FRIDAY, NOV. 16 

Iraq Moratorium Action from 2 to 4 p.m. at the corner of University and Acton. Sponsored by the Strawberry Creek Lodge Tenants Assoc. and the Berkeley-East Bay Gray Panthers. 548-9696. 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Dr. Don Gibbs on “The Surprising China” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925.  

“When the Levees Broke: An American Tragedy” Parts 3 and 4 of Spike Lee’s documentary a 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. 

“Day of Empire” with Amy Chua, Prof. of Law, Yale Law School on the world’s hyperpowers, at noon at 145 Dwinelle, UC Campus. 642-7747. 

Community-Seekers’ Fair Presentation on how to find and evaluate an ecovillage or other kind of intentional community, at 7:30 p.m. at Green City Gallery, 1950 Shattuck Ave. Donation $15-$20. RSVP at www.norcalcoho.org 

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. 

SATURDAY, NOV. 17 

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tour of “In Celebration of Berkeley’s Downtown Parks” Led by Steve Finacom. Walk is from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $8-$10. To register and for information on meeting place call 848-0181. www.cityofberkeley.info/histsoc/ 

Berkeley Path Wanderers explores Oakland’s historic paths and stairways. Meet at 10 a.m. at the Morcom Amphitheater of Roses entrance, 700 Jean St., off Grand Ave. for a hilly walk in Grand Lake and Trestle Glen neighborhoods. 848-9358.  

Plant Natives on Berkeley Paths with Friends of Five Creeks and Berkeley Path Wanderers. Meet at 10 a.m. at the bottom of lower Glendale Path, Glendale Ave. at Campus Dr. Light picnic follows. 848-9358.  

Berkeley Alliance of Neighborhood Associations meets to discuss Berkeley’s vision of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) with Gregory Harper, President of AC Transit’s Board of Directors, at 9:15 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 2407 Dana St., Room 208, second flr. 

Visions of Peace & Justice Slideshow and discussion examining the role of political posters and graphics as mass communication tools for social justice movements, celebrating the publication of “Visions of Peace & Justice: 30 Years of Political Posters from the Archives of Inkworks Press 1974-2007” at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. www.inkworkspress.org 

Arts and Crafts Benefit Show from 11:30 to 5 p.m. at the Hillside Club 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $5. Early admission at 10:30 a.m. for $20.  

Fall Plant Sale at Merritt College from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Landscape Horticulture Grounds, 12500 Campus Drive, Oakland. 531-4911. www.merrittlandhort.com 

Basic Gardening Techniques Learn soil preparation, planting techniques, mulching choices and pruning dos and don’ts at 10 a.m. at Magic Gardens, 729 Heinz Ave. 644-2351. www.magicgardens.com 

“Facing State Violence: Truth, Justice and Healing” A conference sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave. Cost is $40-$80, scholarships available. 415-565-0201, ext. 24. www. 

afsc.org/pacificmtn/default.htm 

Jobs, Housing & Justice in Oakland A community meeting on developing the good jobs, affordable housing, and healthy communities that Oaklanders need. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. at St. Anthony’s School Gym, 1500 15th St., Oakland. Conference runs to 2 p.m. Lunch will be served. Childcare and translation will be available. RSVP to 893-7106, ext. 20. 

Green Career Conference with the Solar Living Institute from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the UC Campus. Cost is $100-$175. RSVP to 707-744-2017. http://www.solarliving.org/workshops 

Ecovillages, Cohousing Neighborhoods, & Intentional Communities A conference from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Green City Gallery, 1950 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $45-$75 sliding scale. To register see www.norcalcoho.org  

“Screwed Pooch” with author Jan Millsapps on Laika the Russian dog who rode Sputnik 2 as the first creature to orbit Earth at 6:45 p.m. at Chabot Space & Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. 336-7300.  

Common Agenda meeting on reordering federal priorities from the military to human and environmental needs at 2 p.m. at Peace Action West, 2800 Adeline. 527-9584. 

The Friends of the Albany Library Book Sale with vintage, collectible and rare books and a silent auction, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Albany Library/Community Center, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720 ext. 16. 

California Writers Club, meets to discuss “Two Writers and a Publisher, the Latest News” at 10 a.m. at Barnes & Noble, Jack London Square, Oakland. 272-0120.  

A Sufi Celebration “Hidden Angles of Life” with lectures meditation poetry and music at 7 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. 866-393-1706. :www.sufiassociation.org 

Mr. Potato Head Beauty Pageant Create your own potato personality, for all ages, at 1 p.m. at The Museum of Children’s Art, 528 Ninth St., Oakland. Cost is $7. 465-8770. 

Chapel of the Chimes Historical and Botanical Tour at 10 a.m. at 4499 Piedmont Ave. RSVP to 228-3207. 

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.  

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

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

SUNDAY, NOV. 18 

Family Explorations: Tales and Traditions of CA Indians with storytelling and hands-on activities from 1 to 4 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, Oak at 10th St., Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2022. www.museumca.org 

“Acknowledging the Legacy: Rethinking Thanksgiving” Artists and activists discuss the complex history of Thankgiving and the legacy of US colonialism and genocide against Native Americans at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$25. 849-2568.  

Kindergarten Information Reception for preschool parents to learn about Berkeley public schools from 4 to 6 pm. at Easton Great Hall, 2401 Ridge Rd. Free but RSVP to 644-6244. 

“Solar Hot Water Heater Workshop” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EcoHouse, 1305 Hopkins St. Enter via the garden entrance on Peralta. Cost is $15, sliding scale, no one turned away. 548-2220, ext. 242. 

Community Labyrinth Peace Walk at 3 p.m. at Willard Middle School, Telegraph Ave. between Derby and Stuart. Everyone welcome. Wheelchair accessible. Rain cancels. 526-7377. info@eastbaylabyrinthproject.org 

George Pauley Memorial at 4 p.m. at Caffe Mediterraneum, 2475 Telegraph Ave. Bring stories and memories to share. 848-2995. 

“What is Post-Modernism, and Why is it so Threatening to Marxism—or Is It?” at 10 a.m. at NPML, 6501 Telegraph Ave. Oakland. 595-741. 

East Bay Atheists meets to view and discuss a video of two talks from the American Atheists April Convention, at 1:30 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 3rd Floor Meeting Room, 2090 Kittredge St. 222-7580. 

Dharma Dialogue with Catherine Ingram, co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society, at 7 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. www.eastbayopencircle.org  

BAY-Peace Open House & Youth Performance Showcase and a chance to support young people who are fighting back against military recruiting and war, from 2 to 5 p.m. at 470 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland. 809-7416.  

Seedball Making Learn how to mold clay, compost and seeds into small balls to be dried and scattered, perhaps in a neglected vacant lot. The seeds are protected until the seedball gets wet in the rain, and the seeds are ready to grow. From noon to 3 p.m. at Green City Gallery, 1950 Shattuck Ave. Bring your own cup, if possible, and a bag or box to carry home your seedballs. Children welcome. 655-8252. http://digcity.coop/greencitygallery/ 

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 

MONDAY, NOV. 19 

Assemblywoman Loni Hancock on Public Service Brown bag lunch at 12:30 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

“Solar 101 for Homeowners” A presentation by Jay Hermon, solar energy consultant at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043. 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com  

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

TUESDAY, NOV. 20 

“Darwin’s Nightmare” A film on the food supply and the global commodities trade at 6:30 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar Street, at Arch. www.agrariana.org/film-series 

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

Middle School Book Group at 4 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 4th floor, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6223. 

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

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.  

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

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. 

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

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. We always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21 

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets 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. 

After-School Program Homework help, drama and music for children ages 8 to 18, every Wed. from 4 to 7:15 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Cost is $5 per week. 845-6830. 

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

THURSDAY, NOV. 22 

Food Not Bombs Thanksgiving Feast Pot-luck at 6 p.m. at Ashkenaz. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Thanksgiving Vegan Potluck Sponsored by the East Bay Vegans from 2 to 5 p.m. in North Berkeley. RSVP to 213-3250. Howarddy2@att.net  

CITY MEETINGS 

Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board meets Mon., Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers. 644-6128 ext. 113.  

City Council meets Tues., Nov. 20, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Commission on Aging meets Wed., Nov. 21, at 1:30 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5344.  

Downtown Area Plan Advisory Commission meets Wed., Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7487.

FRIDAY, NOV. 16 

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.  

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.  

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.  

Impact Theatre “A Very Special Money & Run Winter Season Holiday Special” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., through Dec. 22. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. http://impacttheatre.com 

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. Through Dec. 15. 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. theater.berkeley.edu 

Wilde Irish Productions “The Children of Lir” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m., through Nov. 24 at Gaia Arts Center, 2116 Allston Way. Tickets are $10-$12. 841-7287. www.wildeirish.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“The Gift of Art” Group show of mixed media, paintings and sculpture. Reception at 6 p.m. at Cecile Moochnek Gallery, 1809-D Fourth St. 549-1018. 

FILM 

“The Roe’s Room” with filmmaker Lech Majewski in persom at 7 p.m. and “Glass Lips” at 9:15 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Hecho in Califas Yosimar Reyes, poet and He(R)evolition, written and performed by Julia Grob at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Dorothea Lasky and Eric Baus read their poetry at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Bloch Lecture Series “The Castrato in Nature” with Prof. Martha Feldman at 4:30 p.m. at 125 Morrison Hall, UC Campus. 642-4864.  

The Magpies Poetry Reading by Judy Wells, Dale Jensen, Ralph Dranow and Barbara Hazard at 7:30 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. at Ashby.  

Ha Jin talks about “A Free Life” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. www.codysbooks.com  

Sasha Cagan introduces “To-Do List: From Buying Milk to Finding a Soul Mate, What Our Lists Reveal about Us” with a “List Slam” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloway’s, 2904 College Ave.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

San Francisco City Chorus performs Mendelssohn’s “Walpurgisnacht” and Durfle’s ‘Requiem” at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $15-$20. 415-701-7664. www.sfcitychorus.org 

Peace Nick with Roy Zimmerman, satirical songwriter, at 8 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. Tickets are $10-$20, $30 for reception at 6:30 p.m. and show. 525-0302, ext. 306. www.brownpapertickets.com 

Marvin Sanders, flute, Lena Lubotsky, piano at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893. www.berkeleyartcenter.org 

Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 7 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $34-$76. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Babtunde Lea’s “Summoning of the Ghost” The Art of the Organ Trio with Delbert Bump at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Mamadou & Vanessa Sidibe, Walter Strauss Trio with Stephen Kent at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Studio Band at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

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

Loop Station at 8:30 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Renee Asteria and Ruben Quinones at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

R&B Free Jazz Gospel Supreme 80 at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Guttermouth, Red Handed, United Defiance at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

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

Forrest Day, The Zazous, Deraj the Scatterbrain, Celcius 7 at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$8. 548-1159.  

Tina Malia and Lisbeth Scott at 7:30 p.m. at Sacred Space at Rudramandir, 830 Bancroft Way at 6th. Cost is $20-$25. 486-8700. 

Bird Head, jazz, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

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 

SATURDAY, NOV. 17 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Melissa Rivera, bilingual children’s songs, at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5 for adults, $4 for children. 849-2568.  

The Bubble Lady at 11 a.m. at Studio Grow, 1235 Tenth St. Cost is $7. 526-9888. 

EXHIBITIONS 

Box Art Benefit Auction to benefit a Youth Fellows Initiative at Pro Arts at 6 p.m. at 550 Second St. 763-9425.  

“Cultural Memories” Color pigment photographs by Mary Ann Hayden. Reception at 5 p.m. at Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. 644-1400. 

New Work by Susan Anson and Michelle Echenique Sat. and Sun. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2407 4th St. 549-1543. 

“Exhibit 17: Attention to Detail” Photographic images by Jill Thomas and Lori Nunokawa. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Float Art Gallery, 1091 Calcot Place, Unit #116., Oakland. 535-1702. 

Artists Reception at 2 p.m. at Alta Galleria, 2980 College Avenue, #4. 421-1255. 

“Made In Equilibrium” Works by Michele Elizabeth Lee, Brady Nadell and Ross Drago opens at ABCo Artspace, 3135 Oakland, Oakland. www.abcoartspace.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Visions of Peace & Justice Slideshow and discussion celebrating the publication of “Visions of Peace & Justice: 30 Years of Political Posters from the Archives of Inkworks Press 1974-2007” at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. www.inkworkspress.org 

Taubman Piano Seminar with John Bloomfield, Robert Durso, Marc Steiner, others from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat. and Sun. at Berkeley Piano Club. 2724 Haste St., Berkeley. Suggested donation $110 per day in advance. 523-0213. eswarthout@sbcglobal.net 

“Performing Past and Present” Robert Lepage in conversation with Prof. Anthony J. Cascardi at 7 p.m. at UC Berkeley Art Museum, 2621 Durant Ave. 643-9670. 

art+activism=artivism A discussion on the intersection between arts and community action at 2 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Free. 849-2568.  

William Moor and Jenny Drai read in celebration of the first issue of the poetry journal “Sorry 4 Snake” at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Theo Gangi introduces “Bang Bang” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Kitty Burns Florey on “Bernadette’s Barking Dog: The Quirky History and Lost Art of Diagramming Sentences” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Shawna Yang Ryan reads from her debut novel “Locke 1928” at 3 p.m. at Eastwind Books of Berkeley, 2066 University Ave. 548-2350. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Chaskinakuy Andean village music at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St. Tickets are $8-$12. 549-3864. www.trinitychamberconcerts.com/2007-2008.html 

Chora Nova “Homage to Saint Nicholas” at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, at Dana and Durant. Tickets are $10-$18. www.choranova.org 

Kalbass, Alafia Dance Ensemble Haitian Vertieres Celebration at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Taubman Faculty Piano Concert with John Bloomfield, Robert Durso, Marc Steiner, Elizabeth Swarthout, Rebecca Bogart, and Debbie Poryes at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Piano Club, 2724 Haste St. Suggested donation $20. 523-0213.  

La Monica “The Amorous Lyre: Virtuoso Sonatas and Cantatas of 17th Century Italy” at 8 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College. Tickets are $10-$27. 528-1725.  

University Chorus at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $4-$12. 642-9988. 

CUBAHIA! music and dance from Cuba and Brazil at 8 p.m. at Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon St. Oakland. Tickets are $24-$27. 1-800-504-4849.  

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

Mamaz, Rebel Diaz, The Getback Crew, hip hop at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568.  

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

Haitian Cultural Extravaganza with Kalbass, Alafia Dance Ensemble and Haitian rap artist J-W, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054.  

Beltaine’s Fire, Scott Simon at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Will Blades Quartet at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

House Jacks at 5 and 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Greg Murai & Everyday Wisdom at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Cari Lee & the Saddle-ites, rockabilly, country-jazz, at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Ben Adams Jazz Group at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Debby Gipsman with Lisa Zeiler, Alyn Kelley and Phil Gorman at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082.  

Shook Ones, Easel, Final Flight at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, NOV. 18 

EXHIBITIONS 

“The Works of a Year in Mexico” Paintings by Juana Alicia. Gallery talk by the artist at 3 p.m. at Joyce Gordon Gallery, 406 14th St., Oakland. 465-8928. 

“Works by the late Susannah Fiering” from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita.  

Photographs of Hill Tribe Women in Northern Thailand by Adrienne Miller. Artist talk at 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6241. 

“Silent Light” photographs and prints by Jo-Anna Pippen. Reception from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Albany Community Center Foyer Gallery, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany. 524-9283. 

Cambodian Women’s Quilt Project from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kensington Farmers’ Market, 303 Arlington Ave. 684-6502. 

“One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now” Guided tour at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. 

FILM 

“The Knight” with filmmaker Lech Majewski in person at 4:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Day of the Dead Gallery Talks with artists Joaquin Alejandro Newman and Lisa Ramirez at 2 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, Oak at 10th St., Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2022.  

Tomás Saraceno: Microscale, Macroscale, and Beyond: Large-Scale Implications of Small-Scale Experiments. Artist talk at 3:30 p.m. at Gallery 1, Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. Cost is $5-$8. 642-0808. 

Iroquois Storytelling with artist-illustrators, music and dance at 2 p.m. Other activities at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. at Fourth Street Studio, 1717d Fourth St. 527-0600.  

Dogs Party with Editors of The Bark, Cameron Woo and Claudia Kawczynska, at 4 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. Dogs welcome, biscuits will be served. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Jonathan Rhodes Lee, harpsichordist, performs J.S. Bach’s The Well Tempered Clavier, Book I at 4 p.m. at St. John's Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 845-6830. 

Canciones en Noviembre with Anne Shapiro, mezzo, Duo Trujillo, piano and guitar, at 4 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. Donation of $15 to aid Latin American Suzuki Scholarship Fund. 654-4053. 

Madeline Eastman, jazz vocalist at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Cost is $15. 228-3218. 

BAY-Peace Open House & Youth Performance Showcase and a chance to support young people who are fighting back against military recruiting and war, from 2 to 5 p.m. at 470 Fruitvale Ave, Oakland. 809-7416.  

Cornelius Cardew Choir, new and experimental choral classics, at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Tickets are $10. 644-6893. 

Cuarteto Latinoamericano in celebration of Jorge Liderman’s 50th Birthday at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $34. 642-9988.  

Dan Paul, singer, songwriter, guitarist at 5 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 201 Martina St., Point Richmond. Donation $10. 236-0527.  

UC Berkeley’s Danceworx Showcase at 7:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $9 at the door.  

Grupo Falso Baiano at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island,2120 Allston Wa. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Felonious with DJ Zeljko, Balkan dance, at 8 p.m. at the JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0237, ext. 139. 

Koko de la Isla, Flamenco Open Stage, at 7:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

Maria Muldaur at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $21.50-$22.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

MONDAY, NOV. 19 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Recent Landscape Photographs by Rob Reiter” opens at The LightRoom Gallery, 2263 Fifth St. 649-8111. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Cathy Wilkerson describes “Flying Too Close to the Sun: My Life and Times as a Weatherman” at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Robert Hass reads from “Time and Materials: Poems 1997-2005” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Tellabration! Storytelling by the Stagebridge Theater Company at 3 p.m. at Arts First Oakland, 2501 Harrison St at 27th. Tickets are $10-$15. 444-4755.  

Poetry Express with Boundless Gratitude, plus Mark States birthday celebration, at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

West Coast Songwriters Competition at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $5. 548-1761  

Pepe y su Orquesta at 8:30 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

TUESDAY, NOV. 20 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Site Revamped” Paintings by Marty McCorkle and Rachel Dawson opens at the Esteban Sabar Gallery, 480 23rd St., Oakland. 444-7411.  

FILM 

“Film and Video at CCA: Relational Aesthetics” with filmmakers 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 

Tell on on Tuesdays Storytelling at 7:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Cost is $8-$12 sliding scale. www.juiamorgan.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tri Tip Trio at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

Singers’ Opn Mic with Ellen Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Kasper/Sherman Quartet at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Brian Bromberg’s Down Right Upright All Stars at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

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

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

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

Mikie Lee and Amber at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Brian Bromberg’s Down Right Upright All Stars at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com

Awash with the spray of the yet-unconquered sea, the stage at Berkeley Rep (designed by Daniel Ostling) represents the wooden ships and wood palaces of preclassical times, as the cast does the heroes, demigods, goddesses, kings, witches and nymphs from legend that move through. 

This is the changing world described in the post-Homeric panoply of polished scenes from the Argonautika of Apollonius of Rhodes, with Latin variants from Gaius Valerius Flaccus, as rendered by Mary Zimmerman, who’s adapted and directed what could be called a postmodern cover of the epic of the first heroic voyage to the East (ominous predecessor to the Trojan War), the winning of the Golden Fleece by the Greeks, and the tale of the love and later disaffection of Jason and Medea. 

It all starts out innocently enough with a young man (Jake Suffian as Jason), on his way to bid his uncle happy birthday, helping an old lady by carrying her across a raging stream and losing a sandal in the process. 

But the old lady is Hera, Queen of the Gods (a sly Christa Scott-Reed) in disguise; the sandal is pinned to the bed of the stream by the lance of armed Athena (Sofia Jean Gomez), and the uncle is the hypochondriac king (Allen Gilmore), who has usurped his brother’s throne, and sends the well-wishing nephew on an impossible quest because he’s heard a single-sandalled caller will be the death of him.  

The opening vignette of Hera in disguise on Jason’s back (and coquettishly swivelling around, her legs round his hips, to face him) is a good beginning, which seems to bode well for the tone of a story, a collection of episodes, that sprawls over two millenia back to its bookish sources, and maybe as much again before to some of its legendary sources. 

The same holds true for the beginning of the second act, when Hera and Athena huddle with an ingenuous Aphrodite (Tessa Klein, delightfully funny) to get her support and that of her spoiled brat, Eros (Ronette Levenson) to literally stick Medea (Atley Loughridge) with the disconcerting love-pangs of desire for Jason. Her powers will be at his disposal in the impossible contest set by yet another king, Medea’s father Aietes (Soren Oliver), to impede him from swiping the treasured Fleece. 

The delicious convocation of the goddesses, Aphrodite attended by a buff archaic hairdresser, has the comic air of suburban housewives in a sitcom gossipping and cooking up a scheme, yet something rare and fabulous—timeless—about it. 

In an interview published in the program, Zimmerman talks about how she adapted all that sprawling material through compression, working out ways of staging with the cast in mind during a month-long rehearsal period, opening herself up “to the voice of the text,” and sometimes making crazy, impolite, even unconsidered choices, like an arrow shot in the dark. 

Zimmerman’s spiel seems refreshing, compelling even, coming from the Mac-Arthur Fellow who penned hits like Journey to the West and Metamorphoses. In effect, she’s saying that she aims at what Byron and Pushkin, in particular, canonized as the choice modern approach to involved, episodic traditional material: the ongoing improvisation. 

Unfortunately, the results are the opposite of the inventive lightness improvisation should be. Not that Zimmerman’s staging is heavy; it’s a banal pastiche, a grab-bag of all the familiar (even cliched) “presentational” theatrics, performance art and story-telling devices made popular since the ’60s and ’70s. 

The cast of 14 gets little chance to really act or perform except in snatches, otherwise moving around a lot en masse. Besides Scott-Reed and Klein, Soren Oliver is noteworthy for pumping a lot of juice into the part of Hercules, written as a boffo jock. Loughridge seems badly miscast as Medea. Zimmerman’s relation to her sources, which seems mediated by schemata from Joseph Campbell concerning heroic quests for self-knowledge and maturity, seems about the same as a screenwriter thrown into a last-minute rewrite, and her ruminations, even the script itself, have the air of tossing out ideas in a story pitch. 

Onstage, Argonautika rocks back and forth between the forced glee of banal, contemporary sarcasm and an awkward, uneasy pantomime of ancient piety, or of romance in bygone times. There’s not much space for irony once the insouciant plot gets cranked up and running, only to end abruptly in a rushed, premature denouement telling of the various tragic fates of the Argonauts (omitting some of the most interesting in common) and the more familiar tragedy of Medea killing Jason’s young bride and their children, which in true cinematic fashion Zimmerman alludes to, citing the Argonautika as its “prequel.” 

Zimmerman tries to preserve the magical wonder of her material, yet make it contemporary. The result is a kind of tabloid pastiche, but lacking intimacy (which seems to be another of the adaptor’s goals), which the originals achieved through finished, detailed tableau-like episodes, each a compressed cameo story in itself. Zimmerman begins each act with something like this, but the definition of scenes unravels in over-reaching yet banal attempts to improvise, to put the spin, the time stamp of the moment, on a story that’s already proved timeless. 

ARGONAUTIKA 

Berkeley Rep 

2025 Addison St. 

though Dec. 16 

647-2949 

www.berkeleyrep.org 

The New Italian Film Festival, playing this week at the Embarcadero Center Cinema in San Francisco through Sunday, offers a rich course on the best new filmmakers in Italian film. After this weekend, most of these films will likely never be shown again with English subtitles or ever be released on DVD in the United States.  

On Friday, the films shown are Shelter (6:45 p.m.), a story about a lesbian couple finding a teenage boy hiding in their luggage after a trip to Tunisia, and The Ball (9:15 p.m.), about a boy grappling with growing up with his free spirit single mother.  

Saturday’s movies are One Out of Two (2 p.m.), about a confident lawyer hospitalized with a mysterious illness; Italian Dream (4:30), a suspense and romance story; Me, and the Other (7 p.m.), in which a man suspects a friends of being a terrorist, and Salt Air (9:15 p.m.), about a prison counselor who discovers a new client is his father.  

The festival will close on Sunday with Any Reason Not to Marry? (noon), a movie about a young couple planning a wedding, Shelter (2:30 p.m.), and Flying Lessons (5:15 and 9:15 p.m.), a tale of two Roman teenagers traveling to India. The winning film of the festival, determined by the audience, will be announced at the City of Florence Awards reception at 8 p.m.  

Tickets $11, 1 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco. www.sffs.org or (925) 866-9559.

Our image of Charlie Chaplin is a simple one: a daft little man in baggy clothes, with bowler hat and wicker cane. He’s just a comedian—a silly clown.  

But embodied in that simple outline is an extraordinarily complex figure, both on and behind the screen. Charlie is a tramp, yet with a refined air; he’s a prickly loner who shuns societal norms, yet who longs for love and acceptance. And Chaplin the man bore his own set of contradictions: the Brit who came to embody American comedy; a hero to the masses and a darling of the intellectual set; a lowly comedian who strove for artistic heights; a man who lived for the adulation of the crowd while simultaneously professing to be terrified of his audience.  

Pacific Film Archive is presenting a broad overview of the mercurial comedian’s work through Dec. 19. The retrospective covers all of Chaplin’s feature-length work and a handful of his earlier short films. A few will be presented as part of PFA’s “Matinees For All Ages” series of Saturday afternoon screenings, which come complete with free Fenton’s ice cream in the courtyard after the show. 

The series begins at 2 p.m. Sunday with one of the comedian’s greatest achievements. The Kid (1921) was his first foray into feature-length filmmaking and a breakthrough work in its blending of slapstick and sentiment, a mixture that would become Chaplin’s signature. The 60-minute film will screen along with a shorter comedy, The Pilgrim (1923). 

In the 1910s, screen comedians generally made short films, known as “two-reelers,” a reel running roughly 10 minutes. These were the hors d’oeuvres of the cinema experience, shown along with newsreels and cartoons before the feature. Most two-reelers consisted of knockabout slapstick and it was thought that such antics could not be sustained over the course of a full-length feature. Chaplin, however, from the beginning of his solo career in 1914, had set a new standard for slapstick, slowing the pace and establishing character, not roughhouse, as the primary source of comedy. By the time he made The Kid, his Little Tramp character was beloved the world over for his anarchic antics and impish temperament.  

Chaplin had started his film career with Mack Sennett’s Keystone studio before setting out on his own under the auspices of Essanay Studios here in the East Bay. After 14 films with Essanay, Chaplin negotiated a more lucrative and artistically independent contract with Mutual, where he made a dozen two-reelers that firmly established his reputation as the prevailing comedian of his day. This was his most concentrated and fruitful period, with each of the 12 films building on the achievements of its predecessor.  

When Chaplin left Mutual for First National, he didn’t do it for the money, nor for creative control, for he had plenty of both. What he sought was time; his new contract would relieve him of the pressure of turning out films on a predetermined schedule. He would finally have room to breathe.  

Enter Jackie Coogan. Chaplin had seen the 4-year-old boy performing with his father in a music hall and immediately signed the child for his next film. In Coogan Chaplin found his first and only true co-star, the only performer with whom he would share the screen as an equal. Coogan gave one of the screen’s truly great child performances and immediately established himself as a star. 

When Chaplin outlined the film’s plot and revealed to a colleague his plan to bring drama to low comedy, he was told it couldn’t be done, that each form required purity, and as a consequence at least one half of his story was bound to suffer. 

The Kid begins with the Tramp wandering alone through back alleys where he stumbles upon an abandoned baby and reluctantly adopts the child as his own. Here, for the first time, the Tramp seems to live a truly normal domestic existence as he raises Jackie until authorities come calling a few years later, taking the child from him by force. Again, Chaplin presents us with the Tramp as the perennial outsider, in the world but never part of it. In the end Charlie seems to gain entry into civilized society, but the image is somewhat incongruous as Chaplin intentionally leaves the conclusion ambiguous. 

With The Kid, Chaplin raised the emotional level to a new high, introducing true drama to his work. In the process he delved further into his own memories of childhood in an orphanage in the slums of England. The result was a deepening of the character of the Tramp in a film many critics consider his most successful creation—a near-perfect blending of pathos and humor. All of his films, Chaplin later noted, received mixed reviews, except for The Kid—for decades it was his one unanimously proclaimed triumph. 

Chaplin would of course go on to even more ambitious work. His later work would include three more masterpieces (The Gold Rush, The Circus, City Lights), two great but flawed films (Modern Times, The Great Dictator), and two solid late-career films (Monsieur Verdoux, Limelight). But The Kid holds a special spot in the Chaplin canon, for it represents the first full flowering of a mature artist.  

The Pilgrim 

Chaplin’s remaining films for First National during this period are something of a mixed bag, ranging from ambitious satiric slapstick (Shoulder Arms, The Pilgrim, A Dog’s Life) to simple two-reelers in the vein of his earlier work (Payday, A Day’s Pleasure), and one failure (Sunnyside). He was gradually lengthening his films, venturing into more complex comedic territory, but The Kid took so much of his time that he was obliged to crank out a few simpler films to satisfy distributors and theater owners.  

The Pilgrim is one of the better films from this era. It is essentially a classic Chaplin two-reeler expanded to four reels. Chaplin sets up the situation with superb efficiency. Within two minutes we have the basic outline: Escaped convict Charlie has traded his prison clothes for the unattended frock of a bathing priest. When Chaplin, in the minister’s clothing, arrives at the train station he finds himself in a series of hilariously unnecessary chases before boarding a train and stumbling into a fortuitous situation when he arrives in a Texas town and is mistaken for the long-awaited new preacher.  

Chaplin peppers the action with numerous sight gags that recall the convict’s unruly past. When he stands at the ticket window at the train station, he reflexively grasps the bars as though it were a cell. Out of habit, he crawls underneath the train as a stowaway before a conductor takes his ticket and guides him to a proper seat. When expected to deliver a sermon while masquerading as the Reverend Pim, he takes a drink from a glass of water and props his elbow on the podium while his foot reveals the character’s predilection for the wild life by searching habitually and in vain for a bar on which to rest.  

Though The Pilgrim doesn’t aim for the sort of emotional depth of The Kid, Chaplin again manages to straddle two worlds. His Tramp is both criminal and hero, a troubled outsider who strives for respectability—at least when respectability comes in the guise of alluring leading lady Edna Purviance. In the end he is released along the Mexican border by a benevolent sheriff, yet as he stands on Mexican soil and casts his arms wide in celebration of his freedom, a pack of desperadoes leaps from the underbrush and begins firing guns at one another—hardly a hospitable environment in which to start anew. Thus the Tramp flees by running gingerly along the border, one foot in each country, as always a citizen of the world, but without a home of his own.  

“Wow.” The word permeates The Life of Reilly, a new film of a one-man show by the late actor Charles Nelson Reilly. And with each utterance of the word, we get the sense that it’s the only time when this consummate entertainer is not totally in control of his performance. The word just seems to seep out, almost reflexively, at quiet moments during the show. It is as though Reilly himself is still marveling at his own past, reliving his memories, experiencing the formative events of his life all over again, but with the wisdom and awe of an older man keenly aware that he was too young to fully appreciate the depth, the pain, the humor and the madness of his life as he was living it.  

Charles Nelson Reilly was first and foremost a stage actor, on Broadway and off, as well as a comedian, director and acting teacher. But he had always dreamed of being on television, and that’s how he is best remembered, as a familiar face in dozens of television sitcoms, commercials, and, in the 1970s, as a flamboyant wit on campy game shows. He died earlier this year from complications of pneumonia at the age of 76. 

From 2000 to 2003, Reilly toured the country with a critically acclaimed one-man show entitled Save It for the Stage. Later, after Reilly had retired the show, directors Barry Poltermann and Frank Anderson persuaded the actor to revive it for just one night so that they could capture it on film. The three-hour show was re-fashioned in the editing room into a 90-minute film that opens this week at Shattuck Cinemas in downtown Berkeley.  

It is easy to see how this compelling performer could carry a live show for three hours, yet it is also understandable that the film’s producers would consider that a bit too long for a movie version. But one thing is clear: 90 minutes is just not enough. Reilly is outstanding—his performance is by turns hilarious and tragic, sarcastic and solemn, incredulous and insightful. Hopefully the DVD version will contain the full show, or at least a plentiful sampling of what was cut.  

Reilly took his original title, Save It for the Stage, from a repeated saying of his mother’s, an abrupt conversation-ending rebuke meant to discourage her son from discussing the family’s tragedies and secrets. And save it he did, for decades, until, in his golden years, he used it as the source material for this hilarious tour-de-force of confessional theater.  

Reilly’s performance is full of surprising twists and turns. Laugh lines are followed by poignant moments of pain and doubt. Dramatic scenes are punctuated by sudden outbursts and comic asides. “That’s called a dramatic turn,” Reilly informs the crowd at one point, with mock self-congratulation. “Very few actors can do that.” 

Reilly is just far too whimsical and self-deprecating an actor to play it straight. Every time he lures us into the story with his dramatic talents, he jolts us out of it with his humor, stepping outside the show to comment on the performance, on the staging, on the audience’s responses to the material. Humor is the lifeblood of the man and of the show. 

But when he speaks of the saving grace of laughter, Reilly doesn’t speak of it in philosophical terms; he doesn’t talk of recognizing the cosmic absurdity of life, though the implication is there, and lingers after the show’s conclusion. For a man with Reilly’s background and ambition, there was little time to sit back and marvel at God’s sense of humor. Instead he was developing his own, using it to battle against the precarious circumstances of a man of a particular upbringing, with a particular sexual orientation, chasing a particular dream in a particularly public arena.  

His youth was spent in a world of bitterness, recrimination and tragedy. Reilly’s mother was harsh and unyielding, prone to smashing the dreams of others before they could even take shape. She made her husband refuse Walt Disney’s invitation to collaborate in the great animator’s transition to color films; she tried mightily to foil her son’s ambition to act, first in grade school, then as an adult. Reilly’s father, crushed by unemployment and the missed opportunity of partnering with Disney, slipped into despair and institutionalization along a slope lubricated with alcohol, forcing his wife and son to move in with an extended family that included a lobotomized chain-smoking aunt.  

And when Reilly finally escaped from the madness and made his way to New York City, he was brought low at what he thought was the peak when the president of NBC extended the courtesy of bringing Reilly to the dizzying heights of his lofty Manhattan office only to tell the would-be star face to face that “they don’t allow queers on television.” 

So surely the man can be forgiven for having been too preoccupied to appreciate the absurdity of the universe. He had rent to pay. Laughter wasn’t a form of existential consolation; it was a survival mechanism, a crutch, a tool with which to survive from minute to minute and from day to day. But he had the talent and good fortune to transform that survival mechanism into a career—a career that ends with The Life of Reilly—a rousing artistic peak. 

Image: The late Charles Nelson Reilly on stage in his final performance.