FRIDAY, JULY 6 

“Native Plants of Yosemite” A slide show and talk with Ranger Erik at 6:30 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., at 10th, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. 

“The Spirit of John Muir” A performance highlighting Muir’s adventures in the western wilderness at 7:30 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., at 10th, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. 

“Pint for a Pint” Blood Drive Blood donors will receive a coupon for a free pint of gelato from Gelato Classico. The blood drive will be in Conference Room A from noon to 6 p.m. at Alameda Hospital, 2070 Clinton Ave., Alameda. To schedule an appointment call Louise Nakada at 814-4362. 

“The Iron Wall” A documentary with interviews with prominent Israeli and Palestinian peace activists, farmers, soldiers and political analysts at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker, 1640 Addison. Free. Sponsored by The Fr. Bill O’Donnell Social Justice Committee. 499-0537. 

International Working Class Film Festival with “Maquilapolis,” “My Bicycle,” “No Te Rajas,” and Estamos Aqui” at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Suggested donation $5. www.HumanistHall.net 

Estacio Libre and Collectiva Zapatista Ramona Film Fest at 7:30 p.m. at AK Press, 674-A 23rd St., Oakland. 208-1700. 

Bayswater Book Club meets at 6:30 p.m. at Barnes and Noble Coffe Shop, El Cerrito Plaza. 433-2911. 

Free Diabetes Screening Come find out if you might have diabetes with our free screening test and make sure not to eat or drink anything for 8 hours beforehand, from 8:45 to 1:30 a.m. at the Downtown Oakland Senior Center, 200 Grand Ave. 981-5332. 

Berkeley Women in Black weekly vigil from noon to 1 p.m. at Bancroft and Telegraph. Our focus is human rights in Palestine. 548-6310. 

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.  

SATURDAY, JULY 7 

Oakland Heritage Alliance Neighborhood Walking Tour of the F.M. “Borax” Smith Estate from 10 a.m. to noon. Meets at the redwood tree, corner of McKinley Ave. and Home Place East. Tickets are $10-$15. info@oaklandheritage.org 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland around Preservation Park to see Victorian architecture. Meet at 10 a.m. in front of Preservation Park at 13th St. and MLK, Jr. Way. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234.  

Canyonero Hike A three-mile hike across habitats up to Wildcat Park, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Led by Meg Platt, naturalist. For information and meeting place, call 525-2233. 

Bicycle Trip Along the Hayward Shoreline Meet at 8:30 p.m. at San Leandro Marina Park for a 14-mile round trip excursion, partly paved. Bicycle helmet required. Bring bicycle lock, lunch and liquids. For information email Kathy_Jarrett@yahoo.com 

“Ice Scone” Benefit for Save Berkeley Iceland, at the Cheese Board, 1504 Shattuck Ave. All proceeds from the sale of this special scone will go to saving the family-friendly community center for ice skating. 599-4591. www.SaveBerkeleyIceland.org 

Artists Funding the Arts Silent Auction to benefit the SF AIDS Foundation. Bidding begins at 10 a.m. at 4th St. Studio, 1717D 4th St. Bidding closes Sunday at 8 p.m. 527-0600. 

Kensington Police Department Program for ages 3 and up at 2 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

“Brainiacs” An interactive neural anatomy lesson, at 1 p.m. for ages 7 and under, 2:10 p.m. for 8 and older at Hall of Health, 2230 Shattuck Ave., Lower Level. Cost is $5, no one turned away. 705-8527. 

Community Festival at The Way Christian Center with music, health and college fairs, and activities for children, from noon to 4 p.m. at 1222 University Ave. Free. 848-2117. 

Preschool Storytime for 3 to 5-year-olds at 11 a.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720 ext. 17. 

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

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

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction 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, JULY 8 

People’s Park Community Workshop on the future design and programs for People’s Park, at 1 p.m. at First Church of Christ Scientist, 2619 Dwight Way. Pre-registration required. RSVP to 415-288-3390. taylor@mkthink.com 

Oakland Heritage Alliance Neighborhood Walking Tour of the Mountain View Cemetary from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meet at Chapel of the Chimes, 4400 Piedmont Ave. Tickets are $10-$15. info@oaklandheritage.org 

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

“Green Sunday” Upholding Our Rights to a Healthy Community A discussion on the California Healthy Communities Network and how its work affects our community, at 5 p.m. at the Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. at 65th in North Oakland. 

Solo Sierrans Walk to Explore the Albany Bulb and discover the unique works of art here. Meet at 2:30 p.m. at the entrance of the Bulb at Buchanan St. and I-80. Optional dinner afterwards. RSVP to Therese at 841-5493. 

“Park Life” Martial arts, nutritional education, peer counseling, and healthy snacks for at-risk and overweight youth of all ages at 3 p.m. at Ohlone Park, bordering Hearst, between California and Sacramento. Donation requested, no one turned away. 684-1668. 

Berry Tasting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kensington Farmers’ Market, 303 Arlington, behind ACE Hardware, Kensington.  

Family Day at the Magnes Museum, including tours of current exhibitions, at 11 a.m. at 2911 Russell St. 549-6950. 

Social Action Forum with Jacques Verduun on programs offered inside San Quentin Prison at 9:30 a.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302. 

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

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

Tibetan Buddhism with Betty Cook on “King Ashoka: An Ancient Model of Buddhist Social Responsibility” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812.  

MONDAY, JULY 9 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the West Pauley Ballroom, MLK Student Union, UC Campus. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com (Code: UCB). 

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

TUESDAY, JULY 10 

Bus Rapid Transit: Focus on Downtown Berkeley Community Workshop at the Transit Subcommittee meeting of the Transportation Commission at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7010. 

Tuesday Documentaries at 7 p.m. at the Gaia Arts Center, 2120 Allston Way. Donation of $5 benefits the Berkeley Food and Housing Project. 665-0305. 

Baby-friendly Book Club Bring your baby, and your love of books at 10 a.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 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 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Brandywine Realty, 2101 Webster St., Ste. 600, Oakland. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com (Code: BRANDYWINEREALTY) 

Free Diabetes Screening Come find out if you might have diabetes with our free screening test and make sure not to eat or drink anything for 8 hours beforehand, from 8:45 to 1:30 a.m. at the Downtown Oakland Senior Center, 200 Grand Ave. 981-5332. 

Community Sing-a-Long every Tues, at 2 p.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 1247 Marin Ave. 524-9122.  

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

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, JULY 11 

South Berkeley Assessment of Library Needs with Noll & Tam Architects who have been hired to investigate possible spaces for the library at the Ed Roberts Campus, at Board of Library Trustees meeting at 7 p.m. at South Branch Library, 1901 Russell Street at MLK, Jr., Way. 981-6107. 

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. 

A Talk with Al Haber, the founder of S.D.S. will speak of the reformed S.D.S. as well as a history of Berkeley's Long Haul and doing peace work in Israel/Palestine at 7 p.m. at the Lonh Haul, 3124 Shattuck Ave. www.thelonghaul.org 

“Tani O, Who Are You?” with Nigerian Chief Priest Elebuibon Akinyemi on Ifa wisdom at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

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 

THURSDAY, JULY 12 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Samuel Merritt Bechtel Room, 400 Hawthorne St., Oakland. To schedule and appointment go to www.BeADonor.com (Code: SMC) 

CoHousing Slide Show on cohousing principles and the new cohousing development in Grass Valley, at 7 p.m. at 1250 Addison St, Suite 113. 849-2063. 

Adult Self-Protection Workshop on everyday safety skills from 10 a.m. to noon in Berkeley. Cost is $105, no one turned away. Location details upon registration. 831-426-4407. 

Cope with Creativity Workshop on “Write to Connect with Grief” at 6:30 p.m. at 4401 Howe St., Oakland. To register call 888-755-7855, ext. 4241. 

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, JULY 6 

THEATER 

Aurora Theatre “Bosoms and Neglect” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., SUn. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through July 22. Tickets are $38. 843-4822.  

California Shakespeare Theater “Man and Superman” by George Bernard Shaw at the Bruns Ampitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd., Orinda, through July 29. Tickets are $15-$60. 548-9666. www.calshakes.org 

Central Works “Bird in the Hand” Thurs-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., through July 29. Tickets are $9-$25. 558-1381. 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Meet Me in St. Louis” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. in July at 951 Pomona Ave., at Moeser, El Cerrito, through Aug. 4. 524-9132. 

Crowded Fire Theater “Anna Bella Eema” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. through July 15. Tickets are $10-$20. 415-439-2456. www.crowdedfire.org 

Impact Theatre “Impact Briefs 8: Sinfully Delicious” Thurs.-Sat. through July 21 at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. 

Masquers Playhouse “Ring Round the Moon” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond, through July 14. Tickets are $15. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

Virago Theatre Company “The Death of Ayn Rand” and “A Bed of My Own” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Ave., Alameda to July 7. Tickets are $10-$17. 865-6237.  

EXHIBITIONS 

Paiul Lewin Solo Show Acrylic paintings and sketches. Opening reception at 7 p.m. at Eclectix, 7523 Fairmoount Ave., El Cerrito. 364-7261. www.eclectixgallery.com 

FILM 

International Working Class Film Festival with “Maquilapolis,” “My Bicycle,” “No Te Rajas,” and Estamos Aqui” at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Suggested donation $5. www.HumanistHall.net 

Estacio Libre and Collectiva Zapatista Ramona Film Fest at 7:30 p.m. at AK Press, 674-A 23rd St., Oakland. 208-1700. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Paul Ekman reads from “Emotions Revealed: Recognizing Faces and Feelings to Improve Communication and Emotional Life” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Bay Area Blues Society: Hayward-Russell City Blues Festival, Fri.-Sun. from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hayward City Hall Plaza, 777 B St., Hayward. Tickets are $10-$30. www.bayareabluessociety.net highsierratickets.com 

Craig Horton Blues Band at 5 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., at 10th, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. 

Les Percussions Malinke with drummer Bolokada Conde at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $13-$15. 849-2568.  

A Deep Breath featuring Raffi and Noah Garabedian, Daniel Lubin-Laden and David Michael-Ruddy at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Ed Johnson & Novo Tempo Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

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

Dani Thomas and Dulce, Latin and Caribbean, at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

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

Bob Harp and High Diving Horses at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Stephen Taylor-Ramirez, Misner and Smith, Drew Harrison at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082.  

Dave Stein’s Hub-Bub at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Niyorah, Abja & The Red Eye Band, Binghi Ghost, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $18-$20. 548-1159.  

The Brothers Goldman at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Mouth to Mouth, Soul Broker, Dead Cell at 8 p.m. at Oakland Metro Operahouse, 201 Broadway, Oakland. Cost is $10. 763-1146. www.oaklandmetro.org 

Kevin Eubanks at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$22. 238-9200.  

SATURDAY, JULY 7 

EXHIBITIONS 

“New Works by Margaret Chavigny and Sheila Metcalf Tobin” Reception at 6 p.m. at the Mercury 20 Gallery, 25 grand Ave. at Broadway, Oakland. Exhibition runs to July 29. 

THEATER 

Women’s Will “Romeo and Juliet” Sat. and Sun. at 1 p.m. in John Hinkle Park. 420-0813. www.womenswill.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

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. poetalk@aol.com 

Mike Young, Logan Ryan Smith and Elliot Harmon read their poetry at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Mahea Uchiyama “Dance in the Key of Life” Dance from India, Bali, Hawai’i, Tahiti and more at 8 p.m. at Regents Theater, Holy Names University, 3500 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. Tickets are $25. 925-798-1300.  

The Ariel Quartet performs Hayden, Dvork, Suprynowicz at 8 p.m. at 2692 Shasta. RSVP to bob@cowart.com 

Schwenke y Nilo Chilean Nueva Cancíon with Los Materos at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $20. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

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

Zydeco Flames, Cajun/Zydeco at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. 

Sotaque Baiano, Brazilian, at 8 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Dave Lionelli, Bhi Bhiman and Greg Cross at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

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

Kaz George Quintet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

On the One at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Ragwater Review, 5 Cent Coffee, Knees and Elbows at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082.  

Sarah Manning Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

SUNDAY, JULY 8 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Sing More Songs” Photographs by Misako Akimoto about the Music Therapy Fund in Richmond. Artist talk at 2 p.m. at the Community Meeting Room, Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6100. 

“David Goldblatt: Intersections” and “Abbas Kiarostami: Image Maker” photographs from South Africa and Iran at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

“Paintings by Jared Roses” opens at 4 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“When Cities Unite” Spoken word and music from L.A. to the Bay at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $7-$10. 849-2568.  

Liza Dalby introduces “East Wind Melts the Ice: A Memoir Through the Seasons” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Michael Fee describes “Cycling’s Greatest Misadventures” at 4 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 559-9500. 

“David Goldblatt: Intersections” Conversation with the photographer at 3:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. Cost is $5-$8. 642-0808. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Lineage Dance “Dancing Through the Ages” at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $25. 925-798-1300. 

Summer Jazz with Yancy Taylor at 3 p.m., The History of Jazz with Randy Moore at 4:30 p.m. at Open Jam Session at 5 p.m. at Oakland Public Library, Golden Gate Branch, 5606 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. 597-5023. 

Americana Unplugged: Pete Madsen at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Julian Pollack Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Axis Mundi, sacred trance and dance, at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

Mariel Austin, trombone, at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373.  

Melanie O’Reilley at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

MONDAY, JULY 9 

CHILDREN 

“Get a Clue at Your Library” a musical by Gary Laplaw at 7 p.m. at the Oakland Library, Montclair Branch, 1687 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. 482-7810. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Arthur Weil reads from his poetry at 6 p.m. at the Oakland Public Library, Lakeview Branch, 550 El Embarcadero, Oakland. 238-7344. 

Lisa See reads from her new novel “Peony in Love” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 559-9500. 

Michael McClure and Diana Di Prima at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Poetry Express with Mani Suri at 7 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Orquestra La Moderna Tradicion at 8 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. 

TUESDAY, JULY 10 

CHILDREN 

Gary Lapow, singer and songwriter, performs for children and their families at 7 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720 ext 17. 

Los Mapaches Local Latin American youth ensemble performs music from the Andes at 7 p.m. at the Oakland Public Library, Rockridge Branch, 5366 College Ave. 597-5017. 

EXHIBITIONS 

Dance Elixer “Land” A multi-media installation and performance at 12:15 and 5:15 p.m., Tues.-Fri., Sat. at 3 p.m. at Oakland Art Gallery, 199 Kahn’s Alley at the Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland. 637-0395. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

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

Barbara Quick re-creates eighteenth century Venice in “Vivaldi’s Virgins” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Hipnotic Blues Band featuring Eldridge “Big Cat” Tolefree and Tia Carroll at 5:30 p.m. at Park Place at Washington Ave., Point Richmond. Free. www.pointrichmond.com/prmusic/ 

WomenSing perform works including including Raichl’s “Amours,” Jeffers’ “Indian Singing,” and selections from Carter, Larsen and more at 7:30 p.m. at Valley Center for the Performing Arts, Holy Names University, 3500 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. 925-254-6254. 

Creole Belles 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. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Ellen Honert at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Jim Campilongo at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $6-$18. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

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

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Bridge to Sakai: Japanese Arts and Crafts of Today” Part of the Berkeley/Sakai Sister City cultural exchange, on display at the Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park. 644-6893. www.berkeleysrtcenter.org 

“Art for Humanity” Art work on addressing the world’s most pressing problems at the Addison Street Windows Gallery through Aug. 25.  

“Suddenly Summer” A group show by East Bay women artists. Reception at 6 p.m. at Royal Ground Gallery, 2058 Mountain Blvd., Montclair, Oakland.  

“Yosemite: Art of an American Icon” Reception and presentation to benefit the Yosemite National Institutes, at 6 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland. Tickets are $50. 415-332-5776, ext. 10. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Dave Zirin introduces “Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

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

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Echo Beach at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $11. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Naomi & The Courteous Bude Boays, Renee Asteria, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $8. 525-5054.  

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

John Richardson Band with John Shinnick and Hudson Bunce at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

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

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

THURSDAY, JULY 12 

EXHIBITIONS 

Residency Projects Part II Works by Packard Jennings, Scott Kildall and Stephanie Syjuco. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977. www.kala.org 

“Headtrip” An exhibition of portraits by 26 artists. Opening reception at 5 p.m. at Barbara Anderson Gallery, 2243 Fifth St. 848-3822. 

“Summer Solos” Works by Yvette Molina, Chelsea Pegram and Amanda Williams. Artist talk at 6 p.m. at Pro Arts, 550 Second St., Oakland. 763-9425. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry Flash with Andrea Hollander Budy and Kathleen Lynch at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley City College Auditorium, 2050 Center St. 525-5476. 

Deborah Siegel introduces “Sisterhood Interrupted: From Radical Women to Grrls Gone Wild” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Conversations on Art with Faith Powell on the representation of the dinner table and its trimmings in the context of Jewish art, at 6:30 p.m. at the Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. Cost is $6-$8. 549-6950. 

Glenn Kurtz reads from “Practicing: A Musician’s Return to Music” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Bolero y Mas Trio at noon at the downtown Berkeley BART station. info@downtownberkeley.org 

“Voices in the Virtual World” Grant Gardner, jazz guitarist and Jonathan Segel, at 8 p.m. at Oaktown Creativity Center, 447 25th St., Oakland. Suggested donation $5-$10. 568-6920. 

Rani Arbor & Daisy Mayhem at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Fourtet CD release party at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $8. 841-JAZZ.  

Whiskey Brothers, bluegrass, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Okay, ChinaTown Bakeries, Beatbeat Whisper at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. 

The Bake Sale 2.0, hip hop at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $5-$7. 849-2568.  

Matt Lucas Experience at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Jane Moheit at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$24. 238-9200. 

You’d think a beautiful young woman with a name like Ruby Stevens would have had it made in 1930s Hollywood. And she very well might have; the name conjures images of a bright-eyed ingenue, lovely, ambitious and 100 percent red-blooded American.  

But that’s exactly what Barbara Stanwyck wanted to avoid, and thus, on the advice of a Broadway director, she changed her name, adopting a moniker that better suited her unique blend of beauty, strength, class and seductive allure.  

The name suited the woman as well as the actress, for Stanwyck was already the woman she would soon portray: a tough, hard-luck dame, clawing her way to the top. Orphaned at a young age, she was raised in a series of foster homes, working as a fashion model and Broadway chorus girl before landing a theatrical role that caused the movie industry to take notice.  

“I’m a tough old broad from Brooklyn,” Stanwyck once said. “I intend to go on acting until I’m 90 and they won’t need to paste my face with make-up.” She didn’t quite make it to 90, but she did work well into her 70s in a career that spanned nearly 60 years and earned her four Academy Award nominations, an honorary Oscar in 1982, and the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987.  

Pacific Film Archive is presenting a retrospective of some of the actress’ best work in honor of the centennial of her birth. The series runs through July 31 and begins Friday (today) with Night Nurse (1931), a Pre-Code classic that pairs Stanwyck with the brassy Joan Blondell, and Stella Dallas (1937), considered by many to be Stanwyck’s best. 

Stanwyck’s early career is full of commanding, riveting performances as working-class femme fatales struggling to survive and conquer in a man’s world. Baby Face (1933) and Ladies They Talk About (1933) are essentially companion pieces, telling similar tales accompanied by the same musical theme—the drawling, bawdy, jazz-era strains of “St. Louis Blues.” In both films Stanwyck’s character uses her body, her grace and her wit to manipulate men in pursuit of her material desires; she knows full well what they want and how to entice them with it, cynically selling notions of romance and passion in which she has long since ceased to believe. Stanwyck was judicious with her contempt though; she not only looked on her victims with disdain, but always managed to imbue her gutsy golddiggers with an undercurrent of self-loathing, an awareness that the dirty business of life soils everyone it touches, and that the path to the top runs through more than a few fetid swamps of vice. 

There was much more to Stanwyck than sex, however. Few actors could convey as much with just their eyes. “Eyes are the greatest tool in film,” Director Frank Capra told her, and she put the advice to good use. Her gaze was piercing and challenging, while simultaneously conveying the bemusement and weariness of a woman long tired of playing the fantasy object for legions of sweaty old businessmen in rumpled suits. She was also a gifted comedienne, comfortable in the delivery of droll putdowns and flirtatious witticisms. Yet she was fully capable of more overtly comedic roles, as in The Lady Eve (1941), in which she played a con-artist trying to play it straight but needing all her vice and cunning to get there. “My only problem,” Stanwyck said in response to a question about her signature roles, “is finding a way to play my fortieth fallen female in a different way from my thirty-ninth.” 

As good as she was, the movie industry was not altogether kind to its young stars, and many actresses saw their careers vanish as the studios ditched them at the first signs of middle age. But Stanwyck’s startling talent, screen presence and behind-the-scenes negotiating prowess gave her an edge. By avoiding long contracts, she was never bound to any one studio, keeping her career and her paychecks healthy as a prolific freelancer.  

Thus few actresses progressed as smoothly from eye-candy vixens to middle-aged dramatic roles. Double Indemnity (1944), for instance, saw her updating Baby Face’s Lily Powers by moving her to the upper class enclaves of the Hollywood Hills, now as a kept woman looking for adventure to stave off her domestic boredom—a door-to-door salesman’s wet dream, who lures insurance man Fred MacMurray into a lurid web of murder and intrigue. And still again she updated the portrait in Fritz Lang’s Clash By Night (1952). Here Stanwyck presents a stirring portrait of the opportunistic dame, but older now and tired of living a rootless life. Whereas the younger Stanwyck played women in dire or mundane circumstances looking for a way out, here she plays a woman on her way back home, returning to her humble origins on Monterey’s Cannery Row with the hope that she can finally set aside her nagging restlessness by embracing a simple domestic life. Yet her eyes belie the painful truth, revealing the jaded intelligence that knows her dissatisfaction is innate, that whatever she has is never enough, no matter how good the man and how safe the home he provides.  

It’s a compelling picture of a complex woman, requiring the sort of feminine insight that director Lang was entirely incapable of throughout his long career, resulting in a fascinating case of professional role reversal, with a talented actor bringing out heretofore untapped talents in her director. And all in marked contrast to her co-star, a young Marilyn Monroe, who might have led a much different life had she adopted just a bit of Stanwyck’s steely resolve.  

BALL OF FIRE:  

A BARBARA STANWYCK CENTENNIAL  

RETROSPECTIVE 

Friday, July 6 through Tuesday, July 31 at Pacific Film Archive.  

2575 Bancroft Way. 642-5249. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu.

“Clang, clang, clang went the trolley ...”—which around these parts gets confounded with cable car bells and tourist-ridden summers, just as Meet Me in St. Louis’ other big hit, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” has led some to think of (or to list) the 1944 Vincente Minelli movie musical as a Christmas film.  

But the stage adaptation of the film musical (that rare bird), as it’s staged by Contra Costa Civic Theatre, shows it to be a comic piece of nostalgia for an older, family-oriented America, clearly a mood elevator for World War II audiences. It’s not all “family values,” though, that later, reactionary concoction. 

The family is a rather eccentric one, and the pater familias (in a fine portrayal by Kyle Johnson) is a bemused, bewildered, even exasperated one, in his efforts to further his career and fund his family’s whims and own social aspirations by relocating to New York. (When his debutantish elder daughter spurns his plans as being too crass and money-centered, he ripostes her thrust with, “and you spend it!”) 

The story follows the Smith family through the year of waiting for the International Exposition of 1904 in their hometown. The two oldest girls are also concerned with their beaux—an heir to a family fortune (Drew Fowler as Warren Sheffield) who keeps calling Rose (Angel Almeida), only to be put off, and the Boy Next Door (Chris Geritz as John Truitt) whose baseball practice seems to keep him from recognizing his fervent but carefully practiced, nonchalant admirer (Liz Caffrey as Esther, the Judy Garland role in the movie).  

As directed with care and sensitivity by Tammara Plankers (who provides a fine program note) and G. A. Klein, this is a refreshingly ensemble-based community production, with special solo and duet moments rising out of the group interactions. Besides Kyle Johnson and Jennifer Stark (Mrs. Smith), fine singers (whose duet of “Wasn’t It Fun?” is a high point), Hattie B. Mullaly (housekeeper Katie, who also cuts a stepdancing rug on “A Touch of the Irish”) and a small ensemble which appears before the curtain between scenes, most of the singing expresses mainly exuberance, which is the right motor for such a production, especially one centered on family and the ups and downs of young people and children.  

But the dance numbers are something else again, in particular, the whole dance party scene in Act One, comprising “Skip To My Lou,” a straw hat vaudeville number (from the same source as a song in T. S. Eliot’s ominous fragment, “Sweeney Agonistes”) “Under The Bamboo Tree,” and “The Banjo”—Derrick Silva’s choreography is engrossing and delightful, making the long scene a progressive production number. 

“Under The Bamboo Tree” is performed by Esther and her little sisters, Agnes (Sophie Gabel-Scheinbaum) and Tootie (Emma Thvedt, in the role that won little Margaret O’Brien a special miniature Oscar, the only Academy Award for the film that year). Throughout, the child actors are wonderful, showing an enthusiastic, mischievous quality that certainly fits these little mock-ingenues. 

And, as Esther, Liz Caffrey deserves a special notice for the juice she puts into the crucial role, making it better and better, until she brings off a near-perfect rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” to a sleepy, forlorn Tootie, on the verge of the reluctant family’s departure East. 

Meet Me in St. Loius is a family show, by a company that declares on the cover of their program, “You Are Our Community--We Are Your Theatre.” But the production values (including Pat King’s musical direction and Malcolm Rodgers’ well thought-out and beautifully painted set design)—as well as a well-managed house and box office (Alex Ray and Holly Winter, respectively)—belie the usual stigma attached to “community theater.”  

It’s a reflection on how far Bay Area theater has come, and in what depth it’s arrived, on the level of performance. CCCT—and in particular, Louis Flynn, its founding artistic director, the irascible motorman on the trolley which clang, clang, clangs—deserves to be proud of their capability for mounting such a fine summer show for their audience. 

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS 

Presented by Contra Costa Civic Theatre at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 4. 524-9132.

In an encore of last year’s idyllic kick off event, this year’s 33rd Midsummer Mozart Festival, under the direction of Maestro George Cleve, again begins early with a sneak preview of the destival at a benefit party set in a lovely garden in the El Cerrito hills this Sunday, July 8, from 4 p.m to 6 p.m. 

One of the inviting aspects of the festival, which formally opens July 19, is that instead of the often cold, remote environment of concert halls, these performances take place in more intimate venues like churches, wineries and pocket theaters. 

The music is presented in a manner closer to the way it was first heard in Mozart’s time. The music at Sunday’s garden party will allow a lucky hundred or so listeners to get closer still. There is a $75 admission fee for this benefit event which includes complimentary food and wine and a festival T-shirt. 

The first program of the destival, which runs from July 19-22, will feature the Divertimento for Oboe, 2 Horns and Strings in D major; the Piano Concerto No. 22 in E flat major, featuring internationally renowned pianist Janina Fialkowska; the Bassoon Concerto in B flat major, featuring Rufus Olivier, principal bassoonist with the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Ballet; and Symphony No. 34 in C major. The four performances of the first program take place on July 19 at 7:30 pm at St. Joseph Cathedral Basilica, San Jose; on July 20 at 8 p.m. at Herbst Theatre, San Francisco; on July 21 at 6:30 pm outdoors at Gundlach Bundschu Winery, Sonoma; and on July 22 at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Berkeley. 

The second program of the festival, which runs from July 26-29, will feature the March in D major, and the Serenade for Orchestra in D major, “Haffner,” featuring violinist and concertmaster Robin Hansen; “Chi sà, chi sà, qual sia?” aria, and “Vado, ma dove?” aria, featuring lyric mezzo-soprano Elspeth Franks; and the Mass in C Major “Coronation,” sung by Cantabile Chorale. The four performances of the second program take place on July 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Mission Santa Clara, SCU Campus, Santa Clara; on July 27 at 8 p.m. at Herbst Theatre, San Francisco; on July 28 at 6:30 p.m. outdoors at Gundlach Bundschu Winery, Sonoma; and on July 29 at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Berkeley. 

Since there is always room for a little more Mozart, you will not want to miss the Friday, July 13 concert in Davies Symphony Hall at 8 p.m. when the San Francisco Symphony’s new associate conductor, 27-year-old James Gaffigan, wields the baton for performances of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, and the Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, featuring pianist Jeremy Denk. As a further treat, there will be a performance of the Symphony No. 7 in A major, Opus 92, by that newcomer Ludwig von Beethoven. 

This concert’s program makes a nice complement to that of the Midsummer Mozart Festival. The late serenade, or “I’m inclined to like music,” as a classical novice once called it, is probably Mozart’s single most familiar melody. It has been used in over 30 films and television episodes and makes a good contrast to the beautiful, but less familiar, Haffner serenade. 

Mozart composed the 23rd Piano Concerto just 10 weeks after the 22nd. The 23rd is a well-known masterpiece with a moving adagio and virtuosic piano weaving in and out of the ensemble in the third movement. The 22nd, though less well-known than the 23rd, is equally beautiful, especially the playful, child-like allegro.  

This event is part of the Summer in the City festival. Following the concert, Mr. Gaffigan will answer questions from the audience as part of the symphony’s new “Off the Podium” program. The popularity and immediacy of the pieces to be performed makes for a good introduction to classical music, the San Francisco Symphony and its newest member, Mr. Gaffigan.  

For tickets and information about the Midsummer Mozart Festival and the Mozart in the Garden benefit in El Cerrito, call (415) 627-9145 or go to www.midsummermozart.org. For tickets and information about the San Francisco Symphony call (415) 864-6000 or go to sfsymphony.org.