FRIDAY, NOV. 9 

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 Kate van Orden on “Court Ballet and Politics in 17th Century France” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St.526-2925.  

“He Stood Up: The Mistrial of Lt. Ehren Watada” A documentary at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. 

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. 

Womansong Circle Paticipatory singing for women at 7:15 p.m., potluck at 6:45 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, Small Assembly Room, 2345 Channing. Suggested donation $15-$20, no one turned away for lack of funds. 525-7082. 

Introduction to Fearless Meditation at 7 p.m. at Center for Urban Peace, 2584 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Donation $20-$30. 549-3733. 

SATURDAY, NOV. 10 

“Global Citizenship vs a New Arms Race: Can Peace Trump Hegemony?” with Jan Kavan, former Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic at 7:30 p.m. at the Alameda Free Library, Confernce Room A, 1550 Oak St. at Lincoln, Alameda. Free, donation accepted. www.alamedaforum.org 

Vegetarian Cooking Class “Thankgiving for the Birds” featuring squash dishes, root vegetables, biscuits and apple cake, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. at Castro. Cost is $55 plus $5 material fee. to register call 531-COOK. www.compassionatecooks.com 

March for Environmental Justice to stop Chevron’s proposed refinery expansion. Meet at noon at the Richmond BART Station parking lot to march to the Chevron refinery. 232-3427.  

Solo Sierrans Sunset Walk An hour walk, on paved trail, wheel chair accessible, through the Emeryville Marina Meet at 3:30 p.m. behind Chevy's Restaurant, by picnic tables. 234-8949.  

NAACP Berkeley Branch Meets at 1 p.m. at 2108 Russell St. 845-7416. 

Modern Tantric Art Auction to benefit Himalayan Health Care. Preview at 6 p.m., auction at 8 p.m. at Yga Mandala, 2807 Telegraph Ave. Free, but RSVP requested. auction@tantricart.net 

Immigration Law Clinic Volunteer attorneys available to answer questions from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Oakland Public Library, Temescal Branch, 5205 Telegraph Ave. at 52nd St., Oakland. Sponosred by the Charles Houston Bar Association. 205-9593. 

Promote your Music Using the Internet with Sarah Manning from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Community Room, 3rd flr., Berkeley Public Library 2090 Kittredge. 981-6233. 

“Creative Reuse Workshop” for Oakland students, (K-12), from noon to 4 p.m. at The Museum of Children’s Art, 538 Ninth St., Oakland. 465-8770, ext. 310. 

East Bay Waldorf School’s Annual Harvest Faire with games, crafts, entertainment and food from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 3800 Clark Rd., El Sobrante. 223-3570. 

Ongoing Vocal Jazz Workshop from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin at the corner of Masonic, Albany. 524-6797. 

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

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

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

Car Wash Benefit for Options Recovery Services of Berkeley, held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lutheran Church, 1744 University Ave. 666-9552. 

SUNDAY, NOV. 11 

Friends of the Alameda Wildlife Refuge Workday Help us prepare habitat for California Least Terns, which breed at the refuge. Meet at 9 a.m. at the main refuge gate at the northwest corner of former Alameda Naval Air Station, Alameda. Sponsored by Golden Gate Audubon Society. 843-2222. 

“Julia Morgan: Her Unique Place in American Architecture” with author Mark A. Wilson at 2 p.m. at the Seldon Williams House in Claremont Court. Tickets are $25. Sponsored by Berkeley Architectural Heritage Assoc. 841-2242. www.berkeleyheritage.com 

Green Sunday: Venezuela Report-back at 5 p.m. at Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. at 65th, Oakland. Sponsored by the Green Party of Alameda County. 

Laternenfest and Parade Join a tradition German celebration for the whole family from 5 to 7 p.m. at Bay Area Kinderstube Preschool, 842 Key Route Blvd (off Solano Ave), Albany. 

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 

Tibetan Buddhism with Ruth Richards on “Creativity and Spirituality in Everyday Life” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

Sew Your Own Open Studio Come learn to use our industrial and domestic machines, or work on your own projects, from 5 to 9 p.m. at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Cost is $3 per hour. 644-2577.  

MONDAY, NOV. 12  

Berkeley Green Mondays A presentation on “Green Car Alternatives” with Bradley Berman at 7:30 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 848-4681. berkeleygreenmondays@gmail.com 

“Converting Plants to Fuel” with Chris Somerville of LBNL/Energy Biosciences Institute at 5:30 p.m. at Berkeley Rep, 2025 Addison St. 486-7292. 

“Stopping Wal-Mart” Joe Feller and Paul Seger discuss strategies for keeping Wal-Mart out of our communites at 7 p.m. at the Wiki Wiki Hawaiian BBQ, 9935 San Pablo Ave. 526-0972.  

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 at 6 p.m. For details see www.dragonmax.org 

TUESDAY, NOV. 13 

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

“Make Art NOT War” Artists are invited to bring their works to display along the sidewalk in front of the Marine Recruiting Station, 64 Shattuck Square, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 548-7119. 

"Recycling Issues in Berkeley, Albany and Emeryville: What You Should Know" with Martin Bourque, Executive Director of the Berkeley Ecology Center and Nicole Almaguer, Albany Community Development Dept. at noon at Albany Library, at Marin and Masonic, Albany. Brown bag lunch sponsored by the League of Women Voters. 843-8824. 

“The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot: A Citizen’s Call to Action” with author Naomi Wolf at 7:30 pm, at the First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $10-$13. 415-255-7296, ext. 253. www.globalexchange.org/naomiwolf 

“Intellegence and Counter-Terrorism” with Ram Sidi, veteran member of Israel’s counter-terrorism establishment at 4 p.m. in the Toll Room, Alumni House, UC Campus. 642-7747. 

“Human Rights for European Gypsies” with C J Singh, at 7:30 p.m. at International House, Bancroft and Piedmont. 642-9460. 

Writer Coach Connection Volunteers needed to help Berkeley students improve their writing and critical thinking skills from noon to 3 p.m. To register call 524-2319. www.writercoachconnection.org  

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

Community Meeting on Redesign of City of Oakland Website at 7 p.m. at LAkeside Park GArden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave. Other meetings throught the month. For the survey see www.oakland.net/survey For information call 449-4401.  

“Older and Wiser: Basic Legal Knowledge for Living Well to the End,” with estate planning attorney Sara Diamond at 1:15 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 981-5190. 

American Red Cross Blood Services is holding a volunteer orientation at 6 p.m. Advanced sign-up is required; please call 594-5165.  

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

Street Level Cycles Community Bike Program Come use our tools as well as receive help with performing repairs free of charge. Youth classes available. Tues., Thurs., and Sat. from 2 to 6 p.m. at at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

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

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, NOV. 14 

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Colloquium with Amir H. Gohar “Balancing Tourism Development and Cultural Site Preservation Along the Red Sea Coast” at 1 p.m. at Wurster Hall, Room 315A, UC Campus. All welcome. laep.ced.berkeley.edu/events/colloquium 

Civilian War Victim Series “Collateral Damage” with Dr. Brian Gluss at 1 p.m. at Emeryville Senior Center, 4321 Salem, Emeryville. 596-3730. 

AnewAmerica’s Gala & Microbusiness Expo at 6 p.m. at the Holy Redeemer Conference Center, 8945 Golf Links Rd., Oakland. Tickets are $85. 540-7785. www.anewamerica.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. Heavy rain cancels. 548-9840. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. Sing for Peace at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

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

THURSDAY, NOV. 15 

“Countryside Living: Impacts to Wildlife and Watersheds” with Dr. Adina Merender at 7 p.m. at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Sponsored by the Golden Gate Audubon Society. 843-2222. 

“Current Research at Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary” with research coordinator Dr. Lisa Etherington at 12:30 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, Oak at 10th St., Oakland. 238-2022. www.museumca.org 

“Playground” new extreme ski and snowboard film by Warren Miller at 8 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. www.warrenmiller.com  

“Aging Artfully” with Amy Gorman on Profiles of 12 Visual and Performing Women Artists 85 – 105 at 7 p.m. at El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave., El Cerrito. 526-7512.  

Babies & Toddlers Storytime at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043. 

FRIDAY, NOV. 9 

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 Kate van Orden on “Court Ballet and Politics in 17th Century France” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St.526-2925.  

“He Stood Up: The Mistrial of Lt. Ehren Watada” A documentary at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. 

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. 

Womansong Circle Paticipatory singing for women at 7:15 p.m., potluck at 6:45 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, Small Assembly Room, 2345 Channing. Suggested donation $15-$20, no one turned away for lack of funds. 525-7082. 

Introduction to Fearless Meditation at 7 p.m. at Center for Urban Peace, 2584 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Donation $20-$30. 549-3733. 

SATURDAY, NOV. 10 

“Global Citizenship vs a New Arms Race: Can Peace Trump Hegemony?” with Jan Kavan, former Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic at 7:30 p.m. at the Alameda Free Library, Confernce Room A, 1550 Oak St. at Lincoln, Alameda. Free, donation accepted. www.alamedaforum.org 

Vegetarian Cooking Class “Thankgiving for the Birds” featuring squash dishes, root vegetables, biscuits and apple cake, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. at Castro. Cost is $55 plus $5 material fee. to register call 531-COOK. www.compassionatecooks.com 

March for Environmental Justice to stop Chevron’s proposed refinery expansion. Meet at noon at the Richmond BART Station parking lot to march to the Chevron refinery. 232-3427.  

Solo Sierrans Sunset Walk An hour walk, on paved trail, wheel chair accessible, through the Emeryville Marina Meet at 3:30 p.m. behind Chevy's Restaurant, by picnic tables. 234-8949.  

NAACP Berkeley Branch Meets at 1 p.m. at 2108 Russell St. 845-7416. 

Modern Tantric Art Auction to benefit Himalayan Health Care. Preview at 6 p.m., auction at 8 p.m. at Yga Mandala, 2807 Telegraph Ave. Free, but RSVP requested. auction@tantricart.net 

Immigration Law Clinic Volunteer attorneys available to answer questions from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Oakland Public Library, Temescal Branch, 5205 Telegraph Ave. at 52nd St., Oakland. Sponosred by the Charles Houston Bar Association. 205-9593. 

Promote your Music Using the Internet with Sarah Manning from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Community Room, 3rd flr., Berkeley Public Library 2090 Kittredge. 981-6233. 

“Creative Reuse Workshop” for Oakland students, (K-12), from noon to 4 p.m. at The Museum of Children’s Art, 538 Ninth St., Oakland. 465-8770, ext. 310. 

East Bay Waldorf School’s Annual Harvest Faire with games, crafts, entertainment and food from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 3800 Clark Rd., El Sobrante. 223-3570. 

Ongoing Vocal Jazz Workshop from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin at the corner of Masonic, Albany. 524-6797. 

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

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

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

Car Wash Benefit for Options Recovery Services of Berkeley, held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lutheran Church, 1744 University Ave. 666-9552. 

SUNDAY, NOV. 11 

Friends of the Alameda Wildlife Refuge Workday Help us prepare habitat for California Least Terns, which breed at the refuge. Meet at 9 a.m. at the main refuge gate at the northwest corner of former Alameda Naval Air Station, Alameda. Sponsored by Golden Gate Audubon Society. 843-2222. 

“Julia Morgan: Her Unique Place in American Architecture” with author Mark A. Wilson at 2 p.m. at the Seldon Williams House in Claremont Court. Tickets are $25. Sponsored by Berkeley Architectural Heritage Assoc. 841-2242. www.berkeleyheritage.com 

Green Sunday: Venezuela Report-back at 5 p.m. at Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. at 65th, Oakland. Sponsored by the Green Party of Alameda County. 

Laternenfest and Parade Join a tradition German celebration for the whole family from 5 to 7 p.m. at Bay Area Kinderstube Preschool, 842 Key Route Blvd (off Solano Ave), Albany. 

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 

Tibetan Buddhism with Ruth Richards on “Creativity and Spirituality in Everyday Life” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

Sew Your Own Open Studio Come learn to use our industrial and domestic machines, or work on your own projects, from 5 to 9 p.m. at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Cost is $3 per hour. 644-2577.  

MONDAY, NOV. 12  

Berkeley Green Mondays A presentation on “Green Car Alternatives” with Bradley Berman at 7:30 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 848-4681. berkeleygreenmondays@gmail.com 

“Converting Plants to Fuel” with Chris Somerville of LBNL/Energy Biosciences Institute at 5:30 p.m. at Berkeley Rep, 2025 Addison St. 486-7292. 

“Stopping Wal-Mart” Joe Feller and Paul Seger discuss strategies for keeping Wal-Mart out of our communites at 7 p.m. at the Wiki Wiki Hawaiian BBQ, 9935 San Pablo Ave. 526-0972.  

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 at 6 p.m. For details see www.dragonmax.org 

TUESDAY, NOV. 13 

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

“Make Art NOT War” Artists are invited to bring their works to display along the sidewalk in front of the Marine Recruiting Station, 64 Shattuck Square, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 548-7119. 

"Recycling Issues in Berkeley, Albany and Emeryville: What You Should Know" with Martin Bourque, Executive Director of the Berkeley Ecology Center and Nicole Almaguer, Albany Community Development Dept. at noon at Albany Library, at Marin and Masonic, Albany. Brown bag lunch sponsored by the League of Women Voters. 843-8824. 

“The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot: A Citizen’s Call to Action” with author Naomi Wolf at 7:30 pm, at the First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $10-$13. 415-255-7296, ext. 253. www.globalexchange.org/naomiwolf 

“Intellegence and Counter-Terrorism” with Ram Sidi, veteran member of Israel’s counter-terrorism establishment at 4 p.m. in the Toll Room, Alumni House, UC Campus. 642-7747. 

“Human Rights for European Gypsies” with C J Singh, at 7:30 p.m. at International House, Bancroft and Piedmont. 642-9460. 

Writer Coach Connection Volunteers needed to help Berkeley students improve their writing and critical thinking skills from noon to 3 p.m. To register call 524-2319. www.writercoachconnection.org  

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

Community Meeting on Redesign of City of Oakland Website at 7 p.m. at LAkeside Park GArden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave. Other meetings throught the month. For the survey see www.oakland.net/survey For information call 449-4401.  

“Older and Wiser: Basic Legal Knowledge for Living Well to the End,” with estate planning attorney Sara Diamond at 1:15 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 981-5190. 

American Red Cross Blood Services is holding a volunteer orientation at 6 p.m. Advanced sign-up is required; please call 594-5165.  

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

Street Level Cycles Community Bike Program Come use our tools as well as receive help with performing repairs free of charge. Youth classes available. Tues., Thurs., and Sat. from 2 to 6 p.m. at at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

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

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, NOV. 14 

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Colloquium with Amir H. Gohar “Balancing Tourism Development and Cultural Site Preservation Along the Red Sea Coast” at 1 p.m. at Wurster Hall, Room 315A, UC Campus. All welcome. laep.ced.berkeley.edu/events/colloquium 

Civilian War Victim Series “Collateral Damage” with Dr. Brian Gluss at 1 p.m. at Emeryville Senior Center, 4321 Salem, Emeryville. 596-3730. 

AnewAmerica’s Gala & Microbusiness Expo at 6 p.m. at the Holy Redeemer Conference Center, 8945 Golf Links Rd., Oakland. Tickets are $85. 540-7785. www.anewamerica.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. Heavy rain cancels. 548-9840. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. Sing for Peace at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

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

THURSDAY, NOV. 15 

“Countryside Living: Impacts to Wildlife and Watersheds” with Dr. Adina Merender at 7 p.m. at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Sponsored by the Golden Gate Audubon Society. 843-2222. 

“Current Research at Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary” with research coordinator Dr. Lisa Etherington at 12:30 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, Oak at 10th St., Oakland. 238-2022. www.museumca.org 

“Playground” new extreme ski and snowboard film by Warren Miller at 8 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. www.warrenmiller.com  

“Aging Artfully” with Amy Gorman on Profiles of 12 Visual and Performing Women Artists 85 – 105 at 7 p.m. at El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave., El Cerrito. 526-7512.  

Babies & Toddlers Storytime at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043. 

FRIDAY, NOV. 9 

THEATER 

Actor’s Ensemble of Berkeley”Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave., through Nov. 17. Tickets are $10-$12. 841-5580. www.aeofberkeley.org 

Altarena Playhouse “Morning’s at Seven” A family comedy by Paul Osborn Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Nov. 11. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Aurora Theatre Cmpany“Sex” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through Dec. 9. Tickets are $28-$50. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

Berkeley Playhouse “Seussical, the Musical” Thurs.-Sat. at 7:30 p.m., Sat. at 2 p.m., Sun. at 3 pm. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Dec. 2. Tickets are $18-$23. 665-5565. www.berkeleyplayhouse.org 

Berkeley Rep “After the Quake” at the Trust Stage, 2025 Addison St., through Dec. 21. Tickets are $33-$69. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Central Works “Every Inch a King” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., through Nov. 18. Tickets are $9-$25. 558-1381. 

Contra Costa Civic Theatre “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., selected Sun. at 2 p.m. at Contra Costa Civic Theatre, 951 Pomona Ave., (at Moeser), El Cerrito, through Dec. 9. Tickets are $11-$18. 524-9132.  

Masquers Playhouse “Little Mary Sunshine” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., selected Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond. Tickets are $18. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

UCB Dept. of Theater, Dance, and Performance “Wintertime” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at the Durnahm Studio Theater, UC Campus., through Nov. 18. Tickets are $8-$14. 642-8827. t 

Women’s Will “Antigone” Fri.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at Temescal Arts Center, 511 48th St. between Telegraph and Shattuck, Oakland, through Nov. 11. Tickets are $15-$25 sliding scale. 420-0813.  

Wing It Performance Ensemble “Hot Earth” An improvisaltional performance on gobal warming at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $20 if you drive, $15 if you carpool, and $10 if you leave your car at home. 465-2797. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Unbound Confession” Non-Representational Statements Group show of abstract works. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at ACCI Gallery, 1652 Shattuck Ave. 843-2527. 

FILM 

International Latino Film Festival “Fabricando Tom Zé” Musica do Brasil at 6 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $6-$8. 849-2568.  

“Hollywood Commandos” with filmmaker Gregory Orr in person at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

“The Mind is a Liar and a Whore” by Antero Alli, at 8 p.m. at Grace North Church, 2138 Cedar St. Cost is $6-$10. 548-2153. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Susan Dinkelspiel Cerny presents “An Architectural Guidebook to San Francisco and the Bay Area” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Karla Brundage reads from her new poetry collection “Swallowing Watermelons,” at 7 p.m. at Nefeli Caffe, 1854 Euclid Ave. 841-6374. 

Neva Carpenter reads from her memoir of growing up in El Cerrito “Harem Scarem in El Cerrito” at 6 p.m. at the IT Club Cafe, Cerrito Theater, 10070 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. 848-1994. 

Adam David Miller reads from “Ticket to Exile” at 6:30 p.m. at Marcu Books, 3900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 652-2344. 

MUSIC AND DANCE  

Oakland East Bay Symphony with soprano Hope Brigss at 8 p.m. at Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway. For ticket information call 652-8497.  

Sarah Manning and Shatter the Glass Dinner and concert at 6 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, Oak at 10th St., Oakland. Cost is $40-$60. 238-2022. www.museumca.org 

American Ballet Theater at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $38-$100. 642-9988.  

Babtunde Lea’s “Summoning of the Ghost” Tribute to THe NYC Village Gate at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ.  

Los Cenzontles at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054.  

San Francisco Bay Area African Dance and Drum Festival at 6 p.m. and all day Sat. and Sun. at Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. 415-378-4413. 

Liz Carroll & John Doyle, Celtic fiddle and guitar, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761.  

The Nomadics, jazz, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

SONiA & Disapper Fear at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082.  

108, Ghenna, Lbal, Pulling Teeth at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $8. 525-9926. 

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

San Francisco African Drum & Dance Festival at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $8-$10. 548-1159.  

One Struggle Band, Company of Prophets, The Attik at 7 p.m. at Café Axe Cultural Center, 1525 Webster, Oakland. Free. www.weekendwakeup.com 

Dionne Farris, R&B vocalist, at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $20-$26. 238-9200.  

SATURDAY, NOV. 10 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Ingrid Noyes & Michael Harmon, Old time music with banjo and guitar at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5 for adults, $4 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Reflections” Art Reflecting Positive Energy by East Bay Women Artists. Opening reception at 7:30 p.m. at Alta Bates Hospital Gallery, 2450 Ashby Ave. Exhibition runs to Jan. 3. 204-1667.  

“Cultural Memories” Color pigment photographs by Mary Ann Hayden opens at Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St.and runs to Dec. 28. 644-1400. 

“Community Recipe Book” an exhibit documenting the interaction of Laotian elders and African American and Latino youth as they participated in the park’s art and gardening program. Opening reception at 2 p.m. at Peralta Hacienda Historical Park, 2465 34th Ave., Oakland. 532-9142. www.peraltahacienda.org 

FILM 

“Resisting Enemy Interrogation” films of the US Army Air Force at 6:30 p.m. and “The Memphis Belle: Story of a Flying Fortress” at 8:45 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

THEATER 

“A Shirtwaist Tale” on American labor history, American women’s suffrage, and American Jewish history, Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Tickets are $15-$20. 848-0237, ext. 3. http://ashirtwaisttale.com  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Rhythm and Muse with Philip Rodriguez at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893. 

Lydia Lunch and Arthur Nersesian read at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Sam Cacas introduces his new novel “BlAsian Exchanges” at 3 p.m. at Eastwind Books, 2066 Univesity Ave. 548-2350. 

“Keep ‘em Flying” A discussion of issues of masculinity and identity in the films of the FMPU at 2 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive Theater. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Nokuthula Ngwenyama, violin and viola at 7:30 p.m. at Regents Theater, Holy Names University, 3500 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. Tickets are $35-$40. 601-7919. www.fourseasonsconcerts.com 

American Ballet Theater at 2 and 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $38-$100. 642-9988.  

Roberta Piket and Eric km Clark in concert at 8 p.m. at Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Tickets are $10-$15. 845-1350. 

Gary Wade, Unplugged at noon at Cafe Zeste, 1250 Addison St. 704-9378. 

Works in the Works, a low-tech performance series for Bay Area performing artists to show newly created works and works-in-progress Sat. and Sun. at 7:30 p.m. at Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St. Tickets are $10. 527-5115. 

Shadowdance 2007, Gothic and Tribal belly dance at 8 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $15-$20. 415-259-8629.  

Hecho in Califas with Upground and La Muñeca y Los Muertos at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 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 

Tom Rigney & Flambeau at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun/Zydeco dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

Not an Airplane, Chris Jones, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Bay Area Guitar Summit with Dave Ricketts& Rob Reich, Teja Gerken, and San Francisco Guitar Quartet at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

John Calloway & Diaspora at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373.  

Charles Wheal & the Excellorators at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Ben Bernstein and Friends at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082.  

Iron Lung, Agents of Abhorrence, Never Healed at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $8. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, NOV. 11 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Works by Teresa Brazen” Reception at 2 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

FILM 

“Land and Live in the Jungle” from films of the US Army Air Forces First Motion Picture Unit at 3 p.m. and “God Is My Co-Pilot” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Mark A. Wilson on “Julia Morgan: Her Unique Place in American Architecture” at 2 p.m. at the Seldon Williams House in Claremont Court. Tickets are $25. Sponsored by Berkeley Architectural Heritage Assoc. 841-2242.  

Day of the Dead Artists Talk with Abraham Ortega, Mariana Garibay and Lissa Jones at 2 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, Oak at 10th St., Oakland. 238-2022.  

“Moku o Lo’e: A History of Coconut Island” with author P. Christiaan Klieger, at 2 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, Oak at 10th St., Oakland. 238-2022. www.museumca.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

American Ballet Theater at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $38-$100. 642-9988.  

Live Oak Concert with Jupiter String Quartet at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Cost is $12-$15. 644-6893.  

Community Women’s Orchestra “Women in Music” at 4 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1331 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. Suggested donation $10. 463-0313.  

Zehetmair Quartet at 5 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $46. 642-9988.  

Upsurge, jazz and poetry, at 7 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Chinyakare Ensemble at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Bandworks at 1 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Ed Reed at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15-$18.. 845-5373.  

Marc Atkinson Trio at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

MONDAY, NOV. 12 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Alice Walker reads from “We Are The Ones We Have Been Waiting For: Inner Light in a Time of Darkness” at 6 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. www.universitypressbooks.com 

Ira Cohen, Michael Rothenberg and Louise Landes Levi read at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Ilana Simons reads from “A Life of One’s Own: A Guide to Better Living Through the Work and Wisdom of Virginia Woolf” at 4:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

John Truby describes “The Anatomy of a Story: 22 Steps to Becomming a Master Storyteller” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

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

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Theatrum Musicum, early Elizabethan consort music, at 7 p.m. at Le Bateau Ivre, 2629 Telegraph Ave. 849-1100. www.lebateauivre.net 

UC Jazz Ensembles at 8 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

TUESDAY, NOV. 13 

CHILDREN 

Children’s Delight Musical Theeater for ages 3 and up at 6:30 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043. 

Illustration Workshop with illustrator M. Sarah Klise of “Regarding the Fountain” at 4 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. For ages 7 and up. 981-6223. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Naomi Wolf describes “The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot: A Citizen’s Call to Action” at 7:30 p.m. at , First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $10-$13. www.globalexchange.org/naomiwolf 

“The Country in the City: The Greening of the San Francisco Bay Area” Author Richard Walker, in conversation with Rebecca Solnit at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. www.universitypressbooks.com 

“Anarchy and Art” with author Allan Antliff at 7 p.m. at AK Press, 674-A 23rd St., Oakland. 208-1700. 

Poetry Flash with Matthea Harvey & Joe Wenderoth at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley City College Auditorium, 2050 Center St. 525-5476. www.poetryflash.org 

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

John Truby explains “The Anatomy of a Stroy: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller” at noon at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Page Stegner introduces “The Selected Letters of Wallace Stegner” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Junior Reid, Reggae Angels at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $18. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

Andrew Sammons, jazz, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Vital Information at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 14 

CHILDREN 

“BookSongs” Gerry Tenney sings folksongs inspired by the books you love at 3:30 p.m. at the Claremont Branch, Berkeley Public Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave. 981-6280. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Spaces” Photographs by Warren Glettner opens at the Christensen Heller Gallery, 5829 College Ave., Oakland. 655-5952. 

FILM 

“Contortions: The Perfomance Work of Patty Chang” with filmmaker Patty Chang in person at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Rhoda Curtis reads from her memoire “Rhoda: Her First Ninety Years” at 6:30 p.m. at the North Branch, Berkeley Public Library, 1170 the Alameda at Hopkins. 981-6250.  

Tony Platt, coauthor with Cecilia O'Leary of “Bloodlines, Recovering Hilter's Nuremberg Laws, From Patton's Trophy to Public Memorial” at 7:30 p.m. at Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. 388-8932. www.hillsideclub.org 

Ann Vileisis discusses “Kitchen Literacy: How We Lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes From and Why We Need o Get It Back” 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 www.starryploughpub.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

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

Whiskey Brothers, old-time and bluegrass at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Bandworks at 7:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Diablo’s Dust at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

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

VOCO with Moira Smiley at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Vital Information at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, NOV. 15 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Creative Reuse” works by Oakland students. Opening reception at 5:30 p.m. at 472 Water St., Jack London Square, Oakland. On display to Dec. 16. 465-8770, ext. 310. 

“One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now” Guided tour at 12:15 p.m.at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. 

Patrick O’Kiersey “Selected Paintings and Drawings” Opening reception at 5 p.m. at the Craft & Cultural Arts Gallery, Atrium, State of California Office Bldg. 1515 Clay St., Oakland. 622-8190. 

THEATER 

Hecho in Califas “Amor Cubano” Written and performed by Eric Aviles at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“Patty Chang” A performance by the video/performance artist at 6 p.m.at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Barbara Becnel introduces and discusses Stanley “Tookie” Williams’ memoir “Blue Rage, Balck Redemption” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way at Dana. Donation of $10 suggested. 559-9500. 

The Holloway Series in Poetry: Rachel Levitsky: A poetry reading With graduate poet Gillian Osborne. Thursday, November 15th at 6:30pm 315 Wheeler Hall (the Maude Fife Room) on UCB campus Description: Avant-garde poet and critic Rachel Levitsky is a writer "committed to social and spiritual change." Her poems are often "highly charged, quick-to-read, funny and smart," sometimes vulnerable and bare, always engrossing For more info: http://holloway.english.berkeley.edu 

Adrian Tomine introduces “Shortcomings” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

John Hamamura reads form his novel “Color of the Sea” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Carol String Trio will present a free chamber music concert at the Central Berkeley Public Library on Thursday, November 15, from 12:15 to 1 pm. Violinist Brooke Aird, violist Linda Green and cellist Cathy Allen will perform works by Bach, Gliere and Dohnanyi. The performance takes place at the Central Berkeley Public Library, 5th Floor, 2090 Kittredge Street (at Shattuck), which is wheelchair accessible. This free event is sponsored by the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library. For more information, call 510-981-6100 or visit www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.  

New Century Chamber Orchestra Baroque concert with Margaret Batjer at 8 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $28-$42. 415-357-1111. www.ncco.org 

Yo-Yo Ma, cello and Kathryn Scott, piano, at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $50-$125. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

dysFUNKtion Dance performance by UC Berkeley’s Asian American Association at 7 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $10 at the door.  

Aumnibus, acoustic world, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $TBA. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

The Infamous Stringdusters at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Snake Trio with Marco Grandos at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

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

Faun Fables, Yva Las Vegas, Loretta Lynch at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

Gato Barbieri at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $24-$28. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Tenor Kalil Wilson, 26, who grew up in Berkeley and Oakland, won the annual New York Metropolitan Opera National Council competition regional finals in Los Angeles on Oct. 30 and will sing on-stage at the Met in February in the semifinals. 

Wilson, who now lives in Los Angeles, and is a recent honors graduate in ethnomusicology and vocal performance from UCLA, attended Berkeley Walden School, sang in the Oakland Youth Chorus and is an alumnus of the Young Musicians Program affiliated with UC Berkeley.  

His mother, Jackie Wilson, once ran a clothing store on Telegraph Avenue and is a past administrator for the Daily Planet. His stepfather, Baba Ken Okulolo, is the popular leader of West African and world music groups, such as Kotoja and the Nigerian Bros. 

Wilson recalled participating in his stepfather’s bands when very young, on stage dancing and playing drums. His first voice lessons were in high school. 

The Young Musicians Program “was welcoming, inviting ... it was really good training in the discipline of music, from the ground floor up,” he said. “There was a close relationship with the faculty. And everybody sang with the chorus during first period everyday.” 

He credited David Tigner, an influential teacher with the program, as “the first person who got me singing classical music. He was my mentor. A great person who ignited the spark I didn’t know was there.” 

Wilson’s interest in opera was “sparked by early music,” he said. “It had a lot of the conventions of jazz--improvisation, sparse scores with a lot of liberties taken, small ensembles and small stages. Monteverdi worked with orchestras of 15 to 20, max. They could see who they were playing for.” 

His training in ethnomusicology—with primary focus on West African popular music “and the larger diaspora, over to the Caribbean and America, with early jazz”—finds expression through his podcasts at www.passport.com, which Wilson said is “the flip side of ethnomusicology.” 

“I was looking at years in the academic trenches if I devoted myself to a career,” he said. “Singing took precedent. But that part of me manifested itself through the podcasts, the commentary I give on the programs. It’s prototypical music of the people, but maybe not so well-known. I pick it out, give an everyman’s intro, and the listeners’ curiosity takes over.” 

His programs, rated through I-Tunes along with other individuals’ podcasts and bigger concerns, like NPR podcasts, “usually place in the Top 50--and have been second in popularity,” earning up to 1400 hits recently.  

After recently finishing a demo of jazz and R&B standards, Wilson looks forward to the Met semifinals “with a lot of emotions; I choose the happy, the positive ones. I get to do what most people don’t. So I’m just going up there singing, trying to connect to the audience. Art is relevant if you’re true to it, trying to be part of the score; it’s frozen in time until performed. It’s a temporal form, and I’m halfway proud of myself if I produce something relevant to the moment, to myself and the audience. Then I’ve done the job of an artist.” 

The National Council’s competitions offer prizes of $15,000 to up to five winners of the Grand Finals. Unlike their famed pre-1954 predecessor, Auditions of the Air, they do not offer a contract or an audition for one with the Met (Auditions of the Air also awarded a $1,000 prize). Run entirely by volunteers, the competitions draw entrants from 45 districts in 15 regions. Semifinalists sing on the Met stage, finalists with full orchestra. 

Wilson’s regional appearance featured arias he chose from Benjamin Britten’s Albert Heering and from Giasone. For the semifinals, he’ll sing “two other baroque pieces: one obscure, from Rameau’s Dardanes, the other from Handel’s Alcina.”  

Of singing as a career and the “rap” of opera as “arcane” music, Wilson said, “I grew with chorus, early music, everything from Byzantine chants to modern showtunes and what’s in between. I explored my voice and choral singing. It’s been refreshing for me to unite things, to explore my racial and cultural background, to express unity, not disparity. Music is music; not the universal language, but a language. Popular music finds its way into the classical. Most high musics were once music of the people. For myself, I want to go where my voice leads me, down a number of paths which, so far, are not mutually exclusive.” 

Once in a great while, everything goes right. It’s not very often, mind you, but it does happen. This time it’s the play that’s ending its two-week run this weekend at the East Bay Jewish Community Center in Berkeley. 

The short version of this review is that everyone should drop everything and go see it. 

Aside from the fact that A Shirtwaist Tale is a great deal of fun and the music is delightful, it’s probably the easiest way you’ll ever find to get a real look at how we got to where we are in stuff like unions and women’s rights. 

(Hint: Aren’t you glad that those women in 1909 got work hours restricted to 52 hours a week plus not more than two hours of overtime on any one day?) 

Please note: There were men involved too. And we have some first-class performances by them on stage. 

But women—unable (or considered unfit?) to vote are presented here as leading the massive labor movement which caused so many changes. It’s a piece of history that really should be out there. 

A Shirtwaist Tale is a remarkable use of solid historical background for what is, in fact, a classic musical. There’s a full story—with a happy ending—quite comfortably intertwined with the real conflicts of the political struggles. 

Playwright Judith Offer has effectively and intelligently elected to create a 1950s style musical—complete with the now almost lost traditional third act. 

Offer says, “American playwrights are not addressing American subjects as much as they should.” 

She plans to write more “history” plays. That should strike anyone who sees her work in Shirtwaist as a really good idea.  

The uniformly excellent cast is astonishingly large by contemporary standards: Fifteen (Count’em 15!) actors for 16 roles. And the qualities of the performances are excellent. It is, in fact, so strong a production as to finally lay waste to the idea that all the best actors have turned professional.  

Quite probably, they just like to eat.  

We tend to think that once something is committed to film we have it forever. The act of recording seems by its very nature permanent, and often we forget that the very materials used to record are nearly as transient as the images they capture. For the reality is that film is a tenuous medium at best, given to disintegration and, in the case of nitrate films, spontaneous combustion. And this is compounded by the fact that cinema itself was for decades considered merely a novelty, an ephemeral entertainment of virtually no great cultural or historical value. 

In fact, it is estimated that 90 percent of all films made during the silent era (1895-1929) and 50 percent of all films made before 1950 are lost, disintegrated over time, neglected or willfully destroyed to extract their nitrate content, or simply mislabeled and forgotten, awaiting discovery on some dusty shelf. 

The National Film Preservation Foundation, a nonprofit organization created by Congress in 1997, has helped save more than 1,000 films over the past decade. Most of these films are not commercially viable; the audiences they draw at film festivals are not nearly large enough to cover the costs of their preservation and distribution, and there’s little financial incentive for commercial companies to release them on DVD.  

So the foundation, through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress, stepped into the void and began releasing many of these rare cultural artifacts on DVD. The award-winning Treasures From American Film Archives series has consistently been one of the best reviewed discs every year in which a collection has been released. The first set featured a sampling of rare films spanning the history and range of the medium; the second focused on the silent era. 

This year the foundation has released Treasures III: Social Issues in American Film, 1900-1934, another beautifully produced collection of 48 educational films, commercial features, cartoons, newsreels and propaganda films. The four discs each have a theme: urban life, women and women’s suffrage, labor and capital, immigration and patriotism. At $89.99, the price may seem a bit steep, but the set includes four feature films, an illustrated book with notes for all the films, and commentaries and original musical accompaniment for each. And all proceeds support further film preservation.  

Viewing these films is like traveling back in time. It’s a uniquely compelling experience to see documentary footage of everyday life 100 years ago, to see everyday people going about their everyday lives—not posed in static photographs, but walking, talking and laughing. And the more formally staged films say just as much if not more about who these people were, about how they thought and behaved, and how they sought to influence and persuade one another. And though the differences between their time and ours are legion, at times the real surprise is how much has remained the same. 

100% American (1918, 14 minutes) features the screen’s first genuine star, Mary Pickford, in a film designed to encourage citizens to buy war bonds. The idea of movie stardom and the harnessing of that influence for commercial and political means was new at the time, and there was no more popular figure in motion pictures than “America’s Sweetheart.”  

In the opening scene Pickford is shamed by a man on the street selling bonds. “Our boys are sacrificing their life-blood,” he cries, “What sacrifice have you made?” An alien thought in our time, when the popularity of war is maintained only by keeping it at arms’ length. We then watch as our plucky heroine struggles to overcome the myriad temptations of daily life—fancy new dresses, ice cream sundaes, public transportation—in an effort to save her pennies and donate them to the cause. Nevermind that Pickford wasn’t actually a citizen; in her native country the film was retitled 100% Canadian. 

In other films it’s apparent that some things haven’t changed over the years. Listen to Some Words of Wisdom (1930, 2 minutes) gives us Mr. Courage and Mr. Fear, chatting amiably over dinner at a restaurant. The Great Depression has Mr. Fear worried about his finances, even though he has just received a raise, and thus he orders a simple meal of crackers and milk. Mr. Courage intervenes, advising Mr. Fear that it is his patriotic duty to spend his money to help jump-start the economy.  

While there are many films in the collection that represent progressive causes, then as now film production was an expensive enterprise, so it is no surprise that so many of these films represent moneyed interests. Two cartoons illustrate the point. The first, The United Snakes of America (1917, 80 seconds) is essentially a newspaper political cartoon, brought to life by stop-motion animation as the drawing is inked in, first the faces and bodies of Uncle Sam flanked by an army man and a navy man. The film essentially creates a punchline by presenting the most crucial elements last, as snakes with labels such as “pro-German press” and “peace activists” come into view, attacking Uncle Sam and revealing that the cartoon is in fact a swipe at all those perceived as undermining the war effort. As far as editorial cartooning goes, this is not the least bit unusual. But to whom does this statement of opinion belong? An independent cartoonist? A media corporation—Hearst, perhaps, or Pulitzer? In the final seconds a hand comes into view to proudly sketch in the credit line and reveal the source: the Ford Motor Company.  

Uncle Sam and the Bolsheviki-I.W.W. Rat (1919, 40 seconds) is another animated political cartoon in which Uncle Sam protects the gross domestic product from the evil claws of the International Workers of the World, represented by a rat that crawls out of the woodwork to feast on the harvest. The patriotic Uncle Sam, tellingly hiding behind a wall of sacks labeled “American Institutions,” takes a shovel to the head of the dreaded Bolshevik-loving rodent and crushes it. Again, praise be to the Ford Motor Company. 

The status quo is again represented in a few films about the women’s suffrage movement. The Strong Arm Squad of the Future (1912, 60 seconds) is a short animated film that satirizes the movement by caricaturing women in roles of power as manly, brutish, and, most damningly, unappealing to men. More objective in its perspective is On to Washington (1913, 80 seconds), a news film that contains footage of the suffragette march on Capitol Hill. In a more commercial vein is The Hazards of Helen: Episode 13, one installment in a long-running serial in which the heroine battles not only villainous robbers, but the evils of workplace discrimination.  

This is just a small sample; Treasures III is far too varied to adequately express here. Suffice it to say that this is not just a collection for history buffs or cinephiles; the films contained here offer both entertainment and enlightenment, and more than a little astonishment.  

Photo caption: Suffragettes on Pennsylvania Avenue in On to Washington.

Poets and world travelers from the international scene of the 1960s and ’70s, Ira Cohen and Louise Landes Levi will read with poet and editor Michael Rothenberg 7:30 p.m. Monday at Moe’s Books on Telegraph Avenue. Admission is free. 

Cohen and Levi, both New Yorkers (Levi an honors graduate of UC Berkeley) met while both were living abroad, involved in the expatriate and international arts scene that was fostered by older generations of North American and European writers and artists. 

Michael Rothenberg met Cohen and Levi through his work editing Big Bridge, a decade-old online magazine. He’s also known for editing Penguin Books’ selections of poetry by Philip Whalen (whose caretaker Rothenberg was during the end of Whalen’s life), Joanne Kyger and East Bay poet David Meltzer—all important contributors to the Bay Area scene of the past 40 years and more.  

Louise Landes Levi has traveled to India “and, along the way, a lot of other places,” said her old friend David Schonberger, who runs Booksphere in New York City. Levi will revisit the Ali Akhbar School in Marin this trip. She now lives in a tower in Bagnori, a village in Tuscany, to be near her Buddhist teacher of the past 20 years, Namkhai Norbu. Her books of poetry include Guru Punk, Avenue ‘A’ & Ninth Street, Banana Baby and Water Mirror. Her translations include Sweet On My Lips, the love poems of Mirabai, Rasa by Rene Daumal, and Toward Totality by one of the original modern global explorers and seekers, Henri Michaux, whom Levi knew.  

Ira Cohen, a self-described “poet, photographer, filmmaker, world traveler and bullshit artist (maybe better if I said raconteur),” is a genial, sometimes acerbic monologist. His movies (some of which are available on DVD) include Invasion of Thunderbolt Pagoda, Kings With Straw Mats and Paradise Now. His books of poetry include Whatever You Say May Be Held Against You and On Feet of Gold. His photographs often document his many friendships, such as those with the older mainstays of the Tangier scene, where Cohen went in the early ’60s to live: Paul Bowles, William Burroughs and artist/writer Brion Gysin. 

“Burroughs I met when he was having his shoes shined. He was very cordial and razor-sharp wth his ability to express himself,” he said. “Bowles I used to visit frequently and give him the gossip of the Medina, where I lived. I considered it a magical possibility, being in my 20s and having relationships with men of that stature, whom I respected, but could always talk to straightforwardly.”  

About Allen Ginsberg, Cohen said: “He was always talking from some pulpit or position, looking at me to see how I’d fit in ... more aloof, complicated, self-involved, I guess more political, than the others.” 

Cohen joked further about his own writing and reputation as “a famous unknown.” 

“Being my age, a little overweight, you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and try to look quickly away. I feel that way about my words sometimes,” he said. “But Brion Gysin told me, ‘You’re a man of the book, you’ll be around in the future commenting on us,’ and funnily enough, at 72, I’m around and they’re gone. And that was the world when I was younger, of people I admired and I strove to be in their company. The best thing in living the life I led was in the chance meetings and stumbling on things—like these men.”

Days of Heaven 

It is said that there is really just a handful of plotlines in this world, and that every book and song and film we devise is really just a variation on one of these archetypal themes. That may very well be the case, though the variations are infinite. And if they weren't infinite, the methods by which those themes are expressed most certainly are.  

Case in point: Terrence Malick's 1978 film Days of Heaven. A direct line can be drawn from William Faulkner's great novel Absalom, Absalom! through Orson Welles' Citizen Kane and on through this, Malick's second directorial effort. The film has just been released on DVD by Criterion in a pristine transfer that beautifully renders the movie's rich pastoral tones.  

All three concern powerful men who forge vast empires, only to run up against forces with which they are loathe to reckon, and all three stories are told from the vantage point of intermittently reliable witnesses. 

Welles adopted Faulkner's circular narrative form and moved his tale from the rural South to New York City in the deconstruction of the life of a man whose ambitions were ultimately curtailed by his own personal flaws. Malick moved the story back to the rural countryside, this time in the southwest. But whereas Faulkner's aristocratic plantation society was undone by the South's original sin of slavery, of racial tensions come to a head, Malick's is undone by less tragic but equally biblical plagues: locusts and fire. In all three, a man sees his particular brand of progress halted and reversed, ultimately leading to the destruction of the idyllic self-contained world he had sought to create. 

But Malick makes the story his own primarily through the telling of the tale. His version, unlike Kane and Absalom, is told chronologically, but it is far more elliptical. Malick's style can be described as impressionistic, full of contemplative shots of nature, of faces, of time passing slowly. It is as though Malick is giving us the chance to pause and simply watch the world breathe. Inserted here and there amid the action are quiet shots of birds passing overhead, of fields of wheat swirling in the breeze, of insects alighting on blades of grass—ephemeral sights and sounds that leave indelible impressions that defy verbal expression. A Malick film is not something to be dissected, examined and intellectualized, but rather something to be experienced and felt. 

Extra features include interviews with Gere and Shepard and cinematographers Haskell Wexler and John Bailey; a commentary by editor Billy Weber, art director Jack Fisk, costume designer Patricia Norris and casting director Dianne Crittenden; and an essay by film critic Adrian Martin. 

Days of Heaven (1978) 

Written and directed by Terrence Malick. Starring Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard, Linda Manz. Photographed by Nestor Almendros. 94 minutes. $39.95. Criterion Collection. www.criterion.com. 

Battleship Potemkin  

Battleship Potemkin, Sergei Eisenstein's dramatization of an event from the Russian Revolution, is one of the touchstones of cinema. It caused a sensation when it was released in 1925 and remains one of the most influential films of the silent era. Its methods, bold and unconventional in their time, transformed cinematic technique. Kino International has recently released the film in what may prove to be a definitively restored edition, a two-disc set that includes both English and Russian versions of the film.  

The film is primarily influential due to what became known as "montage." Though the word really just translates as "editing" or "putting together," it has come to mean several different kinds of editing: rapid rhythmic cutting; spatial and temporally jarring cutting; or the accumulation of images in the creation of either an emotional effect or an intellectual idea. Perhaps the simplest definition is the juxtaposition of independent and often disparate images in the creation of meaning. Eisenstein himself described it as independent shots placed not one after the other, but on top of one another, like layers of meaning and emotion. 

The most famous example is the Odessa Steps sequence, a heart-pounding scene in which soldiers march methodically down what appears to be, due to Eisenstein's editing, an enormously long staircase, slaughtering a throng of people who rush to escape the gunfire. Eisenstein never fully orients the viewer to the landscape. Instead he provides a continuous rush of imagery: closeups of the dead and the dying; shots of crowds fleeing; stampeding feet; and, most famously, a baby carriage tumbling down the staircase, set in motion by the falling body of a murdered mother. Through the rapid juxtaposition of disparate shots, Eisenstein simulates the terror and bloodshed of the event, the disoriented space, the rush of motion, and the drawn-out feeling of time expanding, as though the horror will never end.  

There are simpler examples of montage as well. Early in the film, when the crew on the battleship feels the first stirrings of revolution, a sailor smashes a plate on the edge of a table. Eisenstein, through montage, imbues this moment with greater import and force by rapidly cutting in several views of this gesture. In quick succession we see the plate smashed in closeup and in medium shot, along with closeups of the soldier's face and arm. Essentially we see the action repeated, the plate smashed several times, but all this action flashes by in a second. It seems very simple, but Eisenstein was touching on something profound here, using the unique properties of the cinema in the creation of a powerfully expressive technique. With a few clever edits, he transformed a gesture of frustration into a battle cry, the first act of mutiny. The smashed plate heard round the world.  

Potemkin would be subject to far more cutting over the years. It would seem that every nation in which it appeared found it necessary to cut away at the film, diluting its revolutionary power and even shaping it to fit other ideologies. Thus the film, though it has been widely viewed and always appreciated, has rarely, if ever, been seen in anything resembling its original form since its 1925 premiere in Moscow. The Kino release does not claim to represent the film in its original state, but it is thought that this is as close as we're likely to get.  

Extra features include a 42-minute documentary on the making and restoration of the film, English and original Russian versions, and a photo gallery. 

Battleship Potemkin (1925) 

Directed by Sergei M. Eisenstein. 69 minutes. $29.95. Kino International. www.kino.com. 

Under the Volcano 

John Huston had one of the most varied careers a director can have. He started out as a screenwriter before making his directing debut with The Maltese Falcon in 1941. The film was a revelation, giving Humphrey Bogart his first truly great role. But as great as that film was, it owed much of its greatness to its source material, for Huston remained very true to the original text. He proved himself again and again though, and in many different genres, with Asphalt Jungle and Treasure of the Sierra Madre and Moby Dick.  

Some of his works were failures. As Christian Viviani points out in an essay that accompanies Criterion's new DVD release of Under the Volcano (1984), Huston was inclined to imbue projects of his own choosing with great passion, while granting assigned projects little creative spark.  

Under the Volcano is clearly one of Huston's pet projects. It features an excellent performance by Albert Finney as Geoffrey Firmin, a retired British ambassador in Mexico, reduced to alcoholism and self-destruction following the departure of his wife after she had an affair. Huston lavishes attention on the hard-drinking, self-loathing character, and on both the romance and the seediness of the environs.  

The movie is based on a novel by Malcolm Lowry, a book long considered "unadaptable" and thus more alluring to a maverick director like Huston. The novel concerns Mexico in the years before World War II, as the country was aligning itself with the Third Reich. Huston stripped the tale of much of its political and social ramifications to focus on the man himself, on the nature and consequences of his alcoholism, and on the relationships between the man, his wife and his half-brother.  

The film is mannered and theatrical, yet remarkably authentic in its portrait of a man simultaneously struggling to stay afloat and to drown himself, and of the loved ones around him who are desperate to help him with one and save him from the other.  

The result though is a film that remains somewhat unsatisfying. There are flashes of directorial brilliance, and the actors easily hold our interest, but the sidelining of much of the social and political context leaves Firmin's self-destruction seeming somewhat melodramatic, more soap opera than drama, more pulp than character study. 

The two-disc set includes commentaries by the film's producers, by screenwriter Guy Gallo, and by Huston's son, actor-director Danny Huston; a new interview with Bisset; a 1984 audio interview with John Huston; and two documentaries, one about the film's production and another about the life of author Malcolm Lowry. 

Under the Volcano (1984) 

Directed by John Huston. Adapted from the novel by Malcolm Lowry. Starring Albert Finney, Jacqueline Bisset, Anthony Andrews. 112 minutes. $39.95. Criterion Collection. www.criterion.com. 

Robinson Crusoe on Mars 

Science fiction is a delicate enterprise. No genre runs a greater risk of aging poorly. Theories and technologies can be discarded or adopted so quickly, and either way yesterday's fantasies just as quickly can seem quaint, naive, and silly. It's hard luck when these technical details overwhelm otherwise solid pieces of entertainment, and perhaps it is the works that avoid these pitfalls that age best. 

Byron Haskin's Robinson Crusoe on Mars is a good example of a science fiction film that manages to eschew much of the techno-gadgetry that sometimes sinks the genre. Instead Haskin focuses his plot mainly on the problem of a lone man's survival in a hostile landscape. It is less a science fiction film than a simple update of the Daniel Defoe novel. After all, Earth has been fully explored—why not reset the tale in the next frontier? 

Haskin is probably best known for bringing The War of the Worlds to the screen for the first time, in 1953. But Robinson Crusoe on Mars, though perhaps not quite as entertaining overall, is probably the more mature work. The special effects of course seem a bit simple at times, but this was, for the most part, cutting edge stuff. Haskin's spaceships move with frightening precision from one position to the next, like light-speed hummingbirds; his Mars is barren but with tantalizing signs of sustenance; and his caves are almost warm and comforting, perfectly conveying a sense of security, however tenuous, in a vast and terrifying landscape.  

The film lacks pacing, however. It understandably avoids the heartpounding race from one event to another of the alien-invasion variety, but Haskin's grasp of the techniques for slowing a film to a contemplative pace is weak at best. A more skillful director would have developed the spaces between the action and dialogue, lingering longer on the haunting images of the landscape, the shifting shadows as Martian day gives way to Martian night, or the weary but determined face of his hero. Of course, he would have needed a better actor than Paul Mantee to do it right, but still the film cries out for more finesse.  

Criterion's new DVD release of the film includes a commentary by screenwriter Ib Melchior, actors Mantee and Victor Lundin, and historian and special effects specialist Robert Skotak.  

Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964) 

Directed by Byron Haskin. Starring Paul Mantee, Victor Lundin. 110 minutes. $39.95. Criterion Collection. www.criterion.com.