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 

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 to 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. 

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

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. 

TUESDAY, MAY 8 

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

Hunger Action Day Join people from across California in raising your voice against hunger at the State Capitol in Sacramento. The free bus will leave Oakland at 7:30 a.m. and we will return by 5 p.m. Lunch will be provided. If you have any questions or would like to register please call 635-3663 ext. 307.  

Solo Sierrans Hike Hike at Lake Chabot Reservoir Meet at 6:30 p.m. at the boat house. Optional dinner follows. For information call Delores 351-6247. 

Oakland/East Bay Chapter of the National Organization for Women meets at 6 p.m. at Spud’s Pizza, corner of Adeline and Alcatraz. 287-8948. 

“Is Wal-Mart Good or Bad for America?” A debate with Ken Jacobs, Chair, UC Berkeley Labor Center and Richard Vedder, co-author “The Wal-Mart Revolution” at 6:30 p.m. at the Independent Institute Conference Center, 100 Swan Way, Oakland. Cost is $10-$30. For tickets call 632-1366. 

“Project Rewire: New Media from the Inside Out” a talk on the decline of the news media and the rise of the Internet by former journalist, author, and historian Judy Daubenmier, Ph.D., at 7 p.m. at Shambhala Book Store, 2177 Bancroft. Cost is $5-$15, no one turned away.  

“China's Brave New World--And Other Tales for Global Times” with Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Prof. of History, UC Irvine, at 4 p.m. at the IEAS Conference Room, 2223 Fulton St., 6th Floor. 643-6321. 

El Cerrito NAACP Recognition of Armed Forces Month with Major General Paul Monroe (Ret) of the California National Guard at 6:30 p.m. at the El Cerrito Community Center, 7007 Moeser Lane. 526-2958. 

Free Diabetes Screening from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Do not eat or drink anything for 8 hours beforehand. 981-5332. 

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

Tuesday Tilden Walkers Join a few slowpoke seniors at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot near the Little Farm for an hour or two walk. 215-7672, 524-9992. 

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

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. Monthly field trips. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 

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

“Knocking” A documentary on Jehovah’s Witnesses at 6:30 p.m., followed by a panel discussion, at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. 

Chosing a Preschool at 7 p.m. at Bananas, 5232 Claremont Ave. To register call 658-7353. www.bananasinc.org 

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

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

geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

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

THURSDAY, MAY 10 

Berkeley Adult School Career Fair from 9 a.m. to noon at 1702 San Pablo Ave. 644-8968. 

League of Women Voters Annual Meeting with Dave MacDonald, Alameda County Registrar of Voters speaking on “Alameda County: Voting Successes and Areas of Continuing Concern” at 5 p.m. at Northbrae Church, 914 The Alameda. Dinner is $15. RSVP to 843-8828. 

Great Escapes Benefit for the Berkeley Women’s Daytime Drop-In Center with live jazz, silent auction, hors d’oeuvres and wine at 6 p.m. at the Berkeley Yacht Club, One Sewall Drive. Tickets are $25-$75. 415-317-5675. 

“Cowboy in Caracas” a book party with Charley Hardy on his work in the barrios of Venezuela at 7:30 p.m. at 1606 Bonita, next to BFUU Hall. Not wheelchair accessible. 

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

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. 

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

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

ONGOING 

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 

Peace and Justice Commission meets Mon., May 7, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Manuel Hector, 981-5510. www.ci.berkeley. ca.us/commissions/peaceandjustice 

City Council meets Tues., May 8, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Homeless Commission meets Wed., May 9, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5426. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/homeless 

Library Board of Trustees Special Meeting on the Budget followed by the Board’s regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m., Wed. May 9, at the West Berkeley Senior Cetner. 981-6195. 

Planning Commission meets Wed., May 9, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Janet Homrighausen, 981-7484. www.ci.berkeley. ca.us/commissions/planning 

Police Review Commission meets Wed., May 9, at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-4950. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/policereview 

Waterfront Commission meets Wed., May 9, at 7 p.m., at 201 University Ave. 981-6740. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/waterfront 

Community Health Commission meets Thurs., May 10, at 6:45 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5356. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/health 

West Berkeley Project Area Commission meets Thurs., May 10, at 7 p.m., at the West Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7520. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/westberkeley  

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., May 10,, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. Mark Rhoades, 981-7410. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/zoning  

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.  

TheatreFIRST “Sergeant Musgrave’s Dance” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. at Old Oakland Theatre, 481 Ninth St., Oakland. Tickets are $18-$25. 436-5085. www.theatrefirst.com 

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 

“All That Jazz” Berkeley High School Jazz Band performs in a fundraiser for the Willard Middle School at 6 p.m. at Willard, 2524 Stuart St. 644-6330. 

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 

Crafty Apples and Henry Kaiser, guitar, at 8 p.m. at 1510 8th Street Performance Space, 1510 8th St., Oakland. Cost is $5-$15 sliding scale. 

“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.  

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. 

“Far/Near” Landscape and nature photographs by Bruce Yost Reception at 2 p.m. at The Light Room Gallery, 2263 Fifth St. 649-8111. 

“The Changing Face of Europe” An exhibition of books, maps, photos and artifacts in the Bernice Layne Brown Gallery of UC Berkeley's Doe Library through August.  

“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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

“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.  

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 

TUESDAY, MAY 8 

CHILDREN 

First Stage Children’s Theatre “Pet Care Capers” at 7:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $5 at the door.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry Flash with Al Young, California Poet Laureate with Reginald Lockett and Floyd Salas at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley City College Auditorium, 2050 Center St. 525-5476. 

Vendela Vida reads from her new book “Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name” at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Liza Mundy describes “Everything Conceivable: How Assisted Reproduction is Changing Men, Women, and the World” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Gator Beat, cajun zydeco at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5. 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 

Robin Huw Bowen at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Debbie Poryes & Friends at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Joyce & Dori Caymmi at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $6-$10. 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, MAY 9 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Jeffrey Feldman and George Lakoff discuss “Framing the Debate: Famous Presidential Speeches and How Progressives Can Use Them to Change the Conversation (and Win Elections)” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Café Poetry hosted by Kira Allen at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña. Donation $2. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Nomadic Rambles, Storytelling hosted by Ed Silberman at 7 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Opera “Romeo and Juliet” at 7:30 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2460 College Ave. Tickets are $10-$40. 925-798-1300. www.berkeleyopera.org 

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

Balkan Folkdance at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Orquestra La Verdad 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.  

UC Jazz Showcase: Joyce Kwan Ensemble at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

The Refugees: Cindy Bullens, Deborah Holland, Jenny Yeates & Wendy Waldman at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

THURSDAY, MAY 10 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Charley Hardy Book party for “Cowboy in Caracas” at 7:30 p.m. in the Fireside Room, 1606 Bonita just south of Cedar, next door to the BFUU Hall. Cost is $5-$10. Not wheelchair accessible.  

Daniel Handler and Christopher Moore discuss Moore’s novel “Adverbs” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Bonnie Tsui introduces “A Leaky Tent is a Piece of Paradise: 20 Young Writers on Finding a Place in the Natural World” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

“Aging Artfully” with author Amy Gorman and “Still Kicking” with Greg Young at 7 p.m. at A Great Good Place for Books, 6120 LaSalle, Montclair, Oakland. 339-8210. 

Maidu Dance Tradition with Frank La Pena at 7:30 p.m. at Heyday Books, 2054 University Ave., 6th floor. RSVP to Lillian Fleer at lillian@heydaybooks.com 549-3564, ext. 316. 

Nomad Spoken Word Night at 7 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tim Fuller on Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar at 12:15 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 5th Floor, 2090 Kittredge St. Free. 981-6100. www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org 

Zimrah Trio, North African and Near Eastern music at 6:30 p.m. at the Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. tickets are $6-$8. 549-6950.  

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

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

Wendy Dewitt Duo at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Make Me, Bill Swanson, The Fits at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

Terror, Hoods, Allegiance at 7:30 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $10. 763-1146. www.oaklandmetro.org 

The Amplifiers, Flexx Bronco, Neon Nights at 9 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $7. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

Selector: DJ Gnat & Big Will at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Andrea Arnold’s Red Road, a Scottish film opening this weekend at Shattuck Cinemas, draws the viewer in immediately with its quiet intensity. The film begins with Jackie (Kate Dickie) silently watching a bank of monitors at her job at a security company, each screen presenting a different view of urban Glasgow from cameras positioned around the city.  

The glimpses into everyday working-class life in the city are fascinating and Jackie looks upon them with an endearing combination of benevolence, amusement and boredom. It’s her job and nothing more, but she nevertheless seems to go about it with a certain degree of interest if not pleasure.  

Thus right away we see that Jackie is an observer of life, not a participant. She lives alone and is apparently alienated from her parents and sister. Her only human contact consists of soul-deadening sex with a co-worker in a parked car. Her comfort at the surveillance desk console and her shy, nervous demeanor when she steps beyond it suggest that she is more at ease in this darkened room full of high-tech spying equipment, watching strangers come and go, than she is out in the world.  

She almost appears god-like for a moment as Dickie manages to convey Jackie’s compassion for these strangers. She smiles as a night-shift housekeeper dances to unheard music while going about her work; she furrows her brow with pity while watching a man walk his aging and sickly dog. And when she finally steps out of that room and into the streets, it is as if she is not one of them at all, but a privileged observer who occasionally slums by walking anonymously among those she oversees, taking a role as just another character in the drama she monitors daily. 

Yet once Jackie crosses that line and takes part in that drama, her life becomes a drama all its own. A chance sighting of a familiar face on one of the security cameras sends Jackie on a strange journey. It is apparent that this man is a figure from her past, someone who has somehow hurt her, but Arnold withholds all explanations right up to the end. Instead we watch as Jackie monitors the man for weeks and gains entry to his life, stalking him through a degraded, neglected cityscape, one whose battered streets and grafitti-scarred buildings mirror the heroine’s mental state; years of painful remembrance have taken their toll on her psyche. 

The film is part of a larger project called the Advance Party, in which three directors made three different films using the same characters. Arnold has fashioned a compelling tale out of that raw material, and her direction is strong and focused, yet the film is slightly undermined by its evenness of tone. Those early scenes of quiet watchfulness are engaging, but after 90 minutes the minimalist approach causes the pace to flag.  

But the most troubling flaws in Red Road come when Arnold yields to the threadbare devices by which indie dramas so often seek to prove their indieness: actors willing to appear naked under less-than-flattering lighting conditions; gratuitously graphic sex scenes; and somehow, somewhere, sometime, someone must vomit. Thus maketh a film of great import and honesty. 

But these are minor complaints. Kate Dickie’s portrayal of Jackie is subtle and powerful, and Tony Curran as Clyde inspires just the right blend of allure and recoil. And despite the contrivance that draws these disparate lives together, Arnold has managed to create a memorable and harrowing tale of a woman who must come face to face with her fears before she’s ready to start piecing her life back together. 

RED ROAD 

Written and directed by Andrea Arnold.  

Starring Kate Dickie, Tony Curran,  

Martin Compston, Natalie Press.  

113 minutes. Not rated. Contains graphic sex. Playing at Shattuck Cinemas.

FLEETING MOMENTS 

An artists’ reception will be held at 5 p.m Saturday at Giorgi Gallery for “Fleeting Moments,” featuring sculptures by Elizabeth Dante, oil paintings by Barbara Ward, watercolors by John Kenyon and bas reliefs by Paul Graf. The exhibit continues though June 3. 2911 Claremont Ave. 848-1228, www.giorgigallery.com. 

RICHMOND  

CHILDREN’S ART  

Joseph Fischer will discuss children’s art in Richmond from 1943 to 1966 at 3 p.m. Sunday at Moe’s Books at 2476 Telegraph Ave. The talk is in conjunction with an exhibition at the Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland, on display through June 3, featuring some of the several thousand pieces of art from the federally funded childcare centers in Richmond during World War II and the post-war period which were recently discovered. The wartime and post-war artwork will be exhibited starting Sept. 29 at the Richmond Museum of History. 

MARX MADNESS  

AT CERRITO THEATER 

The Cerrito Theater will present the Marx Brothers in Duck Soup (1933), arguably their greatest film, as part of the “Cerrito Classics” series at 6 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday. e. 10070 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito. www.picturepubpizza.com. 

RANCHO DELUXE PLAYS TWANG CAFE 

Los Angeles-based country music band Rancho Deluxe will perform at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Twang Cafe, an American music series held monthly in the intimate confines of Epic Arts. 1923 Ashby Ave. $10. www.twangcafe.com.

Whether it’s the Weird Sisters on the heath, a dagger hovering in mid-air, Birnham Wood marching on Dunsinane, or “No man of woman born,” the Bard’s “Scottish Play”—so-called to guard against its very own evil eye—is usually drenched with atmosphere and gore, and served up as a kind of Hallowe’en blowout with cultural credentials. 

But Subterranean Shakespeare’s sharp production of Macbeth at the Berkeley Arts Center in Live Oak Park, with Jeremy Cole’s fast-paced and nimble, intimate staging, brings the drama to the fore, the story into focus, dissolving the hoary encrustations without losing the genuine strangeness of the tale, its eerie reverberations of willfulness and destiny, character and autosuggestive magic. 

“I wanted a non-sticky Macbeth,” joked the director, remembering the cleanup chores of shows past. But the result of his wish isn’t a Teflon slickness. The real power of this seeming potboiler that exposes a brave man’s ambition as murder, a loving marriage as the breeding ground of resentment and the pinnacle of success as weary cynicism, is made more direct with syncopated, overlapping scenes, crowded moments succeeded by solitary soul-baring and the fluid motion of the cast in eye-to-eye proximity to the audience—a power that is palpable, that connects with a spectator’s fleeting thoughts and emotions, rather than a vague sense of menace that provokes nervous laughter. 

A show like this casts light on why Orson Welles referred to his very different film adaptation as an artistic watershed: “Everything I did up to Macbeth was just a dress rehearsal.” 

There’s something very demanding, compact and volatile, yet mature in the close-up, dispassionate handling of such highly charged material that makes this play unique among Shakespeare’s trage-dies, a something this production touches on, over and over, refusing any sensationalism. 

The ensemble has everything to do with this sense of a well-oiled machine of fate grinding on to its predetermined outcome, the twin moods of expectation and surprise constantly intersecting in every incident and exchange. Paul Jennings is solid in the title role, clearly showing and speaking the part of a brave man turned inside-out by his own facility for action, despite the cause, first succeeding to a traitor’s relinquished title in a battlefield commission, immediately rankling at another being made Prince of Cumberland, turning to regicide and finally attaining a strange regalness as world-wise and weary, ostracized usurper, all on his own. 

Stephanie DeMott’s Lady Macbeth proves the unscrupulous, quick-witted wife of a careerist, rather than the villainous femme fatale and manipulator, who incites to action, smoothes things over—and absorbs the true horror of consequence, becoming another victim. 

The three witches, Martha Stookey, Carrie Smith and Molly Holcomb, whirl in and out in their red capes, invisibly witnessing the upshot of their prophecying, or taking on other, subsidiary roles. King Duncan, with a gold fillet of rank on his brow, is magnanimously acted out by Jack Halton, who more than doubles, after his assasination, as the ghastly, comic Porter, falling down drunk, and clutching at the pantleg of this reviewer, calling him “Equivocator”—not a bad monicker for a critic, tho’ Elizabethan for lawyer. Halton later resurfaces as Priest, watchcapped Murderer (in league with leering Nicholas Crandall) and Doctor to Milady’s somnambulist hand-rinsing. 

Others play multiply as well: Lynn-Audrey Tijerina is a stolid factotum as Banquo and an awful apparition as his accusing ghost, before playing an affecting Lady Macduff. Edward O’Neill, Nicholas Crandall, Eden Castro and Ben Grubb are all Apparitions, besides members of the court or retainers, Ben Grubb a masculine, impetuous Macduff who is more than a match to the proud, but increasingly inward tyrant Thane and King. 

Macbeth’s enveloping isolation is complemented by the snowballing resistance of the fugitives like Ross (genteel Mark Jordan) and Macduff who rally to Malcolm (Edward O’Neill). The deft stagecraft that can render both clamoring multitudes and Macbeth’s brooding insularity at the same time on such a small canvas is impressive. The counterpoint of ravening personal ambition to national grief is eloquent: “Alas, poor country! Afraid to know itself; cannot be called mother, but only our grave.” 

Subterranean Shakespeare has also come up with another, more portable treat: “Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits,” a CD of 17 songs of The Bard, performed by over 30 Bay Area musicians, singers and actors (including such eminent Berkeleyans as Michael Rossman), available online at myspace/subshakes.com, CD Baby, Itunes —and this summer in your local bardic emporium.