FRIDAY, AUGUST 24 

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 

“Holy Land: Common Ground” A screening of Ed Gaffney and Alicia Dwyer’s documentary about Palestinian-Israeli cooperation in the midst of conflict at 8 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Suggested donation $10. 524-3359.  

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. www.circledancing.com 

Women in Black Vigil, from noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. wibberkeley@yahoo.com 548-6310, 845-1143. 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 25 

San Pablo Park Centennial Festival with a dedication of a plaque commemorating Frances Albrier and a new mural, live music, crafts and community booths, food and activities for children, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 2800 Park St., bewteen Russell and Ward. 981-6640. 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland “New Era/New Politics” highlights African-American leaders who have made their mark on Oakland. Meet at 10 a.m. and the African American Museum and Library at 659 14th St. 238-3234.  

Oakland Heritage Alliance Walking Tour of Sheffield Village Meet at 10 a.m. near the traffic island at the southeast corner of Revere Ave and Marlowe Drive to disover this pre-WWII community. Cost is $10-$15. 763-9218.  

Family to Family Volunteer Day at the Alameda County Community Food Bank Learn about the face of hunger in our community for parents and children ages 5 and up, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Food Bank, 7900 Edgewater Drive, Oakland. Registration required. 635-3665, ext. 308. 

Back to the Schoolhouse Health and safety information for children ages 6-12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Jack London Square. Activities include fingerprinting by the Oakland Police Dept., interactive games and live entertainment. www.jacklondonsquare.com 

San Antonio Community Resource Fair, with games, arts and crafts, community information from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at San Antonio Park, 1701 E. 19th St., Oakland. www.sannoakland.org 

Jazzy Tomatoes at the Saturday Berkeley Farmers’ Market with music and tomato dishes from noon to 3 p.m. at Center St. at MLK Jr. Way. 548-3333. 

Nevin Park Groundbreaking Ceremony and 15th Annual Iron Triangle Community Picnic with a New Orleans style procession at 11 a.m. and picnic at noon at Nevin Park, Macdonald Ave. and Sixth St., Richomnd. 307-8150. Jacqueline_vaca@ci.richmond.ca.us 

Solo Sierrans Hike in Huckleberry Botanical and Redwood Regional Parks Meet at 10 a.m. at Huckleberry Staging Area south of Sibley, about 1/2 mile on Skyline Blvd. in Oakland for a leisurely six-hour hike with some steep climbs, views and trees. 925-691-6303. 

Hopalong Animal Rescue Come meet your furry new best friend. Cats and kittens avalable for adoption from noon to 3 p.m. at Your Basic Bird, 2940 College Ave. 267-1915, ext. 500. 

Ear Acupuncture for Stress Relief and Detox from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pharmaca, 1744 Solano Ave. 

Girls Fast Pitch Softball tryouts for Bears Softball Assoc., on Sat. and Sun. For information call 748-0611. www.bears-softball.com 

Fast Pitch Softball for Adults at noon on Saturdays in Oakland. For information call 204-9500. 

Hamster Adoption Fair Learn about these little pets and help one find a good home, from 1 to 4 p.m. at RabbitEars, 303 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 525-6155. 

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 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, AUGUST 26 

Oakland Heritage Alliance Walking Tour of Jingletown Meet at 10 a.m. next to Mary Help of Christians Church, east 9th and 26th Ave. Cost is $10-$15. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

“Peace with Justice: Prison Reform” with Laura Mangini at 10:30 a.m. at Easter Hill United Methodist Church, 3911 Cutting Blvd. Richmond. 233-0777. 

“Art in the Park” Exhibition hosted by the City of Alameda, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Jackson Park, 2430 Encinal Ave., Alameda. arpd@ci.alameda.ca.us  

Oak Grove Music Festival Celebrating 268 days of tree occupation, from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Memorial Oak Grove, Piedmont at Bancroft. 938-2109. www.SaveOaks.com 

Auditions for “Little Mary Sunshine” at 1 p.m. at Masqueers Playhouse 105 Park Place, Point Richmond. Please prepare a 32-bar up-tempo showtune. 415-465-5550. 

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 

Tour of the Berkeley City Club, Julia Morgan’s “little castle” at 1:15, 2:15, and 3:15 p.m. at 2315 Durant Ave. Free, donations welcome. 883-9710. 

Sew Your Own Open Studio from 5 to 9 p.m. at 84 Bolivar Drive, Aquatic Park. Our workshop has industrial and domestic machines and tools which you can come learn to use or work on your own projects in a social setting. Cost is $3 per hour. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

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

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 

MONDAY, AUGUST 27 

Potter Creek Concerned Neighbors A meeting of neighbors and businesses against the formation of the West Berkeley Community Benefits District (CBD) at 7 p.m. at Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley (French School), 1009 Heinz Ave. at 9th. 

Free Boatbuilding Classes for Youth Mon.-Wed. 2 to 6 p.m. at Berkeley Boathouse, 84 Bolivar Drive, Aquatic Park. Classes cover woodworking, boatbuilding, and boat repair. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

Dragonboating Year round classes at the Berkeley Marina, Dock M. Meets Mon, Wed., Thurs. at 6 p.m. Sat. at 10:30 a.m. For details see www.dragonmax.org 

Rally for Justice for Woodfin Workers at 6 p.m. outside Emeryville City Hall, then show your support at the 7 p.m. City of Emeryville Appeal Hearing. www.woodfinwatch.org 

Auditions for Contra Costa Chorale at 7:15 p.m. at Hillside Community Church, 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito. 527-2026. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28 

Full Moon Walk at John Muir National Historic Site Walk up Mt. Wanda to see the moon rise over Mt. Diablo. Bring water, flashlight and good walking shoes for the steep trail. Reservations required. 925-228-8860. 

“Baraka” a film of images from 24 countries showing the beauty and destruction of nature and humans at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation $5. www.HumanistHall.net 

Young People’s Symphony Orchestra Auditions at 4 p.m. at the Crowden School. For information on what to prepare and to make an appointment call 849-988. www.ypsomusic.net 

End the Occupation Vigil every Tues. at noon at Oakland Federal Bldg., 1301 Clay St. www.epicalc.org 

Free Sewing Class for Youth at Sew Your Own, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Bolivar Drive, Aquatic Park. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

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. 

Community Sing-a-Long every Tues, at 2 p.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. 524-9122.  

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. 

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

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. 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. 

Street Level Cycles Community Bike Program Tues., Thurs., and Sat. from 2 to 6 p.m. Open bicycle repair lab at Waterside Workshops, 84 Bolivar Drive, Aquatic Park. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29 

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 

Recording African American Stories Add your voice to the Library of Congress and the National Museum of African American History, Wed. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., by appointment, at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland, through Sept. 12. For appointment call 228-3207. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at East Pauley Ballroom MLK Student Union, UC Campus. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com  

Bayswater Book Club meets to discuss “Needs Assessment in Public Health” by Peterson and Alexander at 6:30 p.m. Call for location. 433-2911. 

Ice Cream Social for Seniors at 1:15 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst. 981-5190. 

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 

Pax Nomada Bike Ride Meet at 6 p.m. at Nomad Cafe for a 15-25 mile ride up to through the Berkeley hills. All levels of cyclists welcome. 595-5344. 

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

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30 

Berkeley/Albany Mental Health Services Implementation Progress Report A Public Hearing at 7 p.m. at the Mental Health Auditorium, 2640 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way at Derby. Copies of the report are availble, call 981-7698. 

Berkeley School Volunteers Orientation from 4 to 5 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. Come learn about volunteer opportunities. 644-8833. 

Get Involved with Your Local Green Party Meeting at 7 p.m. at the Grassroots House, 2022 Blake between Shattuck & Milvia. www.berkeleygreens.org  

Young People’s Symphony Orchestra Auditions at 4 p.m. at the Crowden School. For information on what to prepare and to make an appointment call 849-988. www.ypsomusic.net 

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 noon at the Downtown Oakland Senior Center, 200 Grand Ave. 981-5332. 

Baby and Toddler Storytime at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave, Kensington. 524-3043. 

ONGOING 

Campaign for Earthquake Victims in Peru To find the collection site closest to you call Paco at 229-8350 or the Consulate of Peru 1-877-490-7378.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 24 

THEATER 

Aurora Theatre “Hysteria” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through Sept. 30. Tickets are $40-$42. 843-4822.  

California Shakespeare Theater “The Triumph of Love” at the Bruns Ampitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd., Orinda, through Sept. 2. Tickets are $15-$60. 548-9666. www.calshakes.org 

“Citizen Josh” with monologoist Josh Kornbluth, Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Repertory Theater, 2025 Addison St., through Spet. 2. Tickets are $25-$30. 647-2949. 

Masquers Playhouse “The Shadow Box” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond, through Sept. 29. This show is not recommended for children.Tickets are $15. 232-4031. www.masquers.org  

TheaterInSearch “Epic of Gilgamesh” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Sept. 2. Tickets are $12-$20. 262-0584. 

Viaticum “The Carnal Table” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. through Sept. 2. Tickets are $10-$15. 848-3338. 

FILM 

From the Tsars to the Stars: A Journey through Russian Fantastik Cinema “First on the Moon” at 7 p.m. and “To the Stars by Hard Ways” at 8:45 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

John Curl reads from his new novelistic memoir, “Memories of Drop City: The First Hippie Commune of the 1960s and the Summer of Love” at 7:30 p.m. at The Book Zoo, 6395 Telegraph Ave., at Alcatraz, Oakland. 654-2665. 

Greil Marcus describes “The Shape of Things to Come: Prophecy and the American Voice” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. www.codysbooks.com  

An Evening with Drew Dellinger, poetry, at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Reidenbach Hall, 2501 Harrison St., Oakland. Tickets are $20. 451-4926. www.earthlight.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Goat Hall Productions Cabaret Operas “The Playboy of the Western World” and “Dionysus” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 7 p.m. at Oakland Metro Operahouse, 201 Broadway at Jack London Square, Oakland. Tickets are $15-$25. 415-289-6877. 

E.W. Wainwright’s African Roots of Jazz perform “The Social Evolution of Jazz” at 8 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6100. 

Unsmokables, vocal and instrumental improvisation at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$10. 849-2568.  

Eric Swinderman, In Pursuit of Sound at 7 p.m. at Bobby G’s Pizzeria, 2072 University Ave. 665-8866.  

Pete Escovedo & Ray Obiedo Latin Jazz Project at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $15. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Wellman-Savage Unit featuring Walter Savage-bass, Angela Wellman-trombone, at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. at the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, 1616 Franklin St. Cost is $15. 836-4649. 

Brave Combo, rock, polka, jazz, Tex-Mex, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Walter Pope at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

The Waybacks at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Robin Galante, Mario DeSio and Kwame Copeland at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Jazzschool Summer Program Youth and Faculty Concerts at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

GG Elvfis & The TCP Band, The Abuse 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. 

Sentinel at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Sila & the Afro Funk Experience at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 548-1159.  

Beep! Trio at 5 p.m., Bill Ortiz Band at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Steve E Nix, Rock and Roll Adventure Kids at 9:30 p.m. at the Stork Club Oakland, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Cost is $5. 444-6174. 

James Carter at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 25 

CHILDREN  

Puppet Theater Fesitval “Why Mosquitos Buzz in Our Ears” Sat. and Sun. at noon and Pinocchio: The Hip-Hopera at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave. 452-2259. 

THEATER 

Shotgun Players “The Three Musketeers” Sat. and Sun. at 4 p.m. at John Hinkle Park, Southampton Ave., off The Arlington, through Sept. 9. Free. 841-6500. 

EXHIBITIONS 

Mark Axelrod “Sticks and Stones Not Only Break Bones” oil paintings, and Linda Braz “Explorations” mixed media installations and sketches. Party and benefit auction at 7 p.m. at The Gallery Of Urban Art, 1746 13th St. Oakland. 706-1697. 

Works by David Delany Reception at 1 p.m. at Alta Galleria, 2980 College Ave., Suite #4. 421-1255. www.AltaGalleria.com  

“Downhome Show” paintings by Janet Berrien, Debbie Clausen, Chris Peterson and Odette Larde. Reception at 6 p.m. at Fourth Street Studio, 1717D 4th St. 527-0600. 

FILM 

Abbas Kiarostami: Image Maker “Where is the Friend’s Home?” at 6:30 p.m. and “Homework” at 8:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Danny Caron at 7 p.m. at Bobby G’s Pizzeria, 2072 University Ave. 665-8866.  

Jeff Zittrain, Americana rock, at noon at Cafe Zeste, 1250 Addison St. at Bonar, in the Strawberry Creek Park complex. 704-9378. 

Carne Cruda and Rico Pabon at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $6-$8. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Kenny Washington & His Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Baba Ken & Kotoja at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. African dance lesson at 9 p.m. Cost is $15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

DJ Real and Paulette at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Loosewig Quartet at 1 p.m., Sonanado Project at 5 p.m. and Agualibre at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

WCS Songwriter Showcase Grand Finals at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Royal Hawaiian Serenaders at 9 p.m. at Temple Bar Tiki Bar & Grill, 984 University Ave. 548-9888. 

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

The Strange Angels at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Winters & Davis, Montana at 9:30 p.m. at the Stork Club Oakland, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Cost is $5. 444-6174. 

The Botticellis, Winter’s Fall, Pickwick at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082.  

Nausea, Moral Decay, In Disgust 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, AUGUST 26 

EXHIBITIONS 

Berkeley Art Center 24th Annual National Juried Exhibition Opening reception at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut Street in Live Oak Park, between Eunice and Rose. 644-9873. 

“Everyday Magic” paintings by Jan Wurm and Suma Shawn, and drawings and welded steel sculpture by Joseph Slusky, opens with a reception at 5 p.m. at the Community Art Gallery, Alta Bates. Ashby Ave. 204-1667.  

Berkeley’s “Other” Revolution: Celebrating 35 Years of Independent Living, Disability Access, and Disability Rights. Photographs by Ken Stein on display in the windows of Rasputin Music, 2401 Telegraph Ave., between Channing Way and Haste. 525-2325. 

“Art in the Park” Exhibition hosted by the City of Alameda, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Jackson Park, 2430 Encinal Ave., Alameda. arpd@ci.alameda.ca.us  

FILM 

From the Tsars to the Stars: A Journey through Russian Fantastik Cinema “Solaris” at 6 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Down Home Music Opening in Berkeley with Barbara Dane, Tri Tip Trio Zydeco Band, Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum, Eric & Suzy Thompson, Los Cenzontles, Nina Gerber and others from 12:30 to 5 p.m. at 1809 B Fourth St. 204-9595. 

Oak Grove Music Festival Celebrating 268 days of tree occupation, from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Memorial Oak Grove, Piedmont at Bancroft. 938-2109. www.SaveOaks.com 

Breslin and Alex, folk-rock, at 8 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

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

Edo Castro at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. 

Will Blades/Eddie Marshall Duo at 1 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Dani Torres, flamenco, at 5 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Americana Unplugged: The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Unreal Band, David Elias, Sabrosa and others from 1 to 7 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082.  

MONDAY, AUGUST 27 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry Express Open mic theme night on “dreams” at 7 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Maria Mikheyenko, Russian songs, at 7 p.m. at Le Bateau Ivre, 2629 Telegraph Ave. 849-1100. www.lebateauivre.net 

Musica ha Disconnesso at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Tiempo Libre at 8 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10. 238-9200. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Wonderland, A Fairytale of the Soviet Monolith” Black and white photographs by Jason Eskenazi on display at the Graduate School of Journalism, North Gate Hall, UC Campus.  

FILM 

Abbas Kiarostami: Image Maker “Five” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Tell on on Tuesdays Storytelling with Tim Ereneta, Maryclare McCauley, Neshama Franklin and Bruce Pachtman at 7:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Cost is $8-$12 sliding scale. www.juiamorgan.org 

Sinan Antoon, author of “I’jaam: An Iraqi Rhapsody” at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Bookstore, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

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

Singers’ Open Mic with Kelly Park at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Randy Craig Trio, jazz, at 7:30 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Sophie Milman at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $8-$14. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Jazzschool Tuesdays, a weekly showcase of up-and-coming ensembles from Berkeley Jazzschool at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29 

FILM 

International Latino Film Society “O casamento de Romeu e Julieta” at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5-$6.. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Eco-Amok: An Inconvenient Film Fest “Habitat” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

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 

Doug Arrington & His Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Kleptograss at 8 p.m. at Strings, 6320 San Pablo Ave., Emeryville. 

Swingthing at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Fred O’Dell and the Broken Arrows at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Orquestra Liberacion at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Mo’ Fone at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Rick Di Dia & Aireene Espiritu, Blind Willies at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Ed Reed at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $6-$12. 238-9200.  

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30 

EXHIBITIONS 

Kala Art Institute Residency Projects, Part 3 opens with a reception at 6 p.m. at 1060 Heinz Ave. Exhibition runs to Oct. 6. 549-2977. www.kala.org 

FILM 

Abbas Kiarostami: Image Maker “10 on Ten” at 7 p.m. and “The Wind Will Carry Us” at 9 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Earl Shorris describes “The Politics of Heaven: America in Fearful Times” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Meditations, reggae, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054.  

Dry Branch Fire Squad at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761.  

Paul Perez Project featuring Frank Martin at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

LaWanda & Greg, modern folk, rock at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Will Franken, Jascha Ephraim at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082  

Katura, Afro-Cuban, at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12-$15. 849-2568.  

Allan Hodsworth at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

HOPE BRIGGS SINGS AT YERBA BUENA 

Soprano Hope Briggs, now a Berkeley resident, will present a recital at the Yerba Buena Performing Arts Center, at 701 Mission St. in San Francisco, as part of the AfroSolo Festival on Sunday, August 26th at 3pm. She will be performing works by Strauss, Faure, show tunes, and an exciting contemporary arrangement of spirituals, Lyric Suite, accompanied by Ron Valentino. Tickets from the Yerba Buena box office, (415) 978-2787.

Entering the Ashby Stage for George Charbak’s TheaterInSearch production of the (very) ancient Mesopotamian epic of Gilgamesh, the spectators see a seated, veiled figure, sculptural, atop a model ziggurat, surrounded by gaping masks of bearded Assyrians on the back walls, as strains of the oud (evocatively played by Larry Klein) resound through the hall. 

“I put Gilgamesh into a museum,” Charbak has remarked. This is immediately evident when a kind of docent, kind of redactor (Ana Bayat) appears, posing as many questions in crisp BBC intonation as putting this (literally) Ur-tale, a modern discovery (and translation, with the deciphering of cuneiform), into a not-so-comfortable but very wry context, as she unveils the figure of our hero (Roham Shaikhani), “one of the very finest pieces,” who begins to animate himself like a statue come to life, with the crazy glint and skewed gaze, relentless histrionic gestures and grimace of an actor caught in the nitrate emulsion of silent film (our own modern “antiquity”), like a prehistoric horsefly in amber.  

Calling Gilgamesh an epic poem—“or tragic joke”—the narrator-docent credits the eponymous hero with the invention of cuneiform, religion, god (or at least an integrated pantheon!), science, literature, lit crit, porn—and the relationship between literature and immortality ... “The man who saw everything, who looked in the face of a mystery [as the still-seated figure of Gilgamesh glares, with one finger lifted] ... He was beautiful and strong, they said ... and because he was from the gods, he crushed his own people, who were left wondering, whispering about his own words.” 

With a clap of the hand, “his own people” (Michael Green and Elias D. Protopsaltis) appear, an ongoing, polymorphous burlesque team (out of Beckett or Pinter), deadpanning their way through the drifts of “the snows of yesteryear”—viz., ancient tragedy, an incomprehensible sensibility they handily convert to modern angst and colloquial wit. 

Gilgamesh wrangles with everybody, especially his recondite and smothering mother, Ninsun, who interprets his dreams of a rival and/or boon companion, who falls into his life like a star, disturbing his work (“This means he’ll never abandon you.”).  

Bella Warda, cofounder of Oakland’s Darvag Theatre Company, plays Ninsun deliciously, later doubling as the seductive and jealous goddess Ishtar, who does away with Gilgamesh’s boon companion she can see only as rival—two heroic lads stuck on each other with schoolboy crushes.  

(It’s good to be reminded that there were originally jealous female deities where later the self-proclaimed masculine Els and Allahs would dominate, again, the silent film histrionics are cleverly tipped in and voiced, backdating and outdoing DeMille.) 

Enkidu (a wild-eyed, preoccupied Hayedeh Doroudy-Ahl) eventually appears as the primitive dream-companion, and Babak Mokhtari humorously bores a reclining prostitute (Samera Esmeir) with preBiblical extravagance, exhorting her to seduce the wild man, distract him so that his animal companions will abandon him.  

A funny, stylized sex scene follows, and all goes according to plan, ending with Gilgamesh and Enkidu fighting to the death—that is, until they become captivated with each other. 

This excursion into the deepest past that can be given a voice literally becomes an excursion, as the two buddies take a road trip, overcoming monsters and slaying the bull from the skies, which Ishtar has inveighed the sun-god to turn loose. 

After Enkidu’s demise at the invisible hands of the goddess, Gilgamesh in grief embarks on a journey to discover where the dead go, what happens in the wake of mortality, and is seen as “a beggar! A tramp! A hobo!” by Green and Protopsaltis’ revolving mechanicals. He’s let himself go so (clearly, he’s forgotten the tips his mother gave him once for the perils of the road), gets drunk and cries on the shoulder of a very sympathetic innkeeper (Esmeir again), with whom he dances before losing “the rose that erases anguish, the rose of his youth,” filched by a passerby. 

The languid web of words that shuttles back and forth with humorous insouciance over this disturbing tale of domination undercut by mortality strikes contemporary chords, especially chiming with the discordant sounds of set declarations on the media—and often referring to the “land between two rivers” and its neighbors.  

But Charbak—who has “insisted” his players “make the words their own,” adopts a not-quite so ancient irony regarding myth (in every sense of the word), an irony that dates back to the Socratic dialogues of Plato, resurfaces in Islamic poetry, and was the guiding light of the Renaissance and Enlightenment, never making a one-to-one identity between the stage and the world (as represented on other, equally staged media), making his Gilgamesh paradoxically original yet older-than-old shoe.  

Whether it’s Enkidu, dead, telling his grief stricken friend the ultrabanal result of dusty mortality, or Gilgamesh himself exclaiming to his taped and cheering populace, “I want to be famous--but I already am famous, am I not? I have decided to last forever ... I need weapons!” or who “slaughtered all the trees just to hear the sound” behind him—his most ancient of stories ends in splendid ambiguity: “You who hold in your hand the meaning of life—what is this? Another riddle? ... Why is this man knocking at the doors of history for 5,000 years? Why?” 

Gilgamesh 

The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. 

8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Through Sept. 2. Tickets $12-$20. 262-0584.

“We’ve been exporting democracy to other countries around the world—and maybe we ran out! ... a soupcon of democracy, as they like to say at Chez Panisse ... I’m a monologist—and democracy is a dialogue. At least!” 

Josh Kornbluth is back onstage in Berkeley—on the Thrust Stage at Berkeley Rep, to be specific—for a short run of his new self-reformulation, Citizen Josh, which opened some weeks back at The Magic Theater in San Francisco. And his monologue, which seems like a digression from (or back to) any other of his monologues, is fuller than ever of Berkeley names, places and events, constantly looping around to Josh wondering at the asymmetrical sculpture that towers in Ohlone Park, climbing to its vertiginous apex and getting cell phone reception to call his old college advisor, a continent away ... 

As usual, a Kornbluth reformulation is a little like a new recipe on a cooking show by a less carefree (though just as insouciant)—and less goyish—Julia Child: it involves all the ingredients of the past, whisked up together in the bowl of performance, tasting a little different than before, but still the same old comfort food. 

This time around, Josh is on another mission to redeem the past—his and America’s—by fulfilling his decades past graduation requirements through turning his monologue into his senior thesis—or is it vice versa? As the monologue (or monograph) verbally unfolds, he wends his way a bit crab like in and out of the slightly skewed incidents and encounters that influenced him to get out of physics and into poli-sci, off the East Coast and into his East Bay neighborhood and schtick, nicely syncopated with his growing-up-Red family routines. 

And of course the self-deprecating route is just as important as the personal, if a little offbeat, triumph where it all ends up, like a kind of gathering-up of diaspora of personal history, a big reunion at an anniversary—or graduation, though that was long ago, on another coast ... and without a diploma in the proffered scroll. 

“In my freshman year, my test scores were not reflecting the brilliant quality of my mind ... Cold Fusion, like a woman who dumped me!” So Josh personalizes his exit from science, taking up poli-sci by impulsively following his new advisor, former Berkeleyite Sheldon Wolin—“I knew not why”—down the byzantine corridors that resemble his own interweaving subplots and asides. 

Before the semi-triumphant finish, which brings the audience to an epiphany that they’re part and parcel of their entertainer’s commitment to recovering his actual sheepskin, Josh has brought in a cast of dozens, at least; by implication, teeming masses, including his unregenerately Red parents, his preemie brother (introduced afterwards in the audience), whom his father saved by holding and pacing the ward, the brave African American students caught between guardsmen and white mobs in the integration experiment at Little Rock, Lonnie Hancock and Don Perata (a wry sketch of a master politico working a not-too-friendly room) each finally facing an irritable gaggle of Berkeley activists in the state capitol, the Free Speech movement ... and whoeverelse he can recover from the history of Western Civilization for a temporary fit. 

A San Francisco reviewer referred to Josh’s digressions as “parables,” though they just might be footnotes to his overdue thesis, the kind that aim to impress by casting an eclectic net very wide. That said, there’s something the same about the Kornbluth format, almost a matter of timing, when Josh can wink at his audience and they collectively come up with the way he’s going to end a sentence, in one big shout.  

Whether this is due to preaching to the choir too much, a certain kind of showbiz shrewdness (“Give ’em what they want,” as Billy Wilder opined while contemplating the overflow crowd at much-disliked movie mogul Harry Cohn’s funeral), or less preparation than some of his previous shows (or maybe those old formats are starting to catch up), it serves to reaffirm the faithful and leave lukewarm at best those who see in him a cute, cut-rate Woody Allen of Bay Area preoccupations. 

But Josh is Josh, and as his brand of Jewish humor sometimes dictates, it’s sometimes the arresting detail or an off-kilter aside that makes it all work, not necessarily the well-meaning dash at proving the whole greater than the sum of its parts. 

Citizen Josh 

Berkeley Rep, 2025 Addison St. 

8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Through Sept. 2. Tickets $25-$30. 

647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.com

A recent driving tour through the wilds of Northern California and Southern Oregon only reaffirmed what I already knew: that Bay Area cinephiles are lucky, especially in these dull summer months of big-budget drivel, to live in a place where film artistry is not only appreciated, but relatively plentiful.  

If you’re looking for something a bit different, you have a decent chance of finding it at a local venue. And if it’s still not forthcoming, there’s always the home theater. And if you’re looking for something still more different... 

Kino has just released the second volume in its Avant Garde series, featuring films drawn from the collection of the late film collector and preservationist Raymond Rohauer. Rohauer is best known today as the man who rescued the cinematic legacy of Buster Keaton, saving the great comedian’s films from disintegration at a time when they were all but forgotten. But Rohauer’s foresight was not limited to commercial cinema. He also had an appreciation for more aesthetically challenging work, helping to preserve the works and reputations of significant artists from the edgier side of cinema history. 

These films will challenge your preconceptions about the nature of experimental cinema. If your notion of avant-garde film is bad poetry and pretentious close-ups of the human eye ... well, actually there is a bit of that here. More than a bit, really; most of the films in this set feature at least one ominous eyeball. But there’s far more than that here, including a few flat-out masterpieces, films that retain their power more than half a century since their creation. 

The disc begins with Willard Mass’ Geography of the Body (1943), a seven-minute journey across the fascinating terrain of the human body. The film consists of close-ups of the body that at times render it unrecognizable, accompanied by a poetic spoken-word travelogue, rendering the body as a foreign landscape. The film is a tribute to sensuality, providing a new appreciation for that which is often taken for granted.  

The Mechanics of Love (1955), by Maas and Ben Moore, expands the subject matter to the use of the body, juxtaposing it with shots of everyday objects and machinery. The technique brings to light the mechanistic aspects of the human body as well as the sensuality of the inanimate.  

The centerpiece of the set is the seminal avant-garde manifesto Traité de Bave et D’Eternité (Venom and Eternity, 1951), Jean Isidore Isou’s controversial diatribe in which he attempts to transform the language of cinema by destroying the notion of narrative imagery. “Is (the film) a springboard or is it a void?” asked Jean Cocteau. “In 50 years we’ll know the answer.” Well, I have my answer, and I’d say the word “void” is generous, but what do I know? Stan Brakhage called the film “a portal through which every film artist is going to have to pass.” 

Brakhage himself is amply represented with four films on the disc. The Way to Shadow Garden (1954) is a disturbing work, with a soundtrack made up entirely of electronic buzzes and screeches for an Oedipal tale in which the protagonist gouges his eyes out. Meanwhile The Extraordinary Child (1954) is a light, silly tale about a baby born fully grown. 

Other films run the gamut from a cinematic crossword puzzle which viewers are invited to solve based on a montage of clues (accompanied by music by Pacific Film Archive house pianist Jon Mirsalis), to silent domestic melodramas, to stylized visions of the human psyche. But the highlights of the set are two of the shorter films.  

The first is The Fall of the House of Usher (1928), a 12-minute adaptation of the short story by Edgar Allan Poe. Directors James Watson and Melville Webber, heavily influenced by the bravura visual stylings of German Expressionism, employ a battery of effects in depicting the paranormal paranoia of Poe’s Gothic horror. Striking set design and mesmerizing optical effects combine to create a surrealistic nightmare.  

The second is Jean Mitry’s Pacific 231 (1949), a kinetic masterpiece that juxtaposes stirring imagery of a train thundering along the French railroads accompanied by a dramatic orchestral score. The footage includes rapidly edited images of the journey, from close-ups of wheels and gears, to the maze of telegraph wires overhead, to the quickly passing landscape, all pieced together in a thrilling montage of power and velocity. Orson Welles once criticized the ponderous style of director Michel Antonioni by declaring that a great shot is not improved by holding it for 10 minutes. Pacific 231 embodies that notion, never resting on a single shot for more than a few seconds in its frenetic rush to its final destination. 

AVANT-GARDE 2: EXPERIMENTAL CINEMA, 1928-54 

Featuring 17 films from France, Germany and America. Notes by critic and historian Elliott Stein.  

341 minutes. $29.95. www.kino.com. 

Photograph: A locomotive barrels along the French railways to a dramatic orchestral score in the stirring avant garde masterpiece Pacific 231.