1 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. Tickets are $15-$20. 525-0302, ext. 309.  

Virago Theatre “Orphans” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at BridgeHead Studio, 2516 Blanding Ave, Alameda, through March 31. Tickets are $10-$15. 415-439-2456. 

FILM 

“Manda Bala” (Send a Bullet) the Sundance FIlm Festival prize winning documentary, with Jason Kohn, director, at 7 p.m. at Andersen Auditorium, Haas School of Business, UC Campus.  

LunaFest Film festival by and about women at 7 p.m. at Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon St. Oakland. Part of Women HerStory Month. Cost is $7-$12. http://laney.peralta.edu/womensherstorymonth 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland East Bay Symphony at 8 p.m. at Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Pre-concert lecture at 7 p.m.. Tickets are $15-$62. 652-8497.  

Shen Wei Dance Arts at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $26-$46. 642-9988.  

UCB/UCLA Contemporary Jazz Collaborative at 2 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. 642-9988. 

Jeff Chandler and Allegro Ballroom “Top Hat Club” at 8 p.m. 5855 Christie Ave. Tickets are $35, or $50 with dinner. 655-2888. 

Lloyd Gregory & Friends, jazz, blues, R&B, at 8 p.m. at Everett and Jones, 126 Broadway, Oakland. 663-2350. 

Sandy Cressman & Her Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Tempest, Golden Bough and Caliban, Irish rock, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054. 

Judy Wexler, jazz vocalist, at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

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

Erin English & Joe Ridout, Nick Zubel at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Mirthkon, Fuxedos, Fuzzy Cousins at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082.  

Set it Straight, Dance for Destruction, Bright White Noise at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Sol Spectrum at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Eleven Eyes at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Rachelle Ferrell at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $26-$30. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, MARCH 24 

CHILDREN  

East Bay Children’s Theater “Rumplestiltskin” at 10:30 a.m. at 1 pm. at James Moore Theater, Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St. Tickets are $7, children under 2 free. 655-7285. 

“Strega Nona Festival” A play based on the characters from Tomie dePaola’s books at 3 p.m. at Arts First Oakland, 2501 Harrison at 27th., Oakland. Tickets are $10 adults, $5 children 444-4755. www.stagebridge.org 

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Ingrid Noyes & Paul Shelasky at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $4 for adults, $3 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“Silly Symphonies” film screening with author Russell Merritt in person at 3 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

SF Circus Center Clown Conservatory “Experiment! The Excitement of Science” at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $5-$8. 925-798-1300. 

Buki the Clown celebrates National Reading Month Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. 452-2259. 

THEATER 

Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company “unconditional” A movement/theater piece at 7:30 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. at Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. Tickets are $12-$20 sliding scale for adults and $6 for youth under 18. 597-1619. www.destinyarts.org 

Playback Theater in Celebration of Women at 8 p.m. at Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon St., Oakland. Cost is $8-$18. For reservations call 595-5500, ext. 25. 

EXHIBITIONS 

Native American Artist Spencer Nutima from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1573 Solano Ave. 528-9038. www.gatheringtribes.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Rhythm & Muse Young Performers’ Night, in coordination with Berkeley Arts Center’s Youth Arts Festival, at 7 p.m. at 1275 Walnut St., between Eunice & Rose Sts., behind Live Oak Park. 644-6893.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

American Bach Soloists Early Cantatas at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $16-$42. 415-621-7900 americanbach.org 

Trinity Chamber Concerts “The Sorrowful Mysteries” music of Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St. Tickets are $8-$12. 549-3864. 

Shen Wei Dance Arts at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $26-$46. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

“One Soul Sounding” Spring Equinox Concert at 7:30 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore, Oakland. Tickets are $15-$22. 654-3234. 

Jeff Chandler and Allegro Ballroom “Top Hat Club” at 8 p.m. 5855 Christie Ave. Tickets are $35, or $50 with dinner. 655-2888. 

A Night of Cuban Folkloric Music hosted by Jesus Diaz, featuring Sandy Perez, John Santos, Eric Barbera, Colin Douglas and Chris “Flaco” Walker at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10. 849-2568.  

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

Martin Pendergrast and Friends at noon at Cafe Zeste, 1250 Addison St. at Bonar, in the Strawberry Creek Park complex. 704-9378. 

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

Agualibre at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10-$15. 548-1159.  

Jai Uttal & Donna DeLory at 7:30 p.m. at Rudramandir, 830 Bancroft Way at 6th St. Tickets are $25. 496-6047. www.Rudramandirtickets.com  

Mariospeedwagon and Lemon Juju at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Equal Opportunity Employment at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Ramblin’ Jack Elliot at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761.  

Michael Wilcox & Friends at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373.  

Project Move, Jern Eye, Kristo at 9 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $10. 763-1146. 

Nicole McRory at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Dale Miller & Friends, folk at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Montana, The Oceans of Fire, Halcyon High at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082. 

Elysia, A.G.A.T.G., Moria at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, MARCH 25 

CHILDREN 

“Strega Nona Festival” A play based on the characters from Tomie dePaola’s books at 3 p.m. at Arts First Oakland, 2501 Harrison at 27th., Oakland. Tickets are $10 adults, $5 children 444-4755. www.stagebridge.org 

SF Circus Center Clown Conservatory “Experiment! The Excitement of Science” at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $5-$8. 925-798-1300. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“El Corazón de la Communidad: The Heart of the Community” A new public art installation painted by Joaquin Alejandro Newman and honoring two Oakland community activists, Carmen Flores and Josie de la Cruz, will be unveiled at 2 p.m. at the Carmen Flores Recreation Center, 1673 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland.  

THEATER 

“Exit Cuckoo” Lisa Ramirez’s one-woman show on motherhood at 7 p.m. at Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $32-$52. 925-798-1300. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Socially Responsible Shopping with authors Ritchie Unterberger, Ellis Jones and Allan Holender at 6 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Poetry Flash presents Carl Dennis at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Prometheus Symphony Orchestra at 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Ave., Oakland. Free, donations accepted. www.prometheussymphony.org  

Temple Choir Concert at 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland Sanctuary, 2619 Broadway. 444-3555. 

Dvorak and the American Indianists Piano Concert with Seth Montfort, at 5:30 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. Cost is $15. 415-362-6080. 

Chora Nova “Romance and the Part Song” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, Dana and Durant. Tickets are $10-$15. www.choranova.org 

Jewish Music Festival Community Music Day at 8 p.m. at JCCEB, 1414 Walnut St. Tickets are $7-$24. 800-838-3006. www.jewishmusicfestival.org 

Gilberto Gil, Brazilian pop music, at 7 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $36-$62. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Gillette & Mangsen at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Brazillian Soul at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $9. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Emma’s Revolution & Jon Frommer, labor songs, at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$20 sliding scale. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Rova Saxophone Quartet at 4:30 at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Skatalites at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $20. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Lion of Judah, Never Healed, Justice at 5 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

MONDAY, MARCH 26 

FILM 

“Jazz on a Monday Afternoon” Films and discussion on Jazz Vocalists at 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St., 3rd flr. 981-6100. 

Japanese Anime: Women as Heroines Multi-media presention at noon at Laney Tech Center, F170, 900 Fallon St. Oakland. Part of Women HerStory Month. Cost is $7-$12. http://laney.peralta.edu/womensherstorymonth 

LunaFest Film festival by and about women at 7 p.m. at Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon St. Oakland. Part of Women HerStory Month. Cost is $7-$12. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend discusses “Failing America’s Faithful” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Donation $10. 559-9500. 

Edmund Zimmerman and Rick Prelinger read at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Ira Nowiski shows slides and talks about his book “Ira Nowiski’s San Francisco: Poets, Politics, and Divas” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Cathryn Jakobson Ramin talks about “Carved in Sand: When Attention Fails and Memory Fades in Midlife” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Poetry Express open mic theme night on “grandmothers” at 7 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

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

Michael Chapdelaine at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

TUESDAY, MARCH 27 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Tell on on Tuesdays Storytelling at 7:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Cost is $8-$12 sliding scale. www.juiamorgan.org 

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

Irvin Muchnik, with special guest Josh Kornbluth, talks about “Wrestling Babylon: Piledriving Tales of Drugs, Death, Sex, and Scandal” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Laury Hammel, co-founder of Business Alliance for Local Living Economy will read from his new book at 7 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 528-3254. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Zizoo 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, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ.  

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

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

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Alan Snitow, Deborah Kaufman, and Michael Fox present “Thirst: Fighting the Corporate Theft of Our Water” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Georgann Brennan reads from “A Pig in Provence” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Writing Teachers Write, monthy reading at 5 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Music for the Spirit with Ron McKean on harpsichord at 12:15 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Broadway. 444-3555. 

WomenSing Chorus at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $10-$20. 925-974-9169. 

Pat Metheny with Brad Mehldau Trio at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $30-$58. 642-9988.  

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

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

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

Nicole and the Sisters in Soul at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Roy Hargrove Quintet at 8 and 10 p.m. through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $18-$24. 238-9200.  

THURSDAY, MARCH 29 

THEATER  

Dell’Ate Group “Second Skin” a one-woman show by Joan Schirle at 7:30 p.m. at Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon St. Free. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Berkeley, Her Land, Her Gift of Early Neighborhoods” an illustrated lecture with Richard Schwartz at 7:30 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Tickets are $15-$20. 848-4288. 

Lionel Shriver reads from “The Post-Birthday World” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Tom McNamee reads from “Alice Waters and Chez Panisse” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Elline Lipkin and Sandra Lim, poetry, at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Pierre Bensusan at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761.  

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

Julie Lloyd, singer/songwriter, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

BeatBeat Whisper, Snowblink, All My Pretty Ones at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

Pachanga Primavera, benefit for Chicano Latino scholars at UC Berkeley, at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $5-$7. 849-2568.  

Headnodic & Raashan Ahmad at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low. Cost is $5. 548-1159.  

Built for the Sea, Minipop at 8:30 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $10. 763-1146. 

EAST BAY SYMPHONY AT THE PARAMOUNT 

The Oakland East Bay Symphony will perform Rimsky-Korsakov’s bright, melodic  

Scheherazade and one of the orchestral suites of  

Shostakovich at 8 p.m. Friday at the Paramount Theater. The concert will be preceded by a lecture at 7 p.m. $15-$62. 2025 Broadway, Oakland. 652-8497. 

FAMILY MATINEE AND ICE CREAM SOCIAL 

Stagebridge  

presents the 16th annual Family  

Matinee and  

Ice Cream Social 

at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with the “Strega Nona Festival.” The beloved characters from Tomie dePaola’s popular “Strega Nona” stories come to life on stage in this new production, featuring actors age 9 to 85.  

Oakland-based Stagebridge is the nation’s oldest senior theater company. It uses theater and storytelling to bridge the generation gap and to promote positive attitudes toward aging. Arts First Oakland, 2501 Harrison Ave., Oakland. Adults $10, children $5.  

For reservations and ticket  

information, call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org. 

A BIT OF JAZZ ON A  

MONDAY AFTERNOON 

The Berkeley Public Library continues its free film and  

discussion series about innovators and developments in jazz moderated by musician Dee Spencer from 2-4 p.m. Monday at the downtown library’s Community Room. The event features rare footage in combination with more familiar images to illuminate the depths of jazz in pursuit of a group discussion. 2090 Kittridge St.

After more than 25 years in the movie business, John Malkovich has carved out a unique niche for himself, a cinematic netherworld equal parts post-modernism and cult of personality.  

His charisma has always been apparent, whether adding a dash of suave cruelty to Dangerous Liasons (1988) or mercurial menace to In the Line of Fire (1993). But it has been his more recent, more adventurous work in smaller, independent films that has firmly established his reputation as something of a maverick. 

Malkovich plays the lead role in Color Me Kubrick, a quirky little film based on true events that opens this weekend at Shattuck Cinemas in downtown Berkeley. He plays Peter Conway, a con man who passed himself off for months as legendary film director Stanley Kubrick, swindling a string of star-struck victims along the way. He took money from them, slept with them, promised them roles in his films, even offered them financial backing for their own endeavors.  

Director Brian Cook and screenwriter Anthony Frewin were there as the real-life drama unfolded, the former as Kubrick’s assistant director, the latter as his personal assistant. Frewin in fact was responsible for screening the calls that started coming in from irate strangers who would have Kubrick’s head for having fleeced them in the days and weeks previous, in ramshackle bars and nightclubs and taxicabs all over London.  

There are many paths that could be taken in adapting such material for the screen. The story could easily lend itself to a psychological drama about a man who seeks escape from his dreary existence by adopting the identity of a famous recluse; or a noirish melodrama of a con artist operating in seedy bars, with plenty of narrow escapes and shady intrigue; or a journalistic mystery perhaps, with reporters unraveling the sordid tale of a smooth-talking seducer taking money and favors from down-and-out would-be stars all over London. 

Instead the filmmakers have opted for another approach, one that contains elements of all of the above while playing up the absurdist aspects of the story in the creation of a film that poses more questions than it answers. They have chosen to emphasize the humor and depravity of Conway’s ruse without attempting to divine the motivations behind the charade, electing to make a piece of light entertainment rather than a probing drama. They’ve taken more than a few liberties with the tale, embellishing here and there and working with Malkovich in fashioning the already eccentric Conway into a character even more flamboyant and inscrutable.  

The film doesn’t present Conway as a master con artist; he’s clumsy, he gets caught now and then, and when he does escape it’s more often the result of luck rather than cunning. In fact, the character, like the real-life man, doesn’t even know much about Kubrick or his films and doesn’t bother to do much research. Instead he relies on instinct, improvising the character anew with each new situation. An interesting study could have been built upon the various incarnations of Kubrick that Conway creates: For some victims, he portrays the director as a suave sophisticate, sometimes with a British accent, sometimes with Malkovich’s own jaded purr; for others he presents Kubrick as a brash New Yorker, or an arrogant Las Vegas lounge lizard; for still others, a mild-mannered upper-crust American, weary of recognition and thus traveling under an assumed name. On a whim he decides which incarnation best suits his victim and then proceeds to soften him up, flattering him with the attention of one of the world’s best-known but least-visible film directors. 

The movie is episodic and slightly discursive, never dull but often rambling. Cook and Frewin never quite manage to find the thread which could pull the whole thing together. Instead the film merely revels in Conway’s deceptions, true and otherwise, taking pleasure in the eccentricity of the man and his brazen scams and infusing them with wry comic touches. For instance, iconic musical themes from classic Kubrick films appear throughout, often providing ironic counterpoint to the action. A particularly effective example shows Conway, after a night of Kubrick-fueled deception and debauchery, stumbling downstairs from his low-rent hovel, crossing the street past the “Bleu Danube” adult shop, and tossing his dirty clothes into an open machine at the laundromat—all choreographed to the delicate strains of Johann Strauss’ On the Beautiful Blue Danube, the piece used to such great effect in 2001: A Space Odyssey.  

The inspired decision to cast Malkovich is the film’s saving grace, adding a whole new dimension to the proceedings. Since Being John Malkovich (1999), the actor’s image—eccentric, bemused, arrogant, slightly bored but always enigmatic and vaguely dangerous—has in a way become the subject of many of his films. Thus Cook and Frewin are able to employ the actor’s self-relexive persona as a hook on which to hang the film’s increasingly surreal episodes, bringing layers of complexity to an already strange tale. For it isn’t merely Malkovich playing Conway, but rather it is Malkovich playing “John Malkovich” playing Peter Conway playing Stanley Kubrick. And the kaleidoscopic tone becomes even more mind boggling in a scene where Malkovich-as-Malkovich-as-Conway-as-Kubrick regales dinner companions with tales of conflicts with studio management over the casting of John Malkovich in the lead for his next film.  

Color Me Kubrick could have benefited from a more direct narrative, a more conventional through-line to tie together its absurdist humor and flights of eccentric fancy. Instead it relies on the cult of Malkovich, showcasing the actor’s strange mystique. It may not be a great film, but if you count yourself among the cult, it’s quite a ride. 

COLOR ME KUBRICK 

Directed by Brian Cook. Written by Anthony Frewin. Starring John Malkovich. 89 minutes. Not rated. Playing at Shattuck Cinemas. 

Photograph: John Malkovich plays a Stanley Kubrick imposter in Color Me Kubrick.

On Tuesday, March 27, at 7 p.m., Laury Hammel, co-founder of Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), will read from the inspiring new book he co-authored with Gun Denhart, Growing Local Value: How to Build Business Partnerships That Strenghten Your Community at Pegasus Books in downtown Berkeley.  

The authors are preaching (in an un-preachy voice) what they have practiced. Hammel is the owner and president of The Longfellow Clubs, four New England health and recreation clubs. Gun Denhart co-founded the Hanna Andersson children’s clothing company in Portland, Oregon. Both entrepreneurs built flourishing firms whose success had a lot to do with their innovative community programs. 

While people often think of community activism in terms of philanthropy or volunteer work, Hammel and Denhart show how every aspect of a business—from product creation to employee recruitment to vendor selection to raising capital—can be set up to benefit both the bottom line and the local community. 

Each of the book’s seven chapters offers lessons in building a meaningful and profitable relationship with a key stakeholder group: customers, investors, nonprofits, government, other businesses, employees and the environment itself. Those lessons are illustrated by vivid case histories drawn from a wide range of industries located all over the United States. The authors are keenly aware of the challenges facing small and medium-sized independent entrepreneurs; they tell what worked—and what didn’t.  

For this reader, it’s these stories that make this book compelling. A few examples: Rejuvenation Lighting in Portland, Oregon, established a home-buying program for its employees. TAGS Hardware of Cambridge, Massachusetts, mails every new resident in town a coupon offering a free trash can and a duplicate house key and sends out “free light bulb cards” to frequent customers. Hammel’s Longfellow Clubs helped an inner-city indoor/outdoor tennis club founded by African Americans to get back on its feet with generous donations of time, money and expertise. 

Growing Local Value has a local angle: published by a San Francisco firm, Berrett-Koheler, the book is part of the Social Venture Network Series. Closer to home, the chair of the Social Venture Network is Berkeley consultant and author Mal Warwick, whose letter to the reader serves as the book’s preface. 

According to the press release, after his reading Hammel will lead a discussion on sustaining a thriving downtown in any community. That, of course, is a topic of utmost importance in today’s Berkeley. It’s not one addressed in Growing Local Value. But the author’s imaginative, can-do approach to “value-based entrepreneurship” and his personal track record make me eager to hear his ideas about revitalizing city centers and—what is crucial for for Berkeley—about creating a vibrant retail economy.  

Hammel founded the nation’s first business association of socially responsible businesses in 1988, the New England Business Association for Social Responsibility. He started BALLE with Judy Wicks, owner of the White Dog Café in Philadelphia. Both he and Wicks will be speaking at BALLE’s 2007 International Conference, to be held in Berkeley from May 31 to June 2. Hammel’s appearance at Pegasus is sponsored by Berkeley’s two BALLE networks, the Berkeley Business District Network and the Sustainable Business Alliance, as well as by Sustainable Berkeley. 

LARRY HAMMEL 

Pegasus Books, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 

For more information, contact Gina at  

Pegasus: 528-3254 or pandorabks@sbcglobal.net. Information about BALLE is available at www.livingeconomies.org or (415) 255-1108. 

It all begins “after hours” with the simplest of games: “Anyway, Bette Davis turns around, puts down her groceries and says, ‘What a dump!’ I want to know the name of the picture!” demands Martha, and husband George teases her in a patronizing deadpan. But when he announces a nightcap, Martha rasps, “Are you kidding? We got guests coming over!” 

And so the real games begin, more and more in earnest, as a faculty couple of a small New England university town entertains the newcomers met that night at the president’s party, with self-importance, sentiment and language itself flayed like skin protecting vital organs, in Edward Albee’s night of games to end ‘em all, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, mid-run in an engaging production at Alameda’s Altarena Playhouse. 

“You’re always springing things on me.” George, the history teacher, plays the passive-aggressive wounded party. Yet it’s he who takes the lead early as grandmaster, archly admonishing all comers—until the cat’s out of the bag, and the real confrontations begin.  

“I warned you not to go too far,” he cautions Martha, who shoots back, “I’m just beginning!” 

Director Richard Robert Bunker has led his well-cast quadriga of academic drayhorses, all pulling in different directions, through an unusually thoughtful gauntlet. Albee’s masterpiece, bristling with hostility and power plays, is often acted out nearly over-the-top from the start. This version takes a different tack: the Shock and Awe of ’60s revelatory primal scenes has had the veneer stripped off; it’s not Liz and Dick at it again, but something deadlier, a war of attrition that’s continued long after the real revelation should have set in. 

There’s tension alive in every line, but the menace is somehow quieter, and maybe deadlier. The double-binds and blinds can be scrutinized more by the engrossed audience, who laugh at the genuinely funny—if dire—exchanges of the first two acts like a malign situation comedy. As it gets gamier, a few holdouts in the house light up at the telling black humor of a collision between the old and the recently married, as well as the adroit sarcasms that degenerate to bodyslams about careerism, “family values” and the death of love. 

Sue Trigg, who brilliantly directed last year’s Death of a Salesman at Altarena, is an exceptional Martha—Martha who rasps out “I don’t bray!”—cackling, coarse, randy, taking the piss out of George, sometimes barreling drunkenly cross-stage, sometimes arching like a cat ... complemented by suavely underhanded Robert Rossman as George the fake-out artist, bending words around like spoons to juice the truth out telepathically.  

Their weird duet—Martha’s soliloquy on the eve of their absent, much-spoken of son’s twenty-first birthday, while George intones the Requiem—is a high point, yet one not dizzy with histrionics as much as deadly accurate, real irony.  

The younger generation’s not to be slighted in the face of this habitual carnage: Jamie Olsen plays Nick with a patronizing smirk that widens into a half-condescending, half-shellshocked leer as the proceedings suck him in and spit him out. As Honey, his “slim-hipped” wife, fated to play the dummy in this four-handed bluffing match, Lisa Price begins as an ex-sorority girl three sheets to the wind, vacant-eyed, drowsy, flashing an empty grin and tittering at everything, finally dancing alone like a snockered Isadora Duncan as cheerleader, before stretching out on the cool bathroom tiles and peeling the labels off brandy bottles. 

“If I can’t do my interpretive dance, I don’t want to dance with anyone!” Honey declares—and George invites: “Let’s just sit here and watch.” And that’s what we do in the audience, siding with no one, as they play Humiliate The Host, Hump The Hostess, Get The Guests—and the final game of George and Martha’s declared Total War: “There’s something in the bone ... and that’s what you gotta get.”  

That’s the game, the marriage, the career—all the shared secrets—turned inside out for all to see. And whether George is just a gutless wonder or perhaps novelist-manqué, or Martha just a bitch or really the one who wears the pants, the end still puts to bed all the sound and fury we were so lately laughing and wincing at, these characters left only with each other as they leave the stage. 

WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF 

8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through April 1 at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda. $17-$20. 

523-1553. www.alterena.org.