Events Listings

Berkeley This Week

Friday March 30, 2007

FRIDAY, MARCH 30 

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 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Ismail Khaldi, Deputy Consul General of Israel in SF on “Pluralism in Israel Today” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. 526-2925.  

What is Wheat Gluten in our Foods Doing to Us and our children if it is killing cats and dogs? Free documentary screening by Ann Marks at 1 p.m. at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 528-6267. 

“This Black Soil” a film about the struggles of an impoverished community in Virginia, at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., midtown Oakland. Donation $5. www.HumanistHall.net 

“Finding Your Roots on the Web” a class on genealogy research at 11 a.m. in the Berkeley History Room, Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. To register call 981-6148. 

Oaxaca & Chiapas Report Back at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists 1924 Cedar St. Donations accepted. 528-5403. 

Circle Dancing, simple folk dancing with instruction at 8 p.m. at Hillside Coommunity Church, 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito. Potluck supper at 7 p.m.. Donation of $5 requested. 528-4253. www.circledancing.com 

Introduction to Meditation at 7 p.m. at New Dahrma Meditation Center, 1056 60th St., Emeryville. Cost is $15-$25, no one turned away. 547-3733. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 31 

“The Art of Beekeeping in Your Backyard” A presentation by the Alameda County Beekeepers Association at 10 a.m. at 2418 California St. Cost is $10, reservations required, call Jim at 845-2419 or Heiko at 549-3377. 

Berkeley Youth Alternatives Community Barbeque and Orchard Tree Planting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1255 Allston Way. 845-9010. 

Farmyard Stories and Songs with Tara Reinertson at 11 a.m. at the Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

“Native Plants, Native Americans and the Spanish” A walk and discussion of the encounter between the two cultures from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Peralta Hacienda Historical Park, 2465 34th Ave., Oakland. 532-9142. 

Outdoor Gardening with Cacti and Succulents from 9 a.m. to noon at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $25-$30. Registration required. 643-2755, ext. 03. 

Solo Sierrans Walk in Codornices Park Meet at 3:30 p.m. at the top of the Berkeley Rose Garden on Euclid Ave. Walk lasts about 1.5 hours and includes some steps. Rain cancels. 647-3513. 

Mt. Wanda Wildflower Walk Join a Park Ranger for a walk in the hills where John Muir took his daughters. Terrain is steep, wear walking shoes and bring water. Rain cancels. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Cal-Trans Park and Ride lot at the corner of Alhambra Ave. and Franklin Canyon Rd., Martinez. 925-228-8860. 

Alameda County Commission on the Status of Women Summit with Congresswomen Barbara Lee and Nancy Pelosi and workshops on domestic violence, breast health, and women in politics. From 1 to 6 p.m. at the Fremont Marriott, 46100 Landing Parkway, Admission is free, but registration required. 259-3871. 

Zoo Ambassador Training Orientation The Oakland Zoo is looking for volunteers to help teach visitors about the zoo and the animals. Training from 9 to 1 p.m. at the Oakland Zoo. For information call 632-9525. 

CopWatch Know Your Rights Training Movie Night Learn your rights with the police and police observation from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Grassroots House, 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

Understanding Chronic Fatigue at 11:30 a.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

“Preserving Home Ownership Forum” Learn how to avoid defaults, forclosures and protect your credit at 9:30 a.m. at Preservation Park, Ginn House Meeting Room, 660 13th St., Oakland. Sponsored by the California Association of Mortgage Brokers. 339-2121. 

Petite Pooches Playgroup for small dogs from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., one block north of Solano on Ensenada at Talbot. 524-2459. 

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.  

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

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, APRIL 1 

Specialty Nursery Plant Sale, sponsored by California Horticultural Society, with thousands of rare and unique plants, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave., Oakland, off Grand Ave., beside Lake Merritt. Cost is $3 for park entrance, free admission to plant sale. www.calhortsociety.org 

Family Exploration Day at the Oakland Museum of California with information on the peregrine falcon recovery efforts and special family tours of the Bringing the Condors Home exhibition, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Oak and 10th St., Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. 

Cancer Prevention and Survival Cooking Class from 1 to 3 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St., Oakland. Free, but registration required. 444-8511. 

“Creating Collaborative Resistance to the Israeli Occupation” with Dr. Dalit Baum, Israeli peace activist, at 2:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Public LIbrary, Third Flr Community Meeting Room, 2090 Kittredge St. Suggested donation $10, no one turned away. www.bayareawomeninblack.org 

“How Can We Get the Health Care We Need?” A Peace and Freedom Party forum on competing plans for health care and health “coverage,” with presentations and discussion, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Spud's Pizza, corner of Alcatraz and Adeline. 845-4360. 

Health Care Reform: Acts for Justice as a Spiritual Practice Soup supper at 5:30 p.m., program at 6:15 p.m. at Epworth United Methodist Church, 1953 Hopkins. Sponsored by Berkeley Organizing Congregations for Action. Free, but RSVP requested. 267-7131. 

Holistic Pet Evaluation from 1 to 4 p.m. at RabbitEars, 303 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Free, appointments required. 525-6155. 

Easter Egg Painting from 2 to 3 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Free Hands-on Bicycle Clinic Learn how to keep your bike in excellent working condition through safety inspections, from 10 to 11 a.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

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 Santosh Philip on “Advanced Kum Nye: The Joy of Being” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812.  

MONDAY, APRIL 2  

Help with the Frog Survey Learn to recognize frog calls and help with Friends of Five Creeks’ every-other-year frog survey, at 7 p.m. at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin, Albany. For information call 848 9358. www.fivecreeks.org 

Cancer Prevention and Survival Cooking Class at 6:30 p.m. at Keller Williams, 4341 Piedmont Ave., 2nd Flr., Oakland. To register call Lori at 531-2665. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from noon to 6 p.m. at East Pauley Ballroom, MLK Student Union, UC Campus. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com (code UCB) 

TUESDAY, APRIL 3 

“Housing the Homeless and Low Income in Berkeley” with Stephen Barton, City of Berkeley Housing Director, brown bag lunch from noon to 2 p.m. at the Albany Library. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters. 843-8824. 

“Health and Stress” with Dr. Jay Sordean, Oriental Medical Doctor at 7 p.m. at the El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave., El Cerrito. 526-7512. 

Free Legal Assistance the first Tues. of the month at 6 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. Advance registration required. 526-3720, ext. 5. 

Discussion Salon on Incarceration vs Education at 7 p.m. at JCC, 1414 Walnut.  

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

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

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

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4 

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

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  

Volunteer at the Native Nursery in Oakland in plant propagation and transplanting, watering, and other maintenance associated with growing native wetland plants. From 1 to 3 p.m. at Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline, Oakland. RSVP to 452-9261. 

Oakland Public Library Book Sale at The Bookmark, 721 Washington St., Oakland, through April 7. Benefits Friends of the Oakland Public Library. 444-0473. 

ReelVenezuela, Venezuelan films at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$9. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“Arctic Warming” with author and filmmaker Jonathan Waterman at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Forum on the Solutions to Math and Science Education Lag at 5 p.m. at Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, 17 Gauss Way. Sponsored by the East Bay Community Foundation. 836-3223. 

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

American Red Cross Blood Services Volunteer Orientation from 10 a.m. to noon at 6230 Claremont Ave., Oakland Advanced sign-up is required; phone Anne at 594-5165.  

“Avalokitesvara is Everybody: Disguise As Skillful Means in Sanskrit Mahayana” with Dr. Will Tuladhar-Douglas at 6:30 p.m. at Jodo Shinshu Center, 2140 Durant Ave. Sponsored by the The Institute of Buddhist Studies. RSVP Requested 809-1444. 

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. 

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

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

THURSDAY, APRIL 5 

ReelVenezuela, Venezuelan films at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$9. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“Finding Inspiration from Wild Places for Your Native Garden” A presentation by Pete Veilleux, of the native landscape firm “East Bay Wilds” at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2220 ext. 233. 

Free Diabetes Screening from 8:15 to 11 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Do not eat or drink anything for 8 hours beforehand. 981-5332. 

“The Eight-Circuit Brain in Theory and Practice” with Antero Alli at 8 p.m. at the Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St., near University. Cos tis $8. 464-4640. 

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.  

Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters Club meets at 6:45 p.m. at Spud's Pizza, 3290 Adeline. namaste@avatar.freetoasthost.info  

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 

Commission on the Status of Women meets Wed., April 4, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Tasha Tervelon, 981-5190.  

Downtown Area Plan Advisory Commission meets Wed., April 4, at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7487. 

Housing Advisory Commission meets Thurs., April 5, at 7:30 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5400. 

Landmarks Preservation Commission meets Thurs., April 5, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Gisele Sorensen, 981-7419.  

Public Works Commission meets Thurs., April 5, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Jeff Egeberg, 981-6406.  


Arts Listings

Arts Calendar

Friday March 30, 2007

FRIDAY, MARCH 30 

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.  

“Clown Bible” acrobatic theater based on man’s relationship with God, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Willard Middle School Metal Shop Theater, 2425 Stuart St. Tickets are $15-$20. www.brownpapertickets.com 

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 

Masquers Playhouse “She Loves Me” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Masquers Playhouse, 105 Park Place, Point Richmond. Tickets are $12. 232-4031. www.masquers.org  

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

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.  

EXHIBITIONS 

“Bridal Fantasies: The Fashion of Dreams” Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles, 2982 Adeline St., through August 4. Open Mon.-Sat. noon to 6 p.m. 843-7178.  

“Memories in Beads” Beaded garments, handbags and decorative pieces on display at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at 2982 Adeline St. 843-7178.  

FILM 

“The Greater Circulation” A film by Antero Alli at 8 p.m. at Grace North Church, 2138 Cedar St. Cost is $6 .464-4640. www.verticalpool.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Chris Hedges talks about “American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. 559-9500.  

Steven Hockensmith reads from “On the Wrong Track” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. www.codysbooks.com  

African Alkhemic Spoken Word at 7 p.m. at Black New World, 836 Pine St., West Oakland. Tickets are $25. For reservations call 444-2907. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Li Chiao-Ping Dance “Home Works” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $10-$15. 925-798-1300. 

Phoenix Rising: A Piano and Flute Duo at 7:30 p.m. at Pro Arts, 550 Second St., Oakland. Tickets are $10-$15. 868-0695. www.bayareabach.org 

Different Strokes Jazz Duo with Yehudit Lieberman, 5 string violin and Beth Snellings, 'cello at 8 p.m. at the Giorgi Gallery 2911 Claremont Ave. Tickets are $112-$15. 848-1228. 

Carmen Prieto and Lichi Fuentes, original and traditional Latin American songs, at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $15-$18. 849-2568.  

“Almost Famous” jazz musical performed by Cathi Walkup and Shana Carlson at 8 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $10-$15. www.hillsideclub.org 

Rhonda Benin & Soulful Strut at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Stompy Jones at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. East Coast swing dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $13. 525-5054.  

Jill Knight, singer/songwriter, at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Chookasian Ensemble at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Ira Marlowe and Stevie Barsotti at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

The Panhandle, 86, The Shut-ins at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

The Locust, Daughters at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

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

Will Bernard/Will Blades Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

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

SATURDAY, MARCH 31 

CHILDREN  

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

Farmyard Stories and Songs with Tara Reinertson at 11 a.m. at the Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

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

Ravioli 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. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Botanicals and Beasties” Photographs and drawings by Neil Tierney. Reception at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

“88 Pieces of Me” A photo memoire by Keba Armand Konte. Catalogue signing at 5 p.m. at Guerilla Cafe, 1620 Shattuck Ave. 845-2233. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

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 

Inti-Illimani at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $20-$32. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Li Chiao-Ping Dance “Home Works” at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $10-$15. 925-798-1300. 

Puerto Rican Women “La Bomba es nuestra” at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568.  

Mal Sharpe Quintet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Celu with Molly Thomas and Friends at noon at Cafe Zeste, 1250 Addison St. at Bonar, in the Strawberry Creek Park complex. 704-9378. 

Dave Lionelli and Nomi at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Women in Song “Local Treasures” with Beth Robinson, Audrey Auld Mezera, Elaine Dempsey, Megan McLaughlin Patty Espeseth at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

The Acid Reggae Xperience at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373.  

Kurt Ribak Jazz Group at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $5. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

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

Greg & Esperanza Pratt, folk and swing, at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

The Highway Robbers, Blue Mire, Carrie Clark & the Lonesome Lovers at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082.  

David Jeffrey’s Fourtet at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Forced March, Absolute Rulers at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, APRIL 1 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Line Drawings of Oakland Landmarks” by Daniel Ling at . at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave., through April 30. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

“A Gathering of Greatness" Allegorical photographs of famous people in the Pere-Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, by Dorothy Levitt Mayers. Reception at 1 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. 228-3207. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

DuEwa M. Frazier, Aimee Suzara and Ellen Hagan read their poetry at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $8. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Poetry Flash presents Betsey Andrews reading from “New Jersey” and Brian Teare reading from “The Room Where I Was Born” at 7 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Measha Brueggergosman, soprano at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $42. 642-9988.  

Twang Cafe presents a night of all bluegrass with The Mountain Boys, 5 Dollar Suit, Wagon at 7 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $10. www.twangcafe.com 

“Highland, Heath and Holler” Celtic music’s voyage to Appalachia at 7 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $20-$32. 642-9988.  

Bandworks Concert at noon at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5, children under 12 free. 525-5054.  

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

Conflict, Scarred for Life, Anima Mundi and others at 8 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $10. 763-1146. 

Philips Marine Duo at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Antelope, Black Fiction at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100.  

MONDAY, APRIL 2 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Bridal Fantasies: The Fashion of Dreams” at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles, 2982 Adeline St., through August 4. Open Mon.-Sat. noon to 6 p.m. 843-7178.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Clemens Stark reads at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Poetry Express with California Poet Laureate Al Young at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Contemporary Chamber Players “Berkeley New Music Project” at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $4-$12. 642-9988. 

Happy Trails Benefit for the Halleck Creek Riding Club for the Disabled at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Smyrna Time Machine at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Balkan dance lesson at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

Conflict, Scarred for Life, Anima Mundi and others at 8 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $10. 763-1146. www.oaklandmetro.org 

Tito Y Su Son De Cuba at 8 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$15. 238-9200. 

TUESDAY, APRIL 3 

FILM 

Anthology FIlm Archives: Recent Preservations with archivist Andrew Lampert at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Arlene Blum on “Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

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

Rebecca Griffin at 7:30 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

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

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

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Along the Five” Works by Tyrell Collins and others opens at Cecile Moochnek Gallery, 1809-D Fourth St., and runs through May 13. 549-1018. 

THEATER 

Opera Piccola’s ArtGate Program “365 Days/365 Plays” at 7 p.m. at Oakland Metro Theater, 201 Broadway. Pay what you can. 658-0967. www.opera-piccola.org 

FILM 

Film 50: History of Cinema “Cléofrom 5 to 7” at 3 p.m. with a lecture by Marilyn Fabe at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Ken Kuhlken, mystery writer, introduces his new novel “The Do-Re-Mi” at 6:30 p.m. at Oakland Public Library, Main Library, 125 14th St., Oakland. 238-3134. 

Erika Mailman reads from her historical novel “Woman of Ill Fame” about a Gold Rush prostitute, at 7 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

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

Bandworks Concert at 7:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5, children under 12 free. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

Kurt Ribak Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Uday Bhawalker with Manik Munde at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

Gonzalo Rubalcaba Group at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $10-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, APRIL 5 

EXHIBITIONS 

“ultra deepfield” Bay Area artists look at urban locations in transition. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave. Exhitition runs to May 12. 549-2977. www.kala.org 

“A Rose Has No Teeth: Bruce Nauman in the 1960s” Guided tour at 12:15 and 5:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

FILM 

“Antonini: The Vision That Changed the Cinema” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Free First Thursday. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

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

Seth Lerer on “Inventing English: A Portable History of the Language” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Tourettes without Regrets at 8 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $8. 763-1146. www.oaklandmetro.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Richard Shindell at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Betty Fu & Ben Stolorow Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $8. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Plum Crazy, Trevor Garrod at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

Mike Lee and Amber at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

FRIDAY, APRIL 6 

THEATER 

“Clown Bible” acrobatic theater based on man’s relationship with God, Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at Willard Middle School Metal Shop Theater, 2425 Stuart St., through April 14. Tickets are $15-$20. www.brownpapertickets.com 

Masquers Playhouse “She Loves Me” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Masquers Playhouse, 105 Park Place, Point Richmond. Tickets are $12. 232-4031. www.masquers.org  

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

Marga Gomez “Laugh Baby Laugh” at 8 p.m. at La Lesbian @ La Peña, Tickets are $20. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“City of Walls, City of People” The urban experience in Oakland, CA, and Venice, Italy, a collaboration with California College of the Arts, and Istituto Universitario di Architettura, Design e Arti, in Venice. Reception at 6 p.m. at Pro Arts, 550 Second St., Oakland. 763-9425. 

“New Works by Judith Hoersting and Judi Miller” Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Mercury 20 Gallery, 25 Grand Ave. at Broadway. Exibition runs to April 28. mercurytwenty@gmail.com 

“Collaboration of Poetry and Painting” Works by Louis Delsarte and Ntozake Shange opens with a reception at 6 p.m. at Joyce Gordon Gallery, 406 14th St., Oakland. Exhibition runs through April 30. 465-8928. www.joycegordongallery.com 

“Jarring Realities” Paintings and sculptures by Scott Hove, Donna Mendes and Marty McCorkle opens at the Esteban Sabar Gallery, 480 23rd St., and runs through April 30. 444-7411. www.estebansabar.com 

David Gentry: Conserved Constructs featuring mixed-media sculptures. Reception at 6 p.m. at Pro Arts, 550 Second St., Oakland. 763-9425. 

 

 

 

 

 

FILM 

“Tropical Malady: Shot-by-Shot” with Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Sadiya Hartman introduces “Lose Your Mother: A Journey Across the Atlantic Slave Route” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. www.codysbooks.com  

John Moir describes “Return of the Condor: The Race to Sve Our Largest Bird from Extinction” at 7 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak St., Oakland. 238-2200. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Free Jazz Fridays with Woman's Worth, Sword & Sandals, Vholtz at 8 p.m. at 1510 Eighth St. Performance Space, Oakland. Cost is $5-$15 sliding scale. 415-846-9432. 

Resmiranda Vocal Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. at Northbrae Community Church, 941 the Alameda. Tickets are $20-$25 at the door. 

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

Caribbean Allstars, Kalbass at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Jack Gates Ensemble, Latin jazz, at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Marley’s Ghost at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

The Ravines and Tamra Engle at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Pat Johnson & The New Sheiks, Penelope Houston, Julia Dawn at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Cabrillo Beach Boys, Dirty Looks, Neverending Party 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. 

Dave Stein Hub-Bub at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Les Nubians at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $25. 548-1159.  

The Sonando Project “Musica de su Mente” The Latin Side of Stevie Wonder at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Tommy Gun and the Bullets, Lincolms at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $6. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

Gonzalo Rubalcaba Group at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $10-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 


Arts and Entertainment Around the East Bay

Friday March 30, 2007

ADVENTURES OF THE YOUNG CESAR CHAVEZ 

 

Manzi: The Adventures of the Young Cesar Chavez, a play for children age 5 and over, will be performed by Active Arts Theatre for Young Audiences on Chavez’s birthday this Saturday, March 31, at 11:30 am, at the Cesar Chavez Branch of the Oakland Public Library, as well as Tuesday, April 3 at 2 p.m. at the Central Berkeley Public Library (free admission), before beginning a run April 14-15 and 21-22 at the Julia Morgan Center on College Avenue. Directed by Dina Martinez, familiar to theatergoers from El Teatro Campesino and the San Francisco Mime Troupe, Active Arts is a very active company indeed, specializing in socially aware theater for young people. www.activeartstheatre.org. 

 

‘MEMORIES IN BEADS’ AT LACIS MUSEUM 

 

“Memories in Beads,” an exhibit of beaded garments, handbags and decorative pieces reflecting the exuberance of the 1920s are on display at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles, 2982 Adeline St., together with an exhibit of historical bridal laces, satins and tulles. An opening reception for both exhibits will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 30. The museum is open from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 843-7178. 

 

PFA SCREENS  

ANTONIONI CLASSICS 

 

Pacific Film Archive continues its series of films by Michelangelo Antonioni with Blow Up at 7 p.m. Friday, one of the seminal films of the 1960s, followed at 6:30 p.m. Saturday of Le amiche, one of the director’s earlier films. At 2 p.m. Sunday PFA will screen the first of two programs of Antonioni’s short films, made betweeen 1943 and 1965, followed by I vinti at 3:45. $4-$8. 2575 Bancroft Way. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu.


The Theater: Ten Red Hen Presents ‘Clown Bible’

By Ken Bullock, Special to the Planet
Friday March 30, 2007

In the Beginning—of the Clown Bible, at least, according to Ten Red Hen at Willard Metalshop Theater—God Herself was inscribed in silhouette in a circle of light above the stage. She seemed to be cooking up something—though was that a music box being cranked over the pot, not a peppergrinder? Cut to past the seventh day or so, when a shy, polite Adam and Eve plucked red noses, not the usual Forbidden Fruit, from the boughs above, carelessly putting them on ... God cried out through a bullhorn, like a surly ringmaster, and the newly-minted clowns were afraid—and hid themselves. 

Such is the Genesis of a creation which, like its real-life model, is hopefully still a work-in-progress, worthy of more revelations, as the Ten Red Hen tribe literally renders scripture into an unauthorized but inspired version that is Fundamentally Clown. Though there’s no apparent reformer’s zeal to the artful slapstick of the exegesis, it’s not really so far from Erasmus of Rotterdam’s “Praise of Folly,” that humane screed of the Renaissance that put what mankind has made of religion into the mouth of the Biblical Fool, leaving it to foolish human beings to sort out that which is Caesar’s from that which is the Lord’s—or, for Erasmus, the Son of Man. 

What’s more, the plucky little Hens not only translate The Word into the flesh of physical comedy, but gather it up into a musical comedy revue. Alongside Erasmus, George M. Cohen, a progenitor of both the revue and burlesque melodrama, must be looking on in eternity with astonishment—and amusement.  

With a bright little orchestra (under the baton of composer Dave Malloy, who—doubling as Job—acts out his own Sorrows: his piano, then accordions, finally a pitchpipe taken from him) cooking away alongside the familiar tableaux of the recalcitrantly naughty generations of our race, the audience—or are we a flock, a congregation?—witnesses Laughing Sarah (Alexis Wong) inflated by God with a bicycle pump to give birth to the generations of the Israelite Clown Nation that wiggle and crawl forth; a tap-dancing, stammering Moses (Issabella Shields), working overtime to please God and curb the appetites of her people; a wide-eyed, grinning action hero of the Israelites (Will Howard, singing “I’m Samson; I’m crazy ... Get out of my way, so I can do my hair!”) vamped by a kitschy femme fatale, the Philistine Delilah (Shields again); a mute Saul (Ned Bauer) trying to act out the verses which finally condemn him, as recited over a Walkman, later soothed by David’s music (Andre Nigoghossian, strolling over from the orchestra with his guitar); Solomon (George Michael Chan) with a banjo, explaining in an intimate sing-a-long how he got wise, then asking in song: “Where’s my cubit stick?” to build a temple resembling a gazebo of milkcrates, lit up by Xmas tree lights, only to strip it for love of a not-so-kosher pole-worshipping Queen of Sheba (Kazumi Kusano) ... 

In one of the few truly apocryphal passages, a ticked-off Job takes a swing at the Lord, descended from shadowplay heaven to confront him, furiously face-to-face, thus somehow provoking the Incarnation: the jealous, vengeful, self-justifying “I Am That I Am” God sent sprawling into a creche scene as a bawling babe—both persons of godhead played with brilliant intensity, physical and vocal, by the divine Jane Chen. 

The ensemble itself is due full, heartfelt praise as well, as is Ten Red Hen founder Maya Gurantz, for a truly collaborative show that brings out each red-schnozzed player (including the other actor-musicians: Daniel Bruno, Sig Hafstrom and Conrad Seto) polyphonically, contributing to the unique style and flavor of this bravura piece that wends its own way through the desert of so much stale theatrical pacing--a veritable tabernacle of prat-fall praise to the greater glories of the Theater of the World (amen). 

Clown Bible doesn’t degrade scripture, but elevates the quietly sad or manically grinning countenance of the clown, as did the medieval Miracle Plays and strangely humorous decor of cathedrals, where sacred stories seem to get sent up on sacred occasions and in sacred places. Following that more modern, secular phenomenon, The Bible-As-Literature, Ten Red Hen has taken the next step in vaudevillizing these stories anew that have languished, relatively humorless, for centuries in the public domain. As a friend said when told of the play’s premise, “The Marx Bros. had to come from somewhere!” 

Ten Red Hen, as fishers of Man’s Folly, has ventured out, aboard the ship of fools, on the uncharted waters of White Humor. In contradistinction to more celebrated Black Humor, which overinflates the strange, the scary, the shocking to the breaking point of explosive laughter, its polar opposite (and complement) plays the humor of the ordinary off a spectacular rhetoric, spotlighting in bold onstage little, quirky details, until spasms of laughter are replaced by a smile of wonder at the ineffability of the ordinary. Its exemplars include Erasmus’ contemporary, Rabelais, and the idol of both from antiquity, Lucian; Tristram Shandy; Erik Satie (of whom poet Cesar Vallejo said, “He makes Music itself clown around!”) and Buster Keaton, whose Three Ages spoofed the scriptural cadences of D. W. Griffith’s Intolerance. 

Clown Bible may not be an eschatological event, but it is a theatrical one, of real magnitude. So I exhort you: follow that gold gummed star, which you should be placing on your calendar, to the Willard Metalshop, apt manger for the epiphany of The Son of Clown. 

 

 

CLOWN BIBLE 

Presented by Ten Red Hen at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays through April 14 at Willard Middle School Metal Shop  

Theater, 2425 Stuart St. $15-$20.  

www.brownpapertickets.com.


Moving Pictures:Truth and Past Collide in ‘Grbavica’

By Justin DeFreitas
Friday March 30, 2007

With The Grbavica: Land of My Dreams, director Jasmila Zbanic has fashioned a thoughtful and moving film about characters defined by the past while yearning to break free from it.  

Esma, a single mother, works two jobs while struggling to raise her 13-year-old daughter Sara amid the ruins and wreckage of Sarajevo’s Grbavica neighborhood, an area that functioned as a death camp during the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. The understated photography and camerawork emphasize the battered and worn buildings and streets. Like the people who inhabit it, Grbavica is a work in progress, a neighborhood in ruins awaiting reconstruction.  

Mass graves are unearthed on a seemingly regular basis, and Esma is among the survivors who venture each week to the coroner’s office in an effort to identify the remains of lost loved ones in hopes of finding closure. This is a community of survivors still stunned by the enormity of the tragedy they have suffered; they cling to the past yet are eager to move on, to make sense of what remains.  

Actress Mirjana Karanovic, as Esma, has the ability to convey a wealth of emotions with just a glance. Her face is haunted and weary, struggling in vain to mask the pain and anxiety that shapes her daily life. She’s not sure she can trust people, and she has even less faith in her own ability to judge them. In every interaction Esma seems to be running through myriad interpretations of every word and gesture; she is not able to simply have a conversation, but instead weighs and measures the significance of every nuance before embarking on a reaction, a reaction which isn’t natural or instinctive but rather an only partially convincing re-creation of a natural reaction. 

Esma is defined by her experiences during the war, yet she keeps her painful memories bottled up, as though hoping that by denying them she may one day come to believe they never happened. She is not in therapy; she’s not ready for that yet. She only turns up for support group meetings once a month, when government checks are doled out.  

Her daughter Sara, meanwhile, has problems of her own. Luna Mijovic portrays the budding teenager as a tomboy, aggressive, moody and mean. The absence of a father and the increasing strain on her mother and thus their home life only compound her troubles. She too looks to the past to shape her identity, taking great pride in her status as the daughter of a shaheed, a war martyr, using this knowledge as both a badge of honor as well as a convenient excuse for bad behavior when she finds herself facing discipline at school. Sara’s identity depends on a past that precedes her birth, and when, eventually, doubt is cast on that narrative, she reacts swiftly and angrily.  

But this very revelation, the exposure of lies devised as protection for both daughter and mother, brings with it a new and perhaps more powerful narrative of the past, one that grants the mother the overdue credit of a survivor—credit she has long denied herself—and that grants the daughter perhaps, in a curious way, an even more exalted status. For she can now take pride not in the vague tales of a long-lost heroic father, but in the everyday reality of being the strong, blossoming, fierce daughter of a living, breathing—and ultimately heroic—mother, a survivor of war and its depravities, a woman whose strength is all the more admirable and dignified for the fact that it endures.  

Both women have seen their lives turned inside out not so much by tragedy as by the deceptions used to conceal that tragedy. And when a bit of truth manages to break through those barriers, they find themselves at long last on the road to recovery.  

 

GRBAVICA: THE LAND OF MY DREAMS 

Written and directed by Jasmila Zbanic. Starring Mirjana Karanovic and Luna Mijovic. 90 minutes. Not Rated. Playing at Shattuck Cinemas.


Moving Pictures: Turner Releases Pre-Code Classics

By Justin DeFreitas
Friday March 30, 2007

Forbidden Hollywood, a new three-disc DVD set from Turner Classic Movies, sheds light on one of the most fascinating eras of film history.  

The Pre-Code era, running roughly between 1930 and 1934, saw American filmmaking venture into frank and sometimes scurrilous examinations of the shadier side of life. They pushed the envelope, a bit too far in fact, causing the Hays Office to finally begin enforcing the Code Hollywood had thus far managed to evade. 

Red-Headed Woman (1932) is a fairly wild tale, featuring Jean Harlow as a ruthless gold digger and home-wrecker who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. The film would likely go over well today in a theater with a live audience, but on video it seems to lack what many films of the early 1930s lack: a sophisticated use of sound. Without effective music and rhythmic editing, long silences between lines of dialogue appear awkward and strained.  

Also included on the set is director James Whale’s version of Waterloo Bridge (1931), the story of a down-and-out showgirl in war-torn France who is forced to turn to prostitution to make ends meet. It’s a sympathetic portrayal of a prostitute, a plotline the Code would later render impossible on the screen, even if she does come to a tragic end. 

The film features Mae Clark and Douglass Montgomery as star-crossed lovers who find each other amid the air raids and destruction of World War I. The performances are strong and the special effects, though rudimentary, manage to lend an element of stirring if surreal tragedy to the proceedings despite the transparency of the techniques.  

But the real value of this set is the inclusion of not one but two versions of Baby Face (1933), probably the most notorious and best of the Pre-Code classics. The film was released just as the Code came into full effect, and thus it was heavily edited, and for 70 years the original, uncensored version was thought lost. However, a print was finally discovered a few years ago and toured the country in theatrical release (see review, Daily Planet, May 26, 2006).  

The film is one of the most gleefully salacious of the era, following Barbara Stanwyck as Lilly Powers as she sleeps her way to the top, literally floor by floor up the ranks of a New York bank.  

The Turner release allows viewers to see both versions side by side, revealing that the attempts to tone down the film were more varied, more numerous and more hilariously inept than previously thought. The print that circulated last year was accompanied by a few additional scenes after the closing credits to give a sense of some of the changes made to the film, but the DVD release reveals much more. There must be more than a dozen edits in the first 20 minutes alone: excised words and lines, trimmed shots that jump awkwardly from one to the next, clumsy inserts covering other deletions. It’s like trimming every other word from a Lenny Bruce monologue, or removing all the innuendo from a Groucho Marx routine—take out a few pieces and the whole structure falls apart.  

The cover labels this as the just the first volume in a series of Pre-Code releases from Turner, though no word yet as to what lies in store. The project promises to shed much-needed light on one the most fascinating eras of American filmmaking, when an industry found that its morals and mores were greatly at odds with a puritan government. 

 

FORBIDDEN HOLLYWOOD 

Red-Headed Woman (1932), Waterloo Bridge (1931), Baby Face (1933).  

TCM Archives. $39.98.