TUESDAY, MAY 1 

“Energy Policy in California: 2006 Study Results and Aftermath” a League of Women Voters Brown Bag Lunch at noon at the Albany Library, Marin and Masonic Aves. 843-8824. 

“Why Save the Oaks?” a public forum on The Oaks & The Gym with Ignacio Chapela, Gray Brechin and others at 7 p.m. at 105 North Gate, UC Campus. www.saveoaks.com 

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. 

Family Storytime at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

Discussion Salon on “Is Society Sick” at 7 p.m. at JCC, 1414 Walnut. 848-2995. 

Teen Babysitting Class An introduction to child development and practical babysitting hints from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Bananas, 5232 Claremont Ave. To register call 658-7353.  

“Bodhisattva” A lecture by Rev. Carol Himaka at 7 p.m. at the Jodo Shinshu Center, 2140 Durant Ave. at Fulton St. Registration fee is $10 for three lectures. 809-1460. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at UCB Fiji Fraternity, 2395 Piedmont Ave. To schedule an appointment call 415-531-8554. 

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. 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, MAY 2 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland around the restored 1870s business district. Meet at 10 a.m. in front of G.B. Ratto’s at 827 Washington St. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. 

The UCB-BP Deal: Implications for the Public University with Jennifer Washburn, author of “University, Inc.,” Jean Lave, Ignacio Chapela and others at 7 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. 

“Our History is Still Being Written: The Story of Three Chinese-Cuban Generals in the Cuban Revolution” A panel discussion at 5 p.m. at the Heller Lounge, MLK Student Union, UC Campus. 

9th Annual Community Job Fair featuring representatives from more than 40 Bay Area employers from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the College of Alameda Central Quad, 555 Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway, Alameda. 748-2208. 

Red Cross Blood Services Volunteer Orientation from 10 a.m. to noon at 6230 Claremont Ave., Oakland. Registration required. 594-5165. 

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

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

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

THURSDAY, MAY 3 

“Berkeley Rocks” An illustrated lecture on one of Berkeley’s unique neighborhoods by Jonathan Chester at 8 p.m. in the Chapel, Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Cost is $10. Presented by Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association. BAHA’s House and Garden Tour of this Thousand Oaks neighborhood will take place on May 6. For information on the lecture and tour please call 841-2242.www.berkeleyheritage.com 

Michael Parenti speaks on “Political Perception & Deception: How to Think About Empire” at 7 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Oakland, 501 Harrison St. Benefits Middle East Children’s Alliance. Tickets are $15. 1-800-838-3006. 

Alzheimer’s Services of the East Bay Art Auction and reception to benefit ASEB's Adult Day Health Care Program, at 6:30 p.m. at Piedmont Community Hall, 711 Highland Ave., Piedmont. 644-8292. 

“Sex Workers‚ Rights Approaches to Human Trafficking: Addressing the Need for Public Policy Reform and Challenging Misinformation” a forum from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Center for Labor Research and Education, 2521 Channing Way. 

Living with Ones and Twos Practical advice for new parents with Meg Zweiback, nurse practitioner at 7 p.m. at Bananas, 5232 Claremont Ave. To register call 658-7353.  

Baby and Toddler Storytime at 10:30 a.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

Poetry Workshop with Donna Davis, ongoing on Thurs. from 9 a.m. to noon at the JCCEB, 1414 Walnut St. Donation $10 per semester. 848-0237. 

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

FRIDAY, MAY 4 

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 Philippe Eberhard on “Quantum Physics and Common Sense” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925.  

Law Literacy Outreach Program for youth aged 13-17 and their parents with workshops on legal responsibility Fri. and Sat. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at East Bay Law School, 554 Grand Ave. 835-7999. www.eastbaylawschool.org 

“Lives for Sale” A documentary on immigration and human trafficking at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker School, Marian Hall, 2nd Flr., 2125 Jefferson St. Not wheelchair accessible. 482-1062.  

Five Star Night Benefit for Alameda County Meals on Wheels at 6:30 p.m. at Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension, 4700 Lincoln Ave., OAkland. Tickets are $300, sponsorships available. 577-3581. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Oakland Children’s Hospital, Outpatient Center Basement, 747 52nd St., Oakland. To schedule an appointment call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE. 

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 

Planning Meetings for a Dedication to denise brown will be on going every Fri. at 2 p.m. at LeConte, Room 104. Photos, videos and dvd's are welcome to be included in the event. For more information, contact Rita Pettit, PRitaAnn@aol.com, 559-4602. 

SATURDAY, MAY 5 

Bring Back the Natives Tour of “Gardening for Bees and Butterflries” throughout the East Bay. Cost is $30. 236-9558. www.BringingBackTheNatives.net 

Biking with Youth A free workshop for parents and children over 9 years old, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Carter Middle School Basketball courts, 4521 Webster St., Oakland. Bring your bike, helmet and be ready for a relaxed 4-mile ride. RSVP to 740-3150, ext. 332. 

Rollin’ by the Bay Bring your rollerskates/blades, skateboards, wheelchairs or scooters (no bikes) on a 3.5 mile cruise of the Eastshore State Park from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. For information call 525-2233. 

Walking Tour of Oakland Chinatown Meet at 10 a.m. at the courtyard fountain in the Pacific Renaissance Plaza at 388 Ninth St. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

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. 

The Crucible Open House for youth interested in learning how to weld, forge steel, melt glass, make jewelry, cast molten metal, and more from 1 to 3 p.m. at 1260 7th St., Oakland. Call to reserve a place at the orientation 444-0919. www.thecrucible.org 

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta from noon to 3 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302. 

Design Your Own Russian Nesting Dolls at 2 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Annual Junktique Sale with furniture, computers, kitchen and household goods, books, linens, toys and more from 8:30 a.m. t0 3 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 201 Martina St., corner of W. Richmond Ave., Point Richmond. To arrange donations call 964-9901.  

Dramatically Speaking Toastmasters Club meets to discuss ”Elderhostel: Adventures in Lifelong Learning” at 9 a.m. at 1950 Franklin St., Room 2F. RSVP required, ID needed to get into building. 581-8675. 

Cottage in the Woods Preschool Yard Sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 3917 Lyman Rd., Oakland.  

Lead-Safe Painting & Remodeling Free class to learn about lead safe renovations for your older home, from 10 a.m. to noon at the West Oakland Branch Library, 1801 Adeline S., Oakland. Presented by Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. 567-8280. www.ACLPPP.org  

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

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. 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. www.nativeplants.org 

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

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, MAY 6 

“Among the Rocks” Berkeley Architectural Heritage’s 32nd Annual Spring Tour and Reception of homes and gardens in the Thousand Oaks neighborhood, from 1 to 5 p.m. Cost is $25-$35. 841-2242. www.berkeleyheritage.com 

STAND: Standing Together for Accountable Neighborhood Development Garden Fundraiser with live music by Robert Temple, light buffet and information on how to stop the high-density condo developments that threaten North Oakland’s identity and diversity, at 4 p.m. in the historic Temescal District, 449 49th St., at Clarke, Oakland. Cost is $25, $40 for couples, children free. 655-3841. 

Bringing Back the Natives, free self-guided garden tour of sixty gardens throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For details see www.BringingBackTheNatives.net  

To Bee or Not to Bee Learn about bees through a puppet show, and get to taste some honey at 11 a.m. at the Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Community Cleanup and Weedout at King Middle School from 9 a.m. at noon Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Berkeley. Please wear gloves and long pants, and bring clippers and other gardening tools. 527-8652. 

“Climate Change: Our Own Carbon Emissions” the second in a series of Sunday talks on Climate Change by Karen Street at 1 p.m. at Berkeley Friends Meeting, 2151 Vine. 653-2803. 

Free Sailboat Rides from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Cal Sailing Club, Berkeley Marina. Wear warm, waterproof clothing and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. www.cal-sailing.org 

Prader-Willi Syndrome Walkathon at 10:30 a.m. Cesar Chavez Park, Berkeley Marina. Registration fee is $20 for individual walkers or $50 for families or teams. Contact Prader-Willi California Foundation at 800-400-9994. www.pwcf.org 

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

Parenting Teens Workshop on developing character in teens at 2:30 p.m. at Westminster House, 2700 Bancroft, enter on Bowditch. www.hyde.edu 

Community Singalong with the Cockettes pianist Scrumbly Koldewyn and Leslie Bonett to sing Broadway tunes and golden oldies from 3 to 6 p.m. at Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison, Oakland, near 19th St. BART. Cost is $5-$15. 534-2750. 

Broncho Billy’s Tea Dance, music from the teens, twenties and thirties from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, 37417 Niles Blvd., Fremont. Cost is $20. 494-1411. www.nilesfilmmuseum.org 

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

Meeting in Satsang and Dharma Inquiry with John Sherman, a teacher in the lineage of Ramana Maharshi at 3 p.m. in the Fireside Room, 1940 Virginia St. 495-7511. www.eastbayopencircle.org  

Tibetan Buddhism with Robin Caton on “Healing through Meditation” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812.  

MONDAY, MAY 7 

Read Aloud Theater A free Berkeley Adult School class at 9 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst. 981-5190.  

“Human Rights in Chile: Then and Now” with Judge Juan Guzmán at 7 p.m. at the Women’s Faculty Club Lounge, UC Campus. Sponsored by the Center for Latin American Studies. http://clas.berkeley.edu 

Red Cross Blood Drive from noon to 6 p.m. at Tilden Room, MLK Student Union, UC Campus. To schedule an appointment call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE. 

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

ONGOING 

Food Drive for Alameda County Food Bank Drop off canned goods, peanut butter, ceareal, powdered milk, beans, rice and pasta at Citibank, 200 Shattuck Ave. from May 1 to 15. Financial donations always welcome. 635-3663, ext. 318. 

CITY MEETINGS 

Library Board of Trustees Appointment Process will be discussed Tues., May 1, at 6:30 p.m. at the South Berkeley Library, 1901 Russell St. 

Commission on the Status of Women meets Wed., May 2, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5190.  

Downtown Area Plan Advisory Commission meets Wed., May 2, at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7487. 

Housing Advisory Commission meets Thurs., May 3, at 7:30 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Oscar Sung, 981-5400.  

Landmarks Preservation Commission meets Thurs., May 3, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7419.  

Public Works Commission meets Thurs., May 3, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6406.  

Peace and Justice Commission meets Mon., May 7, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Manuel Hector, 981-5510.  

TUESDAY, MAY 1 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Water and Light” Giclee photographs by Maris Arnold at Au Coquelet, 2000 University Ave. 843-3236.  

“Inspiring Blooms” works in colored pencil by Bei Brown on display at the Tilden Environmental Education Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Visions of Peace and Justice: Over 30 Years of Political Posters” Book release party for Inkworks Press at 7 p.m. at La Peña, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568. 

Dale Pendell reads from “Inspired Madness” at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Daniel Farber discusses “Retained by the People: the Silent Ninth Amendment and the Constitutional Rights Americans Don’t Know They Have” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Brass Menagerie and Gamelan X at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Balkan dance lesson at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

Dale Ann Bradley at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

Barbara Linn and John Schott at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2 

EXHIBITIONS 

Photo Montages by Fletcher Oakes opens at the It Club Gallery, 10070 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito and runs through May 30. www.touchablestories.org 

“Fleeting Moments in Nature and Life” Bronze sculptures by Elizabeth Dante, plein air landscapes by Barbara Ward, watercolors by John Kenyon and paintings by Paul Graf at the Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave., through June 3. 848-1228. 

FILM 

“Goodbye, Dragon Inn” with a lecture by Marilyn Fabe at 3 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Constructions” Artists’ talk with Jenny Honnert, Marya Krogstad and Thomas Morphis at 6:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. www.berkeleyartcenter.org 

Richard Walker describes the greenswards of the Bay Area in “The Country in the City” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

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

Myra Melford UC Jazz Group at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Leftist Lounge Dance Benefit for grassroots organizations at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Zydeco Flames at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun zydeco dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

In Harmony’s Way, a capella, at 8:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 644-2204.  

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

Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $29.50-$30.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

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

The Pine Needles, mountain jazz, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

THURSDAY, MAY 3 

EXHIBITIONS 

“My Ruling Planet” Sculptures, paintings and drawings by Rocky Rische-Baird, and “Traidor!” paintings by four Filipino artists. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Esteban Sabar Gallery, 480 23rd St., Oakland. 444-7411. 

FILM 

“Last Summer Won’t Happen” with fimmaker Peter Gessner in person at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Free screening. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Lunch Poems Annual student poetry reading at 12:10 p.m. in the Morrison Library, in the Doe Library, UC Campus. http://lunchpoems.berkeley.edu 

“Berkeley Rocks” An illustrated lecture on one of Berkeley’s unique neighborhoods by Jonathan Chester at 8 p.m. in the Chapel, Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Cost is $10. Presented by Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association. BAHA’s House and Garden Tour of this Thousand Oaks neighborhood will take place on May 6. For information on the lecture and tour please call 841-2242. www.berkeleyheritage.com 

Michael Parenti on “Political Perception and Deception: How to Think about Empire,” at 7 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. Cost is $15. Benefit for Middle East Children’s Alliance. 548-0542.  

Dan Bellm, poet at 7 p.m. followed by open mic, at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Patricia Vidgerman reads from “The Memory Palace of Isabella Stewart Gardner” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

“Not for Mother’s Only: Contemporary Poems on Child-Getting and Child-Rearing” with contibuting poets Laynie Browne, Maxine Chernoff, Norma Cole, Brenda Hillman and Elizabeth Treadwell at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Judith Stone investigates apartheid in South Africa in “When She Was White: The True Story of a Family Divided by Race” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Dead Guise and Avalon Rising at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $20-$32. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

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

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

Megan Slankard Band, Cyndi Harvell Trio, Adrienne Shamszad at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

Nell Robinson & Red Level, bluegrass and country, at 8:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 644-2204.  

Quetzal at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

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

Jazz Mafia Unit at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Sylvia Herold & Euphonia at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

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

FRIDAY, MAY 4 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “Lysistrata” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. at Berryman, through May 12. Tickets are $12. 525-1620. www.aeofberkeley.org  

Aurora Theatre “Private Jokes, Public Places” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through May 13. Tickets are $38. 843-4822. 

Berkeley High Theater “Hair” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m., also May 11 and 12 at 8 p.m., at Florence Schwimley Little Theater, Berkeley High Campus. Tickets are $7-$15.  

Berkeley Rep “Blue Door” at 8 p.m. at 2025 Addison St., through May 20. Tickets are $45-$61. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “A Streetcar Named Desire” at 8 p.m. Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Contra Costa Civic Theatre, 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito. Runs through May 12. Tickets are $8-$11. 524-9132. www.ccct.org  

Impact Theatre “Measure for Measure” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., through May 26.Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. 

Just Theater, “I Have Loved Strangers” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., to May 26. Tickets are $12-$25. 421-1458. www.justtheater.org 

King Middle School “The Odyssey” at 7:30 p.m. at King Middle School Auditorium. Suggested dontation $1-$5. 644-6280. 

Masquers Playhouse “She Loves Me” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at Masquers Playhouse, 105 Park Place, Point Richmond, through May 12.Tickets are $18. 232-4031. www.masquers.org  

Subterranean Shakespeare “Macbeth” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., near Rose in Live Oak Park, to May 26. Tickets are $12-$17. 276-3871.  

EXHIBITIONS 

“Two Worlds” Photographs by Victoria Staller and sculpture by Laura Van Duren opens at Mercury 20 Gallery, 25 Grand Ave. at Broadway. www.mercurytwenty.com 

“Touchable Stories: Richmond” A multi-media, oral history event created by the people of Richmond. Fri. at 8 p.m., Sat. at 2 and 6 p.m. through May 13, at 1303 Canal Blvd., Richmond (the former Kaiser Shipyard Cafeteria). Cost is $6-$12. For reservations call 619-3675. www.touchablestories.org 

“People Are Everywhere” group show of artists from Brazil to Canada. Opening reception at 7 p.m. at Boontling Gallery, 4225 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Gallery hours are Sat. and Sun. noon to 5 p.m.. Show runs to May 27. 295-8881. 

FILM 

“Lives for Sale” A documentary on immigration and human trafficking at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker School, Marian Hall, 2nd Flr., 2125 Jefferson St. Not wheelchair accessible. 482-1062.  

“Hysteria” 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 

Alex Cavalli performs “Paul Face to Face” a dramatic presentation of Paul’s epistles as written in the King James Version of the Bible, at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. 339-6316.  

Nina Lindsay and Helen Wickes, poetry reading for Sixteen Rivers Press at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley City College Auditorium, 2050 Center St. 415-273-1303. wwwsixteenrivers.org 

Stephanie Nolan describes “28 Stories of AIDS in Africa” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. www.codysbooks.com  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Dan Plonsey’s Daniel Popsicle “Music of El Cerrito: the Color Music” at 8 p.m. at the Fidelity Bank building, 2323 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $10-$20. Sponsored by the Berkeley Arts Festival. www.berkeleyartsfestival.com 

Berkeley City College Talent Show with music, dance, spoken word and poetry by students, faculty and staff, at 7:20 p.m. at the Berkeley City College Auditorium, 2050 Center St. 981-2965. 

Juan Escovedo and Tortilla Soup at noon at Oakland City Center Stage, 12th and Broadway.  

University Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $4-$12.. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

“A Night of New World Flamenco Jazz” with Tomas Michaud and the Gypsy Groove Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. at Home of Truth, 1300 Grand St., Alameda. Benefit for the Alameda Education Foundation. Tickets are $8-$15. www.WorldMelodies.com 

Rolando Morales Quintet at 5 p.m at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St. 238-2200. 

Juanita Ulloa and Mariachi Picante’s Mujeres Music Festival at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $18-$20. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Sheldon Brown Group at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

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

Aza and Moh Alileche at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Fairport Convention at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $24.50-$25.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

Beep!, Smith Dobson Quartet, Kasey Knudson Group at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

La Plebe, Peligro Social, Eskapo at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

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

Jennifer Johns at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$7. 548-1159.  

Becky White and the Secret Mission, mystic folk, at 8:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 644-2204.  

Times 4 at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Mister Loveless, The Catholic Comb, The Fedralists at 9 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $10. 763-1146. www.oaklandmetro.org 

Hal Stein Quartet at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

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

SATURDAY, MAY 5 

CHILDREN  

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

EXHIBITIONS 

“Fleeting Moments in Nature and Life” Bronze sculptures by Elizabeth Dante, plein air landscapes by Barbara Ward, watercolors by John Kenyon and paintings by Paul Graf. Reception for the artists at 5 p.m. at the Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. Exhibition runs through June 3. 848-1228. 

“Ceramics: Form and Function” by Phyllis Pacin, Cheryl Wolff and Ann Testa. Opening reception at 3 p.m. at Montclair Gallery, 1986 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. Exhibition runs to June 18. 339-4286. 

“Divine Feminine” Contemporary Tantric Art from the collection of Robert Beer, reception at 6 p.m. at Berkeley Shambala Center, 2177 Bancroft.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Myriam Gurba reads from her debut fiction collection “Dahlia Season: Stories & a Novella” at 6 p.m. at Pegass Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

“Measure of Time” Conversation with artists Alan Rath and Meredith Tromble at 1 p.m. in the Berekeley Art Museum Galleries, 2626 Bancroft Way. Cost is $5-$8. 642-0808. 

Bay Area Poets Coalition holds an open reading from 3 to 5 p.m., at Strawberry Creek Lodge, 1320 Addison St. Park on the street, not in Lodge parking lot. 527-9905.  

Chuck Palahniuk introduces his new novel “Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey” at 7:30 in the Pauley Ballroom, UC Campus. Tickets are $8 available from Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Art for Autism Poetry Reading and Art Auction with readings by Loretta Clodfelter, Gabrielle Myers, Dennis Smera and others at 5 p.m. at Gallery for Urban Art, 1746 13th St., West Oakland. Cost is $10. 910-1833. www.thegalleryofurbanart.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra features Gabriel Faure’s Requiem at 8 p.m. at Saint Joseph The Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Free, donations appreciated. www.bcco.org 

Berkeley Opera “Romeo and Juliet” at 8 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2460 College Ave. Tickets are $10-$40. 925-798-1300. www.berkeleyopera.org 

University Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $4-$12.. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

AVE, Artists‚ Vocal Ensemble Life and Death: A Requiem for the Victims of Darfur at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Church, Bancroft at Ellsworth. Tickets are $10-$25. www.ave-music.org 

“A Night of New World Flamenco Jazz” with Tomas Michaud and the Gypsy Groove Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. at Home of Truth, 1300 Grand St., Alameda. Benefit for the Alameda Education Foundation. Tickets are $8-$15. www.WorldMelodies.com 

“Sacred Monsters” with dance icons Sylvie Guillem and Akram Khan at 8 p.m. at at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $32-$86. 642-9988.  

The Arab Culture Initiative, hip hop for social change, at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Nerio De Gracia Mambo Jazztet A tribute to Carlos Federico, at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums with Carmen Getit at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson at 8 p.m. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Sotaque Baiano, Brazilian, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 548-1159. www.shattuckdownlow.com 

Wildsang and James Riddle at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Space Heater at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Henry Clement & the Gumbo Band at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Adam Shulman Quartet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10-$12. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

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

Minus Vince, Uptones, GDB at 9 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $10. 763-1146. www.oaklandmetro.org 

Mark Growden, Freddi, Acoustic Virgin at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. All ages show. Cost is $6. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Jason Webley, Rev Payton’s Big Damn Band, Vermillion Lies at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, MAY 6 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Through Windows” Photography by Michael Wong Reception at 2 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

“Inspiring Blooms” works in colored pencil by Bei Brown. Reception for the artist at 2 p.m. at the Tilden Environmental Education Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

FILM 

“Works from the Eisner Prize Competition” with Sophie Cooper, Wenhua Shi and other artists in person at noon at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Joseph Fisher will talk about the recently discovered childrens’ art from the federally funded childcare centers in Richmond during WWII at 3 p.m. at Moe’s Books. 849-2087.  

Alex Cavalli performs “The Gospel According to John” a dramatic rendition of biblical voices direct from the King James Version of the Bible at 2:30 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. 339-6316.  

“The Human Drama of Everyday Lives: Telling Stories with Photos” with Oakland based photojournalist, Lexine Alpert at 2 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room on the third floor of the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge. 981-6241. 

“The Sermon on the Print” with printmaker David Kelso, founder of California Intaglio Editions at 3:30 p.m at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. 

Adelina Anthony, Dino Foxx and Lorenzo Herrera y Lozano poetry at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $8-$10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“Divine Feminine” Contemporary Tantric Art Lecture with Siddhartha V. Shah at 1 p.m. at Berkeley Shambala Center, 2177 Bancroft.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra features Gabriel Faure’s Requiem at 4:30 p.m. at Saint Joseph The Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Free, donations appreciated. www.bcco.org 

Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary in a family concert and sing-along at 2 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley. Tickets are $15-$20 from 559-9500. www.tash.org 

“Sacred Monsters” with dance icons Sylvie Guillem and Akram Khan at 7 p.m. at at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $32-$86. 642-9988. 

U.C. Santa Barbara Dance Company at 7 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $10-$15. 925-798-1300. 

Twang Cafe features Rancho Deluxe & High Diving Horses at 7:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $10, all ages welcome. www.twangcafe.com 

Jupiter String Quartet at 6 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Vintage poster sale at 4 p.m. Tickets are $25-$30. 644-6893.  

Don Neeley’s Royal Society Five, music from the teens, twenties and thirties from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, 37417 Niles Blvd., Fremont. Cost is $20, benefits the museum. 494-1411. www.nilesfilmmuseum.org 

Irina Rivkin, Moira Smiley with VOCO & Ashley Maher at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Ana Carbetti & Recita da Samba at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $9. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Americana Unplugged: Jeanie & Chuck’s Country Roundup at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

David K. Mathews B-3 Organ Quartet at 4:30 at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

The Look, The Symptoms, Tea and Tricky Fish at 7 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Benefit for La Familia Music Education. Cost is $10, $8 for 18 and under. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

Elk, Horn of Daggoth, Sands at 9 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $10. 763-1146. www.oaklandmetro.org 

MONDAY, MAY 7 

EXHIBITIONS 

Photo Montages by Fletcher Oakes Reception with the artist at 7 p.m. at the It Club Gallery, 10070 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. Exhibition runs through May 30. www.touchablestories.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Aurora Theatre Staged Readings “Learn to be Latina” by Enrique E. Urueta at 7:30 p.m. at 2081 Addison St. For tickets call 843-4822. 

Will Shortz on his favorite puzzles and how crosswords are created at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $20-$32. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Chiura Obata and the Art of Internment with Kimi Kodani Hill, author, at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6150. 

Michael J. Sandel, Harvard Professor of Government will discuss his new book, “The Case Against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering” at 4:30 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant. 625-0819. www.genetics-and-society.org 

Actors Reading Writers “From Story to Screen,” works by O. Henry and Annie Proulx at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. 932-0214. 

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

Gloria Frym and Joseph Lease, poets, at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

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

ETHNOPOETICIST READS AT MOE’S 

Dale Pendell, a poet, software engineer, and long-time student of ethnobotany, will read from Inspired Madness at 7:30 p.m. today (Tuesday) at Moe’s Books. Best known for his books of epic entheogenic poetry, Pendell was the founding editor of KUKSU: Journal of Backcountry Writing. He has led workshops on ethnobotany and ethnopoetics for the Naropa Institute and the Botanical Preservation Corps. 2476 Telegraph Ave.  

COLLAGE ARTISTS 

DISCUSS THEIR WORK 

The Berkeley Art Center is hosting an artists’ talk from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday for its new exhibition, “Constructions,” featuring the art of Jenny Honnert Abell, Marya Krogstad and Thomas Morphis, all of whom work—in different and challenging ways—in collage, assemblage and found object media. All three of the exhibiting artists will take part in the discussion. 1275 Walnut St. For details, see www.berkeleyartcenter.org. 

BEANBENDERS REUNITE FOR ARTS FESTIVAL GIG 

The Berkeley Arts Festival’s May 4 concert of Dan Plonsey’s “Daniel Popsicle” will be a reunion of some of the Beanbenders musicians, including John Schott, Tom Yoder, Lynn Murdock and Randy McKean. The show begins at 8 p.m. at the Fidelity Bank Building, 2323 Shattuck Ave. $10-$20. For details, 665-9496 or www.berkeleyartsfestival.com.

Before going to hear the work of a particular classical composer, which, for me, usually means Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Mahler, or Satie, I try to listen to recordings of the pieces on the program before hand. Listening ahead not only makes the melodies performed familiar, it also gives the live concert a nostalgic resonance, and suggests a context for the music, both the original moment of its creation in time by the composer, and its creative intervening afterlife.  

This eventually leads to the current moment of performance and my experience as audience.  

On the other hand, I have probably attended 100 times as many live jazz performances as classical and I have never felt the need to study up for a jazz musician. Certainly my familiarity with the context of jazz—its more contemporary nature, its use of popular standards—is part of the reason for that. More important though, jazz has an immediacy that, in a lot of classical music, has become secondary to historical authenticity of performance and accuracy of reproduction of notes. Not only is jazz improvised, making listening ahead irrelevant, but the players understand that improvisation confers upon them the further freedom of playing in the moment, playing from the way they feel while performing.  

Although I am sure that all musicians aim for that existential quality in one way or another, the only living classical player to impress me with that sense of immediacy is the Spanish viola de gambist, Jordi Savall, who returns to Berkeley for two concerts of early music this weekend. No matter how unprepared I am, Savall is always prepared—not just to unlock the doors to what should be an esoteric musical experience, but to blow the doors off their very hinges.  

His Friday evening concert will feature the compositions of Marin Marais (1656-1728) and Antoine Forqueray (1671-1745), dubbed the angel and the devil by Savall, the greatest viola de gambists of their time. The viola de gamba, if you do not know, is the instrument that preceded the cello. In fact, Savall’s viola, a 1697 instrument made in London by Barak Norman, had been converted into a cello. Savall had it restored as a seven-string viola de gamba with traditional moveable gut frets. If you know Gainsborough’s various portraits of Karl Friederich Abel, you may have noticed that the 18th century transitional composer/performer is sometimes painted with his viola de gamba and at other times with the newer cello. Also on the Friday evening program are pieces by François Couperin (1668-1733), Sainte Colombe le fils and Robert Visée.  

The Saturday concert will feature works by the Spanish composers Diego Ortiz, Gaspar Sanz and Antonio Martin y Coll, a harpsichord sonata by the Neapolitan composer Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757), who spent most of his professional life in Spain, and improvisations on the Canario, a dance form from the Canary Islands. Also on the bill will be works by Bach, the revelatory Captain Tobias Hume (c. 1569-1645), Marin Marais, and Sainte-Colombe pere and fils. If you have seen the haunting film, Tous les Matins du Monde, based on the lives of Sainte-Colombe and Marais, with music performed and conducted by Savall, you will already be familiar with some of these vital early music composers.  

But, as I have indicated, it does not matter whether you already know any of this pre-classical music. Savall’s passion, virtuosity and freedom in performing these works makes everything he plays absolutely contemporary.  

Students at Berkeley High will “Let the Sunshine In” by performing a 40th anniversary celebration—and critical examination—of the musical Hair, this weekend and next on campus at the Florence Schwimley Theater. 

Director Maya Gurantz, founder of the East Bay theater troupe Ten Red Hen, which just finished their run of Clown Bible at the Willard School Metalshop Theater, called the production “a full collaboration with the students; they own the piece. They’ve been so creative.”  

“I was interested in a way for the cast to look at the legacy of hippies at Berkeley High and in their lives,” Gurantz said. “Hair itself wasn’t written by hippies, but by a couple of out-of-work New York actors. There’s a famous letter by Hal Prince to them saying there’s nothing experimental at all about the play. The music is ‘50s music, not ‘60s. It’s not genuine to the period, yet its legacy is that people are moved by it. It’s still provocative. It’s full of contradictions and we use it as a way to look at the contradictions of the legacy of the ‘60s.” 

The cast did their own research on the background, interviewing parents, teachers and others about the times the musical claims to exemplify 

“It was an opportunity to ask their parents and themselves what it was all about,” said Gurantz. “There’s something self-selective about doing this here, now ... so many of the parents came to the Bay Area from elsewhere looking for something. That already changes the tenor of who their kids are. One parent’s a wonderful photographer and has put together a display of pictures of parents then [in the ‘60s] until now, which will go up in the lobby with an exhibit of our research notes.” 

The play opens with a stage jammed “with so much stuff that it’s like a storage space. The cast enters as themselves, present-day Berkeley High students. There’s hardly any room for them! But they excavate and clear away all the clutter.”  

One number, “Going Down,” about getting expelled from school, which traditionally features actors as administrators with Hitler mustaches, proves a wry moment.  

“It makes no sense to Berkeley High kids,” said Gurantz. “And the real, present-day administrators watch the scene and say, ‘We’re so proud of our students challenging authority!’” 

Pianist and composer Dave Molloy, a colleague of Gurantz from Ten Red Hen, supervised the music, and according to Gurantz, the tone is definitely post-’60s: “An uptight girl comes out and sings ‘Aquarius,’ as if it’s the Pledge of Allegiance, and all the others react, ‘O God, not that song again!’ ”  

“There have been multiple productions every year for the past 40 years of Hair,” Gurantz said. “It’s usually presented as a nostalgia fest, nostalgia for something that maybe never was. An expression of yearning—I think the title song’s a sad song. Nostalgia for the ‘60s is often expressed as some idea of authenticity before everything became a commodity. But Hair was a commodity before it opened. It’s bizarre to do Hair in Berkeley, more than anywhere else. The strangest thing. But it’s the thing to do.” 

HAIR 

8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m., Sunday through May 12. $7-$15. Florence Schwimley Theater, Berkeley High School campus.

TheatreFIRST, Oakland’s only resident theater company, will perform the West Coast premiere of John Arden’s 1959 antiwar masterpiece, Sergeant Musgrave’s Dance, opening this Friday at 8 p.m., and running through May 27 at the Old Oakland Theatre, 481 Ninth St., just north of Broadway. 

Meanwhile, TheatreFIRST has also been waging a war of its own, one of survival, with what is perhaps its most challenging season artistically being matched by the greatest financial and logistical challenges in its 13-year history. 

Sergeant Musgrave’s Dance is “a very colorful, theatrical play,” according to Clive Chafer, director and founder of the company. “It’s about four soldiers on a recruiting mission during a war fought far from their home country, but it’s a recruiting mission with a different purpose: to shock the people of a town that’s in the grip of a miners’ strike into understanding the true nature of war.” 

There will be music and dancing, and the entire cast of 13 appears onstage during one scene in the storefront theater, “not the quiet psychological drama you’d expect in an intimate theater space! The actors directly address the audience, invite them to take sides, become passionately involved. It’s sometimes very funny, always appalling, and it slowly sucks you in—a fully engaged and engaging experience.” 

Chafer continued: “What I love about the play is its language—gritty, loamy, earthy, but never crude. British critic Michael Billingsley called it ‘language that seems hewn out of granite.’ I love to hear it spoken. And it’s the opposite of an academic discussion or a didactic tract. No single voice, not even the pacificists’, prove unflawed. Arden was a fan of Brecht, suspicious of plays with a mouthpiece. His characters are strongly written. It’s a parable, but one of complexity.” 

TheatreFIRST, which recently finished an acclaimed production of Lessing’s Nathan the Wise, historically the first play of intercultural and religious tolerance, with its tale of the web of relationships between Christians, Muslims and Jews, is a company that chooses unusual plays with a social dimension, staging them with proficiency and élan. But a combination of events has challenged their resourcefulness—not artistically, but in terms of finance and their tenure in the declared Arts District in downtown Oakland, from 3rd to 21st streets along the Broadway corridor. 

“We want to stay, to be a part of the neighborhood,” said Chafer. “It’s close to BART, well-lit, with a parking lot and six restaurants of a full range in price and cuisine. We committed seven years ago to being a full-time Oakland company. And we’ve been lucky so far and gratified by the support of both individuals and the city.” 

But an obstacle has arisen, “more a bureaucratic problem than anything else. The City of Oakland won’t be able to fund us for the next year—one program ends, and we don’t qualify for the next for a year. It’s been our biggest source of funding for quite a while. And we’re told they want us to stay, to fund us again. This comes at a time when we’re playing in the only unleased space in Old Oakland. Our landlords have been kind enough to let us occupy a storefront for less than the commercial rate, but the increased retail development in the area has made it hard. We need an influx of funds and a lease before we can announce a full season, with more shows than before. We need increased support, from the NEA down to local business.” 

But Chafer’s upbeat, noting progress: “Nathan the Wise was our best-attended play in 11 years, since we did Anything To Declare, a French farce at the Julia Morgan Center—and that had 400 seats, compared with the 75 we have in Old Oakland. We sold out more than half the performances! And people have stepped forward to help. It’s entirely individuals who have contributed to our next season, starting next fall. We know we’re on the right track, doing what people want to see.”  

SERGEANT MUSGRAVE’S DANCE 

Presented by TheatreFIRST at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and at 3 p.m. Sundays through May 27. $18-$25. Old Oakland Theatre, 481 Ninth St., just north of Broadway.436-5085 or www.theatrefirst.com.