TUESDAY, MAY 15 

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 Pointe Pinole. Call for meeting place and if you need to borrow binoculars. 525-2233. 

Vigil Supporting the People of Iraq from noon to 1 p.m. at the Oakland Federal Building 1301 Clay St. We create a Living Graveyard, in which people lie on the city sidewalk, five feet apart, covered with white sheets, to represent the hundreds of thousands of deaths in Iraq caused by the war of occupation. Please bring your own sheet. www.epicalc.org  

Improving Berkeley’s Public Pools and Swim Programs A community forum at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst at MLK. 649-9874. Poolsforberkeley.org 

“Climbing Mt. Shasta: Tips for First-time Climbers” with Eric White, climbing ranger with the US Forest Service at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Discussion Salon on “Will Robots Become More Intelligent Than Humans and Take Over the World?” at 7 p.m. at JCC, 1414 Walnut. 848-2995. 

Red Cross Blood Services Volunteer Orientation from 6 to 8 p.m. at 6230 Claremont Ave., Oakland. Registration required. 594-5165. 

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

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. 

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

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

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

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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland uptown to the Lake to discover Art Deco landmarks. Meet at 10 a.m. in front of the Paramount Theater at 2025 Broadway. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. 

Tilden Mini-Rangers Hiking, conservation and nature-based activities for ages 8-12. Dress to ramble and get dirty. From 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8, registration required. 636-1684. 

Chris Finan describes “From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America” at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books, Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 528-3254. 

Albany Library Evening Book Club meets to discuss “Digging to America” by Anne Tyler at 7 p.m. at The Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 16. 

Lead-Safety for Remodeling, Repair and Painting of older homes. A HUD & EPA approved class held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, 2000 Embarcadero, #300, Oakland. 567-8280. www.ACLPPP.org  

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

Trusts and Wills A free seminar at 2 p.m. at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Please RSVP to 280-2165. 

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

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley BART station. www. 

geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, MAY 17 

Bike to Work Day with energizer stations located throughout Berkeley with refreshments and information. www.EBBC.org, www.511.org 

Golden Gate Audubon Society “Coming and Going: Bay Bird Populations” with Harry Fuller at 7 p.m. at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 843-2222. 

LeConte Neighborhood Assoc. meets at 7:30 p.m. at LeConte School, Ellsworth & Russell, to discuss the proposed five story building at Shattuck and Derby, the expansion of 2516 Ellsworth from 900 sq ft to nearly 4,000 sq ft, the cell phone microwave emitters planned for Shattuck and Ward and the current "Student Move-Out" debris collection system. 843-2602. 

Young People United, Resisting War, Resisting Violence An evening with Camilo Mejía, Iraq War veteran and conscientious objector, spoken word, video and more at 7 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 411 28th St., Oakland. Suggested donation $5-$20. 914-4678. 

Berkeley Community Gardening Collaborative Potluck at 6:30 p.m. at LeConte Elementary School Garden, 2241 Russell St. Please bring something to share. 883-9096.  

“Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible” a documentary by Dr. Shakti Butler, at 6:30 p.m. followed by discussion at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 116 Montecito Ave., Oakland. 285-9600. 

Compassionate Communication Lori Hope discusses her new book “Help Me Live: 20 Things People With Cancer Want You To Know” at 6:15 p.m. at Markstein Cancer Education Center, 450 30th St., Suite 2810, Oakland. 869-8833, option 2. 

Simplicity Forum “Tiny Homes, Handmade Homes” at 6:30 p.m. at the Claremont Branch of the Berkeley Public Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave. 549-3509. 

“Curitiba” A film on urban solutions from Curitiba, Brazil at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. Suggested donation $5. 663-2594. 

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. 

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. 

“Dogen and the Lotus Sutra: The Mahayana Worldview of Zen” with Dr. Taigen Dan Leighton at 8:30 p.m. at the Jodo Shinshu Center, 2140 Durant Ave. RSVP to 809-1444. 

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 

FRIDAY, MAY 18 

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 Ilana Crispi on “Art in San Francisco” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. 526-2925.  

“Homeland” A documentary of Native Americans and the destructive policies of corporations at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 370 27th St., Oakland. www.HumanistHall.net 

Wavy Gravy’s 71st Birthday and Benefit for Seva Foundation at 8 p.m. at the Grand Ballroom, 1300 Van Ness, corner of Sutter, SF. Tickets are $50-$250. 845-7382, ext. 332. www.seva.org/specialevents 

Free Skin Cancer Screening at Alta Bates Summit. Oakland. Appointments required. 869-8833, ext. 2. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kaiser Premanente Conference Room, 1950 Franklin, Oakland. To schedule an appointment call 625-6188. 

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 

SATURDAY, MAY 19 

Berkeley Art Center 40th Birthday from 1 to 4 p.m. with guest speakers, concert, children’s activities and art exhibition, at 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park. 644-6893. 

Berkeley Path Wanderers Walk on the Santa Fe Right of Way A five-mile walk to discover art, gardens and creeks. Meet at 10 a.m. at the ball court at the south end of Strawberry Creek Park, returning by BART. Bring water and a snack. 540-7223. www.berkeleypaths.org 

Bay Area Storytelling Festival Sat. and Sun. from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area. Tickets are $33-$75. 869-4969. www.bayareastorytelling.org 

Berkeley Climate Action Kick-Off with ideas and resources for reducing your emissions at 10 a.m. at Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. www.cityofberkeley.info/mayor/GHG/index.htm 

Solidarity with the Tree-Sitters with the Rockin' Solidarity Labor Chorus and the Freedom Song Network at 2 p.m. at the Memorial Oak Grove, east side of UC Campus, just off Gayley Rd. 649-1423. halih@yahoo.com 

ACCI Gallery 50th Anniversary Celebration at 6 p.m. at 1652 Shattuck Ave. 843-2527.  

Himalayan Fair with arts and crafts, music, dance and food, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Live Oak Park, 1300 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $8-$20, benefits grassroots projects in the Himalayas. 869-3995.  

“Making Waves to Fight Cancer” A 15.5 mile sea kayak and canoe paddle around Alameda Island to raise money for breast cancer research, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Register and pledge online at www.calkayak.com 

Community Picket of the Port of Oakland to call for a halt to war shipments. Meet at 7 a.m. at the West Oakland BART station. There will be a shuttle to take people to the picketing site. 525-5497. 

A Clean Sweep: Thermometers, Medicine, and E-Waste Disposal from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EmeryBay Market Place, Christie Ave. at 64th St., Emeryville. Bring unwanted or expired medication, mercury thermometers, and electronic waste, such as TVs, computers, monitors, cell phones and fax machines. No appliances. Bring thermometers sealed in two plastic zipper bags, and bring medication in original containers with your name marked out. 452-9261, ext 118. www.ebmud.com/cleanbay 

Tea Party and Old Time Music Jam at 3:30 p.m. in People's Park. Bring a teacup! 

Walking Tour of Oakland City Center Meet at 10 a.m. in front Oakland City Hall at Frank Ogawa Plaza. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. 

Tela de la Vida/Fabric of Life A bilingual walk for the entire family at 2 p.m. at the Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline. For information call 525-2233. 

Multicultural Health Fair for Children with hands-on activities from 1 to 4 p.m. at Hall of Health, 2230 Shattuck Ave., lower level. 705-8527. 

Vegetarian Cooking Class “A Taste of Thai” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. at Castro. Cost is $45, plus 435 for food and materials. Registration required. 531-COOK. www.compassionatecooks.com  

“U.S Weapons of Terror, the Global Proliferation Crisis and Paths to Peace” with Jacqueline Cabasso and Andrew Lichterman of the Western States Legal Foundation at 7 p.m. at the Alameda Public Affairs Forum, at the Home of Truth, 1300 Grand Street in Alameda. www.alamedaforum.org  

Friends of the Library Annual Book Sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sun. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. 526-3720, ext. 16.  

Berkeley Alliance of Neighborhood Associations (BANA) meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Sproul Room, 2727 College Ave. All welcome.  

“My People Are” A short film on racial identities experienced through the eyes of young people at 7 p.m. at Park Day School, 215 Ridegway, Oakland. For information call Tasha at Bananas, 658-7353. 

“The Hidden Life of the Wild Elephant Herds of Africa” with author and researcher Caitlin O’Connell-Rodwell at 6 p.m. at the Oakland Zoo, 9777 Golf Links Rd., off Hwy 580. 632-9525. www.oaklandzoo.org 

EcoVillage’s Earth Day and Spring Festival with keynote speaker Carl Anthony, Senior Ford Foundation Fellow, environmentalist, and social justice leader and workshops and lunch, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at EcoVillage Farm Learning Center, 21 Laurel Lane, Richmond. Cost is $15-$25. 329-1314. www.ecovillagefarm.org 

SoloSierrans Waterfront Biking from Emeryville to Berkeley Meet at 1 p.m. in front of the Watergate Clipper Club, 5 Captain Dr., Emeryville. 923-1094. 

Hopalong Animal Rescue Come meet your new best dog friend from noon to 3 p.m. at Pet Food Express Rockridge, 5144 Broadway, Oakland. 267-1915, ext. 500. www.hopalong.org  

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

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

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 20 

Celebration of Old Roses Heirloom and hard-to-find roses from specialty nurseries, plus crafts, books, jewelry and clothing inspired by roses, from 11 to 4 p.m. at El Cerrito Community Center, on Moeser at Ashbury, El Cerrito. 

Community Labyrinth Peace Walk at 3 p.m. at Willard Middle School, Telegraph Ave. between Derby and Stuart. Wheelchair accessible. 526-7377. 

People’s Park Design Help to design an open, respectful, community based visioning process for People’s Park. Planning meeting 3 p.m. in People's Park NW corner grove. 658-9178. 

Himalayan Fair with arts and crafts, music, dance and food, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Live Oak Park, 1300 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $8-$20, benefits grassroots projects in the Himalayas. 869-3995.  

Hidden Gems of Berkeley Bike Ride exploring the Elmwood and South Berkeley starting at 10 a.m. at Halcyon Court, Prince St. Bring snack, lunch and water. mayith@yahoo.com 

Bike Tour of Oakland Explore Arrowhead Marsh on a leisurely 5-mile ride. Meet at 10 a.m. at the 10th St. entrance to the Oakland Museum of California. 238-3514. www.museumca.org 

SoloSierrans Hike in Tilden Meet at 4 p.m. at Lone Oak parking area for a one hour hike through the woods. Optional dinner follows. 234-8949.  

“Summer Time at the Little Farm” A puppet show about life on the farm and the mishaps of a farmer, at 10:45 and 11:30 a.m. at the Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

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 

Bicycle Commuting Tips: Gear and Fixing Flats at 10 a.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Smart and Green Day at the Kensington Farmers’ Market with free thermometer exchange and free energy-efficient light bulbs, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 303 Arlington Ave., Kensington, behind Ace Hardware. 

EcoHouse Greywater Tour Learn about the first permitted residential constructed wetland greywater system in California. We will discuss the principles and process of safely irrigating with household waste water. Return home with ideas and plans of your own. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EcoHouse, 1305 Hopkins St. Cost is $15 sliding scale, no one turned away. 548-2220 ext. 242. ecohouse@ecologycenter.org 

EarthTeam’s Environmental Film Festival and Awards Ceremony Screening of the student-created Our School/Our Planet videos, poetry, photography and silent auction from 2 to 5 p.m. at Expression College for Digital Arts, 6601 Shellmound St., Emeryville. 704-4030. info@earthteam.net 

East Bay Atheists meets to discuss “Mormonism: the Goofiest Sect of All” with Don Havis at 1:30 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 3rd flr. meeting room, 2090 Kittredge St.  

“From Creeks to Coastline: Bay Watershed” Learn about our local San Francisco Bay Watershed through hands-on activities and exhibitions from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., at 10th St., Oakland. www.museumca.org 

“Democratization of the Media through the Internet” with Andrew Keen, author of “Cult of the Amateur,” and Dan Gilmor, author of “We the Media” at 7 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $15. 527-0450. www.hillsideclub.org  

“The Dark Side of Gluten in Pet Foods” at 2 p.m. at RabbitEars, 303 Arlington Ave., Kensington, behind Ace Hardware. 525-6155. 

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

Tibetan Buddhism with “Jack Petranker on “Precious Jewel of the Dharma” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, MAY 21 

Four Mile Monday Join a four mile hike with history, vistas and birdwatching at 11 a.m. at Point Pinole Regional Shoreline. Bring layers, lunch and your binoculars. 525-2233. 

“When the Levees Broke” Parts 3 and 4 Spike Lee’s documentary about Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans at 6:45 p.m. at the Upstairs Lounge at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, 410 14th Street, off Broadway, Oakland. Suggested donation $10. 262-1001. info@wellstoneclub.org 

Benefit for Vukani Mawethu Choir Silent auction and dinner with seatings at 5:30, 7:30 and 9 p.m. at Unicorn Restaurant, 2533 Telegraph Ave. For reservations call 841-8098. 

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

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 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 

Citizens Humane Commission meets Wed., May 16, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6601. 

Commission on Aging meets Wed., May 16, at 1:30 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5344.  

Commission on Labor meets Wed., May 16, at 6:45 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7550.  

Downtown Area Plan Advisory Commission meets Wed., May 16, at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7487. 

Library Board of Trustees meets Wed., May 16, at 7 p.m. at the South Branch Library. 981-6195.  

Design Review Committee meets Thurs., May 17, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7415.  

TUESDAY, MAY 15 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry Flash with Opal Palmer Adisa and Karla Brundage at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley City College Auditorium, 2050 Center St. 525-5476.  

Kaya Oakes and Jeff T. Johnson, poets, read at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Rafaela Castro reads from “Provocaciones: Letters from the Prettiest Girl in Arvin” at 7 p.m. at El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave. 526-7512. 

Cheri Huber reads from “Making a Change for Good” at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Barbara Kingsolver reads from her first non-fiction narrative “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $15-$20. For reservations call 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

OOGOG plays at the Berkeley Arts Festival at 8 p.m. at the Fidelity Bank Building, 2323 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $5-$10. www.berkeleyartsfestival.com 

Tri Tip Trio, cajun, zydeco, at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

Singers’ Open Mic with Ellen Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ.  

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

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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16 

FILM 

International Latino Film Festival “Al Otro Lado-To The Other Side” at 7 p.m. at Richmond Public Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. 620-6555. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Chris Finan describes “From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America” at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books, Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 528-3254. 

Lama Surya Das describes “Buddha Is As Buddha Does: The Ten Original Practices for Enlightened Living” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Spoken Word: Park Day School Student Writers at 7 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Café Poetry hosted by Paradise at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña. Donation $2. 849-2568.  

Cheri Huber reads from her new books on Zen and dialy life at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

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

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Whiskey Brothers at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473.  

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

HeadRush’s, The Thow Down, and Shanique Scott’s Prisons, hip hop, at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$15. 849-2568.  

Groundation, reggae, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15-$18. 525-5054. 

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

Matt Morrish & Trinket Lover at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

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

Tie One Ons at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

THURSDAY, MAY 17 

THEATER 

Eastenders Repertory Company “Fear and Misery of the Third Reich” by Bertolt Brecht at 7:30 p.m. at the JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Tickets are $20. 

FILM 

“Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible” by Dr. Shakti Butler, at 6:30 p.m. followed by discussion at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 116 Montecito Ave., Oakland. 285-9600. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry Flash with Julie Carr and Jessica Fisher at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley City College Auditorium, 2050 Center St. 525-5476. www.poetryflash.org 

Ann Jauregui describes “Epiphanies: Where Science and Miracles Meet” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Tina Barseghian introduces “Get a Hobby! 101 All-Consuming Diversions for Any Lifestyle” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland East Bay Symphony “Porgy and Bess” Preview performance at 7 p.m. at Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $25. 625-8497. 

Aphrodesia, Antioquia at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

Elaine Lucia & Her Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $17. 841-JAZZ.  

Travis Jones and Chojo Jacques at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Sorrowtown Choir, Matthew Grimm & the Red Smear at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $TBA. 841-2082  

Box O Bananas at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Bunson, Panic Button, Go Kart Mozart at 9 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100. 

FRIDAY, MAY 18 

THEATER 

Altarena Playhouse “The Last Five Years” Fri and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 1409 High St., Alameda, through June 10. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.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 20. Tickets are $38. 843-4822. 

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

Berkeley Rep “Oliver Twist” at 8 p.m. at the Roda Theater, 2015 Addison St. through June 24. Tickets are $45-$61. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.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.  

Shotgun Players “The Cryptogram” Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through June 17. Tickets are $17-$25. For reservations call 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

“The Striders Club” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Malonga Casquelourd Arts Center, 1421 Alice St., Oakland. Tickets are $5-$11. 450-0891. 

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 “Serjeant 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 

fer•ma•ta UCB Master of Fine Arts Graduate Exhibition opens at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way and runs through June 10. 642-0808. 

Richmond Art Center Spring Reception for all exhibitions at 6 p.m. at 2540 Barret Ave., Richmond. 620-6772. 

“Significant Others” Art from LGBTQ Communities. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery, 5741 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 601-4040, ext. 111. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Representa! Bilingual spoken word and poetry with Paul Flores and Julio Cardenas at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $15. 849-2568.  

Comics Out Loud! with cartoonists Julia Wertz, Shannon O’Leary, Justin Hall, Geoff Vasile and many others at 7 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

State of the Arts 2 Conference sponsored by UC Institute for Research in the Arts with Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. Lectures on the current role and future of the arts in California and beyond, Sat. and Sun. at BAM/PFA. 2626 Bancroft Way. For complete schedule see www.ucira.ucsb.edu 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Ballet Theater Spring Performances, including “Cinderella” at 7 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $21. 843-4689. 

Oakland East Bay Symphony “Porgy and Bess” at 8 p.m. at Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $20-$67. 625-8497. 

Women’s Antique Vocal Ensemble “Transitions: Spanish Influence in the New World” at 8 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave. Tickets are $5-$15. www.wavewomen.org 

Volti “the San Francisco Experience” with the Piedmont Children’s Choirs at 8 p.m. at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. Tickets are $8-$20. 415-771-3352. www.voltisf.org 

Bay Area Classical Harmonies “The Passion of St. John” at 7 p.m. at St. Mary Magdalen Church, 2005 Berryman St. Tickets are $12-$25. 868-0695. www.bayareabach.org 

San Francisco Chamber Orchestra “Crossroads: Music from the African Diaspora” at 8 p.m., pre-concert talk at 7:30 p.m., at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Free. 415-248-1640. www.sfchamberorchestra.org 

Jazz City Singers Spring Concert at 8:30 p.m. at Rockridge Methodist Church, 303 Hudson St., Oakland. Tickets are $5-$7. 658-7136.  

Nanette McGuiness, soprano, and flutist Marha Stoddard, at 8 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. Cost is $12-$15. 848-1228. 

Jerry Kuderna Piano “From Bach to Babbitt” at 1 p.m. at 2323 Shattuck Ave. www.berkeleyartsfestival.com 

“Dance Elixir” with Leyya Tawil and Zari Le’on Fri. and Sat. at 8:30 p.m. at Temescal Arts Center, 511 48th St., Oakland. Tickets are $20. 435-6413. 

SFJazz All-Star High School Ensemble at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10-$12. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Hurricane Sam & the Hotshots at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Gypsy Dances from the Romani Trail, belly dance performance at 8 p.m., Diiin at 10 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Rajeev Taranath on sarod with Abhiman Kaushal on tabla at 8 p.m. at Gaia Arts Center, 2118 Allston Way. Tickets are $18-$25. 517-8952. nssensalo@gmail.com 

Ron Thompson, blues, at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Solo Bass Night with Michael Manring, Jean Baudin, Jeff Schmidt and Dave Grossman at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761.  

Avatara and The Wicker Men at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Workingman’s Ed with guest Joe Rut at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

California Love, Drain the Sky 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 P-PL at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Ashkon, Bumbalo, Richie Cunning at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$7. 548-1159.  

Socket, jazz, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Resistoleros, New Faith, One Word Solution at 8:30 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $10. 763-1146. www.oaklandmetro.org 

SATURDAY, MAY 19 

EXHIBITIONS 

Berkeley Art Center 40th Birthday from 1 to 4 p.m. with guest speakers, concert, children’s activities and art exhibition, at 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park. 644-6893. 

“Jazz Icons” photography by Carl Lewis at the Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St.  

ACCI Gallery 50th Anniversary Celebration with music by Red Wings and an exhibition honoring ACCI alumni Tim Baskerville, Elizabeth Kavaler, Bob Stocksdale and Catherine Webb, at 6 p.m. at 1652 Shattuck Ave. 843-2527.  

THEATER 

Eastenders Repertory Company “Fear and Misery of the Third Reich” by Bertolt Brecht at 7:30 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. at the JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Tickets are $20. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Representa! Bilingual spoken word and poetry with Paul Flores and Julio Cardenas at 2 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $15. 849-2568.  

The Great Night of Rumi with spoken word, music and dance at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

“Medieval Seminar: Music, Liturgy, and Architecture in Medieval England” with Professor William Mahr, Dept. of Music, Stanford Univ. from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at MusicSources, 1000 The Alameda. Cost is $15. 848-5591. 

“Stepping Away From the Stereotypes: Two Latina Authors Discuss Fact and Funny Fiction” with Marta Acosta, whose latest book is “Midnight Brunch at Casa Dracula” and Rose Castillo Guilbault, on her memoir “Farmworker’s Daughter” at 2 p.m. at the Rockridge Library, 5366 College Ave., Oakland. 531-4275. 

Bay Area Storytelling Festival Sat. and Sun. from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area, El Sobrante. Tickets are $33-$75. 869-4969. www.bayareastorytelling.org 

Jazz in Literature, Photography and Fine Art with readings by Al Young and Michael McClure at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $20. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Young People’s Symphony Orchestra Concerto Concert at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $12-$15. 849-9776. www.ypsomusic.net 

Voci Women’s Vocal Ensemble “Songs of Heavenly and Earthly Love” at 4 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, Oakland. Tickets are $15-$20. 531-8714. www.vocisings.com 

Contra Costa Chorale with the Kensington Symphony Mozart’s “Coronation Mass” at 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. Tickets are $12-$15, children free. 527-2026. 

Sacred and Profane “Summer on the Baltic Sea” Music from Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Sweden at 8 p.m. at All Souls Episcopal Church, 2220 Cedar St. Tickets are $12-$18. 524-3611. www.sacredprofane.org 

Kairos Youth Choir Sat. and Sun. at 4 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $8-$10. 704-4479. 

Ruth Botchan Dance Company and Shahrzad Dance Company “Bridging Jewish and Persian Cultures” at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Beth El, 1301 Oxford St. Tickets are $10. 848-3988. 

Winds Across the Bay “Views From the Stage” at 2 p.m. at Hilltop Community Church, 3118 Shane Drive, Richmond, just across from Hilltop Mall. Tickets are $5-$10 at the door. 243-0514. info@WindsAcrossTheBay.org 

Jack L in a benefit for the Darfur Women’s Center at 7:30 p.m. at the Hills Swim and Tennis Club, 2400 Manzanita Dr., Oakland. Tickets are $85. 339-0234.  

Rockin’ Solidarity Labor Chorus and the Freedom Song Network in a performance to Save the Oaks at 2 p.m. at Memorial Oak Grove, east side of UC Campus, off Gayley Rd. 649-1423. halih@yahoo.com  

Las Mujeres del Hip-Hop Cubano with Las Krudas, DJ Leidis, and Magyori La Lave at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

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

Native Elements, Lakay, Caribbean, Haitian, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Stephanie Crawford, jazz, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Wayward Monks at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

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

Druid Sisters Tea Party at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

R’N’R Adventure Kids 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 20 

CHILDREN 

Orange Sherbert with members of Hot Buttered Rum at Ashkenaz at 3 p.m. Cost is $5-$20. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

“Summer Time at the Little Farm” A puppet show about life on the farm and the mishaps of a farmer, at 10:45 and 11:30 a.m. at the Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

EXHIBITIONS 

Allison Smith “Notion Nanny” an exhibition exploring traditional art and craft-making from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Berkeley Art Museum Galleries, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Representa! Bilingual spoken word and poetry with Paul Flores and Julio Cardenas at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Master of Fine Arts Graduate Exhibition Artsts’ Talks at 3 p.m. in the Berkeley Art Museum Galleries, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

UC Extension Writing Students read at 4 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

11th Annual Jazz on Fourth Street from noon to 5 p.m. featuring the Marcus Shelby Quartet, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Group and the Berkeley High Jazz Ensemble.  

Laurel Ensemble in celebration of Berkeley Art Center’s 40th Anniversary, at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Cost is $15-$20. 644-6893. 

Songs from Spain and Cuba with Elizabeth Caballero, soprano and Leesa Dahl, piano at 5 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Churhc, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $10-$20. 845-6830. 

Oakland Public Conservatory of Music Student Recital at 7 p.m. at 1616 Franklin St., Oakland. 836-4649.  

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

Sacred & Profane “Summer on the Baltic Sea, Sounds of Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Sweden” at 4 p.m. at All Souls Episcopal Church, 2220 Cedar St. Tickets are $12-$18. 524-3611. www.sacredprofane.org 

Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bellringers at 2 p.m. at Calvary Christian Center, 1516 Grand Ave., Alameda. Suggested donation. 887-4311. www.ggbc.org 

“Jazz at the Chimes” featuring Shanna Carlson and Cathi Walkup at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. Oakland. Tickets are $10, children under 12 free. 228-3218. 

Voci Women’s Vocal Ensemble “Songs of Heavenly and Earthly Love” at 4 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way. Tickets are $15-$20. 531-8714. www.vocisings.com 

Season of Praise Gospel Concert at 6 p.m. at St. Paul AME Church, 2024 Ashby Ave. Proceeds will help sponsor youth on a trip to a gospel convention in Phildelphia this summer. 848-2050. 

Spring Choirs Concert with Angel Choir and Joyful Noise Choir at 5 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 201 Martina St., corner of W. Richmond Ave., Point Richmond. Suggested donation $10. 236-0527. 

Concerto Festival with winners from the Concerto Competition at 4 p.m. at Valley Center Concert Hall, Holy Names University, 3500 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $5-$10. 436-1225. 

Novello Quartet at 3 p.m. First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Broadway. Donation $10-$15. www.novelloquartet.org 

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

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

Americana Unplugged: The Whiskey Brothers at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Art Lande/Peter Sommer Duo at 4:30 at the Jazzschool. Cost is $20. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Benefit for the Albany High School Music Fund at 7 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Glen Staller at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Gather, Risen, 7 Generation at 5 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

Rwake, Black Cobra at 9 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $8. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

MONDAY, MAY 21 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Art for Food’s Sake!” Restaurant Industry Artists Exhibition, opening reception at 5 p.m. at Downtown Restaurant, 2102 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. Bring a non-perishable food donation. Proceeds benefit the Alameda County Community Food Bank. RSVP to art@downtownrestaurant.com 649-3810. 

FILM 

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

“When the Levees Broke” Parts 3 and 4 of Spike Lee’s documentary about Hurricane Katrina’s effect on New Orleans at 6:45 p.m. at the Upstairs Lounge at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, 410 14th Street, off Broadway, Oakland. Suggested donation $10. 262-1001. info@wellstoneclub.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Artists in Berkeley: Is There a Future? at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6150. 

Judith Goldman and Geoffrey G. O’Brien read at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. This will be Judith’s last Bay Area reading before she moves to Chicago. Join her friends, fans, and secret admirers in wishing her a fond farewell. 849-2087. 

Jeffrey Kripal describes “Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. 559-9500. 

Susanna Moore introduces her novel “The Big Girls” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Poetry Express with John Moore and Roy Johnston at 7 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Ed Neff, bluegrass, at 7 p.m. at Le Bateau Ivre, 2629 Telegraph Ave. 849-1100. www.lebateauivre.net 

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

Blue Monday Jam at 9 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

West Coast Songwriter’s Showcase at 7:30 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $5. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

Photograph: Wayne Wallace will be appearing at the Jazz on Fourth Street Festival this weekend. 

If you yearn for the days when jazz was played on the streets of New Orleans for free and all you had to do to join the second line was to get with it and dance to the beat you will not want to miss hearing the top-rated artists who will be performing al fresco and for free at the 11th annual Jazz on Fourth Street Festival this Sunday. 

The Marcus Shelby Quartet, Sugar Pie Desanto, the Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Group and the Berkeley High Jazz Orchestra and combos will all be on hand to entertain you as well as to give you a taste of what can come from top flight musical pedagogy. 

Public school jazz education began in Berkeley in 1966 when Herb Wong, the principal at Washington Elementary, offered a jazz class to his music students. It was not long before every school in the district had a jazz band. When Phil Hardymon, who had worked with Wong at the grade school level, became band director at Berkeley High in 1975, he parlayed all the work that had gone on in the lower grades into the top-rated high school jazz education program in the country. 

Berkeley High jazz bands and members regularly win state and national competitions and scholarships and have performed at the Monterey, North Sea and Montreux Jazz Festivals—and why not when their alumni include such stellar players as David Murray, Craig Handy, Josh Redman, Benny Green and Peter Apfelbaum? 

What Herb Wong began has become a multi-generational community of teachers, alumni and students which gives the Berkeley jazz community a depth and resonance often lacking elsewhere. 

Unfortunately, major budget cuts are threatening this innovative and successful program. The proceeds from this eleventh annual festival, presented by KCSM/Jazz 91, Yoshi’s at Jack London Square and Fourth Street Merchants, will benefit Berkeley High School Performing Arts to help ensure that the jazz program is able to continue. 

This summer, Berkeley High hopes to send the ensemble to Japan to perform at several jazz festivals. While on tour there, the ensemble members will stay in the homes of Japanese students. Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble Parent Coordinator Ruth Tabancay indicated that without the proceeds from the Jazz on Fourth Street Festival, “people all over the world would not have the joy of hearing these accomplished musicians.” 

Appropriately, the festival begins at noon with two of the Berkeley High Ensemble’s top-rated combos. Next, award-winning bassist and composer Marcus Shelby leads his eponymously named Quartet in its festival debut with a program of jazz standards and swinging flagwavers. One of the most esteemed and in-demand performers on the local jazz scene, Shelby will lead a quartet of the Bay Area’s top jazz players. 

Long-time Bay Area blues favorite and R&B legend Sugar Pie DeSanto, who follows Shelby, is a mistress of soul, jazz, comedy, dance and the composer and/or lyricist of over one hundred songs. Born Umpeylia Marsema Balinton in San Francisco, she was dubbed “Little Miss Sugar Pie” by bandleader Johnny Otis when she made her recording debut with him for Federal Records in 1955. Since then she’s recorded for Chess Records, appeared at the Howard in Washington, D.C., the Regal in Chicago and the Apollo in New York. After James Brown heard her at the Apollo, she became his opening act for two years. She has recorded two of her originals with Etta James, one of which, “In the Basement,” was featured on the soundtrack of the 1999 movie The Hurricane. 

Bay Area trombonist, educator, arranger and composer Wayne Wallace and his Latin Jazz Group are the last of the three headliners. Wallace, another in-demand sideplayer, is well-known in the Bay Area musical worlds of Latin, funk and jazz. He studied with, among others, the great post-bop trombonist Julian Priester, and his performances reveal a musician grounded in both jazz improvisation and Brazilian and Latin rhythms. He’ll be performing works from his latest CD, The Reckless Pursuit of Beauty. The festival grand finale will be a performance by the full Berkeley High Jazz Orchestra. 

Besides the onstage music, the Fourth Street merchants will get in the spirit of jazz by bringing their food and wares into the street and plaza. The whole afternoon promises to be an expansive, sunny, music-filled entertainment. 

JAZZ ON FOURTH STREET FESTIVAL 

Noon-5 p.m. Sunday, May 20, on Fourth Street in Berkeley between Hearst and Virginia. The festival kicks off at noon with two Berkeley High School Combos and features the Marcus Shelby Quartet (1:15 to 2 p.m.), blues singer Sugar Pie Desanto (2:15 to 3 p.m.), the Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Group (3:10 to 4 p.m.) and closes with the Berkeley High Jazz Orchestra. 526-6294.  

Photograph: Wayne Wallace will be appearing at the Jazz on Fourth Street Festival this weekend. 

Before the opening scene of the Eastenders’ production of Bertolt Brecht’s Fear and Misery of the Third Reich—which opens Thursday, May 17, at the Jewish Community Center for a four-show run, after four days last week at San Francisco’s Traveling Jewish Theatre—there are projections of National Socialist posters of happy comrades, of mother and child, the cheerful false face of Nazi propaganda for the German public and the world. 

As many as 30 of these scenes and sketches were written during and just after the dark years from the Nazi takeover in 1933 to the Anschluss, annexing Austria in 1938; the Eastenders show features 18. What Brecht tried to do in them was to pry off that mask to reveal the human toll, the social miasma, of private life beneath the fixed, defiant smile. 

The original U.S. production of 17 scenes was entitled The Private Life of the Master Race, and had its first premiere June 7, 1945 at the Little Theater in Wheeler Auditorium on the UC campus, part of the program for the UN conference delegates meeting in San Francisco. It was directed by Henry Schnitzler, son of famed Austrian playwright Arthur Schnitzler (La Ronde), who was in touch with Brecht. The Eastenders program, with its George Grosz cartoonish cover, contains a facsimile of the Daily Cal preview of the premiere. 

The scenes, episodic (Brecht called his theater “Epic”) and unrelated directly by story but knit together by theme, play like frames in a film running through those years, capturing a panorama of social breakdown, deception, betrayal, disaffection, disaffiliation and flight. In Berlin in 1933, a storm trooper eggs on a worker to make jokes about the regime and shows him the trick of marking a suspect with a chalk cross on the back of his jacket, unawares. The next year in Augsburg, a magistrate in chambers nervously hears pleas, advice and veiled threats from a prosecutor, an investigator and storm troopers, wondering how he can render a verdict.  

In the most famous of these miniature dramas, one that was played with great affect by Vanessa Redgrave a few years ago at a benefit in San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre, “The Jewish Wife,” a Jewish woman on the verge of fleeing to the Netherlands from Frankfurt in 1935 talks reassuringly to her friends on the phone about her “little spring vacation,” asking them to look after her husband—then rehearses a bitter goodbye to him, which she can’t repeat when he appears. 

It’s absorbing, sometimes very funny, and deeply affecting. And this production is probably the best sustained show the Eastenders have done in years. The cast of 11, including splendid Longfellow Middle School student Alexander Senauke (who plays a Hitler Youth whose parents nervously suspect him of spying on them) has the flavor of this repertory company that calls itself “held together by an ensemble of artists who collectively ... produce and generally build theater from the ground up,” an interactive and personable troupe, as they take on these often nameless faces from the past, or pose in tableau, bookending the scene in progress centerstage with what came before and will follow.  

This Eastenders production, solidly presided over by artistic director Susan Evans and founder Charles Polly, emphasizes the documentary aspects of these brief cameos of the contradictory life led by the German people, supporters and dissenters alike, under Hitler’s regime. It therefore touches on Brecht’s relationship—a somewhat uneasy one—with “The New Objectivity,” a progressive movement which aimed to show the social realities of the times, under the Depression and fascism. Brecht, however, went further: his innovative dramatic practices stylized the actions of the characters portrayed, in a new method of theatrical storytelling that brought out big issues hiding in small gestures. He invited the audience to consider the social intent rather than just identifying emotionally with the personal plight of the characters.  

Performances by Craig Dickerson (a talented comedic actor), Carolyn Doyle (whose “Jewish Wife” deftly plays the full register, yet seems low key) and Christine U’Ren, in particular, capture something of the still controversial “performative” aspects of the synthesis of theatrical style that’s called Brechtian.  

This is one of the few shows in the ad hoc revival of Brecht that’s been going on the past few years that really plays and gets the point across, thanks in great part to the Eastenders’ canniness and commitment in choosing this collection of sketches which are both intimately direct yet suggestive of issues broader and deeper. What doesn’t always come across are the finer points of Brecht’s innovation, like what he called the social gesture, an actor’s exact portrayal of a “pregnant moment” which reveals, in a flash, the social meaning of the character or the scene—like a prosecutor wryly forgetting, over and over, the name of a suspect (”Judicial Process”). Like camp follower Mother Courage in Brecht’s great wartime drama, biting a coin and losing her son to the recruiters while distracted, it demands a kind of concentration and sense of display, of demonstration, different from the training of most American actors. 

Fear and Misery of the Third Reich is the sort of theatrical experience which goes over without going over the top. It has plenty of true dimensionality—and the audience leaves with much to mull over, difficult but fascinating truths that the valiant Eastenders have portrayed. 

FEAR AND MISERY OF THE THIRD REICH 

Presented by the Eastenders Repertory Company at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday and at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. $20. 568-4118.