FRIDAY, APRIL 25 

“Saying No to Torture” with Fr. Louie Vitale, at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Free, donations appreciated. Sponsored by Pace e Bene and Bay Area Religious Campaign Against Torture. 499-0537. 

“On Our Watch: The Urban Small Schools Symposium” Fri. and Sat. at EXCEL High School, 2607 Myrtle St., Oakland. For information see www.bayces.org 

Legacies of War and Center for Lao Studies Benefit performance of Refugee Nation and reception at 8 p.m. at La Pena Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568.  

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Margaret Conkey, Prof. of Anthropology, on “The Human Engagement with Art: Going Back to the Caves.” 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 524-7468.  

“The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker” with author Steven Greenhouse at noon at UC Berkeley Labor Center, 2521 Channing Way. 642-6371. 

“The Narrow Path” A film on the lifestyle of non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton and Oscar Romero at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Friends Church Sacramento & Cedar. www.berkeleyfriendschurch.org  

“The Real Dirt on Farmer John” A film on Growing food in our neighborhoods at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Hall, 1924 Cedar St at Bonita, a block east of MLK Jr Wy. Discussion follows. 540-1975 www.bfuu.org 

“Waiting to Inhale” A documentary on marijuana, medicine and the law at 6:30 p.m. at Wheeler Hall, UC Campus.  

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, APRIL 26 

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tour “The Elmwood: or “I Ain’t Gona Work on Kelsey’s Farm No More” from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $8-$10. For reservations call 848-0181. 

Berkeley Friends Church Annual Quaker Heritage Day “Quaker Testimonies in our Time Living the Quaker Question Now” from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Donation $15-$20. Reservations required. 524-4112. www.berkeleyfriendschurch.org 

Cerrito Creek Restoration Help Friends of Five Creeks on their resotation project, from 9 a.m. to noon at Creekside Park, south end of Santa Clara Ave., El Cerrito. Wear clothes that can get dirty, and shoes with good traction. BBQ for volunteers follows. 848-9358.  

Secret Garden Tour Benefit for the Park Day School, Oakland, on Sat. and Sun. For information call 653-6250. 

Vegetarian Cooking Class on Hearty Homestyle Italian from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. at Castro. Cost is $49 plus $5 materials fee. Wheelchair accessible. Regsisration required. 531-COOK. www.compassionatecooks.com  

Mini-Farmers in Tilden A farm exploration program, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. for ages 4-6 years, accompanied by an adult. We will explore the Little Farm, care for animals, do crafts and farm chores. Wear boots and dress to get dirty! Fee is $6-$8. Registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

Native Plant Garden Tour “Meet the Designers” A self-guided tour of gardens in Oakland and Berkeley, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost is $30. To register see www.bringinbackthenatives.net 

Spanish Language CPR Training for Berkeley residents, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Berkeley Adult School auditorium, 1701 San Pablo Ave. Lunch and childcare will be provided. To register call 848-9092, ext. 314. 

International Family Fair with a variety of live entertainment, games and activities for children, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at New School of Berkeley, Bonita St. at Cedar. 548-9165. newschoolofberkeley.org 

Asian Food and Cultural Fair “Not an Asian Ghetto: More than Just Take Out” from noon to 3 p.m. on Telegraph Ave., between Channing and Durant. Sponsored by UC Berkeley Asian Pacific American Coalition and the Telegraph BID.  

UC Botanical Garden Spring Plant Sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 200 Centennial Dr. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

Introduction to Homeopathy and Open House from 1 to 3 p.m. at Ohlone Herbal Center, 1654 University Ave. RSVP to health@homeopathy-academy.org  

Casino Royale Nite Benefit for Mercy Retirement & Care Center, with live music performed by Jazz 4U, food, raffle prizes, and games of chance, from 7 to 11 p.m. at St. Paschal’s Parish, 3700 Dorisa Ave., Oakland. Cost is $60. 534-8540, ext. 322 

Sparking Art with Soul: A Workshop for Arts Educators from noon to 4 p.m. at John F. Kennedy University Berkeley Campus, Berkeley Business Center, 2956 San Pablo Ave. Free, but registration required. www.jfku.edu 

Liturgical Praise Celebration in Dance at 3 p.m. at St. Paul AME Church, 2024 Ashby Ave. 848-2050.  

Ancestral DNA Testing Workshop from noon to 3 p.m. at the College of Alameda. Follow-up workshop to discuss results on May 17. Cost is $150. To register call 748-2352.  

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

SUNDAY, APRIL 27 

Berkeley City College Open House Noon to 5 p.m. at 2050 Center St., with games, tours, films, interactive workshops and more. 981-2852. www.berkeleycitycollege.edu  

People’s Park 39th Anniversary Celebration from noon to 6 p.m. with music and poetry, clowns and activities for children. 658-9178. 

“Berkeley and Military Recruiting: What is all the Fuss?” A town hall meeting at 4 p.m. at Redwood Gardens, 2951 Derby St. info@codepink.org 

“Environmental Heroes: Past, Present, and Future” An afternoon fundraising cruise on the San Francisco Bay, from 2-6 p.m., departing from the Berkeley Marina. Benefit for Shorebird Nature Center. Tickets are $65 per person; $75 for one adult and one child; $100 for two adults. Sponsored by Berkeley Partners for Parks at www.bpfp.org 

Meadow Meander Hike Join a five-mile hike to see the flowers, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Inspiration Point, Tilden Park. Bring layers and lunch. 525-2233. 

Bay-Friendly Garden Tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout Alameda County. Tour is free, but registration is required. www.BayFriendly.org 

Native Plant Garden Tour Meet designer Gary Schneider on a self-guided tour of gardens in Berkeley, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost is $30. To register see www.bringinbackthenatives.net 

The Friends of Sausal Creek Plant Sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Joaquin Miller Native Plant Nursery, with a demonstration garden of local native plants and a propagation talk at noon. 928-6675. www.sausalcreek.org 

Berkeley Citizens Action Endorsement Meeting for candidates running for the 14th Assembly District and 9th Senate District. Also hear presentations on Props. 98 and 99. From 4 to 6 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center, MLK and Hearst. 

El Cerrito Historical Society meets at 1 p.m. at the El Cerrito Senior Center, behind the El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave. 526-7507. www.elcerritowire.com/history 

“Boogie in the Books” meringue dance lessons with Gale Robinson followed by dancing, at 4 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6241. 

Oakland Community for Imigrant Rights Meeting for businesses and community members to defend against criminalization at 3 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Educational Center, 2825 International Blvd., Oakland. 535-1909. 

“Organic Gardening 101” Learn basics to get started growing your own food, herbs and flowers, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Oakland. Cost is $20-$25 sliding scale. www.sparkybeegirl.com/iuh.html 

“Creating Your Ecological House” Learn about natural building materials, solar design and alternative construction methods, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Building Education Center, 812 Page St. Cost is $85. RSVP to 525-7610. 

Berkeley City Club Tour of the “Little Castle” designed by Julia Morgan at 1:15, 2:15 and 3:15 p.m. at 2315 Durant Ave. 883-9710. 

Paddle Demonstration Day at the San Pablo Reservoir, from 10 a.m. to noon for REI members, noon to 3 p.m. for all. Free. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian. For information see www.rei.com/paddle 

Free Hands-on Bicycle Class on safety inpsections at 10 a.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

4th Annual Circus for Arts in the Schools at 1 and 4 p.m. at Kofman Auditorium, 2200 Central Ave, Alameda. Tickets are $10-$15. 800-838-3006. www.circusforarts.org 

“The Internet and the Truth” with salon.com writer Farhad Manjoo, Wikipedia Foundation general counsel Mike Godwin, and blogger Zo Spencer at 4 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $15. Sponsored by Berkeley Cybersalon. www.sylviapaull.com 

“Women Philosophers: Nancy Cartwright” A lecture by H.D. Moe at 11 a.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland.  

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

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712.  

Berkeley Chess Club meets every Sun. at 7 p.m. at the Hillside School, 1581 Le Roy Ave. 843-0150. 

Tibetan Buddhism with Jack Petranker on “Experiments in Awareness: Going Deeper than Our Stories” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000. 

MONDAY, APRIL 28 

“Environmental Impact: The New Deal and Berkeley’s Environment” with Gray Brechin at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, central meeting room, 2090 Kittredge.  

Kensington Library Book Club meets to discuss “Blindness” by Jose Saramago at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

World Affairs/Politics Discussion Group, for people 60 years and over, meets at 9:45 a.m. at Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave, Albany. Cost is $3. 

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

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

TUESDAY, APRIL 29 

Tuesdays for the Birds Tranquil bird walks in local parklands, led by Bethany Facendini, from 7 to 9:30 a.m. Today we will visit Arrowhead Marsh at the Martin Luther King Regional Shoreline. Call for meeting place and if you need to borrow binoculars. 525-2233. 

“Berkeley, A City of Firsts” Opening reception at 3 p.m. at Berkeley History Center, 1931 Center St. 848-0181. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/histsoc/ 

“The Meaning of Worship in Islam” with Dr. Mahmoud Mustafa Ayoub, retired professor of Islamic studies and comparative religion at Temple University at 11:10 a.m. at Pacific School of Religion Chapel, 1798 Scenic Ave. 

“Living into Leadership” A lecture by author Buzz McCoy at 4:30 p.m. at Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave. For information call 849-8253.  

CalPERS Retirement Planning Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at California State University East Bay Oakland Center, 1000 Broadway, Oakland. 916-795-3991. 

“Fibromyalgia: Holistic Approach to Chronic Pain and Fatigue” at 7 p.m. at Piedmont Adult School, 800 Magnolia St. Cost is $23. Registration required. 594-2655.  

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

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

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 

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. Sponsored by the Ecology Center’s Farm Fresh Choice. 848-1704. www.ecologycenter.org 

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

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

Sing-A-Long Group from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masoni Ave., Albany. 524-9122. 

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

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30 

State Legislature Candidates Forum with candidates for the 14th Assembly District and 9th State Sentate District at 5:30 p.m. at Spengers Fresh Fish Grotto, 1919 Fourth St. Sponsored by the Berkeley, Emeryville and Richmond Chambers of Commerce. Cost is $10. Register on line at www.berkeleychamber.com 

“A History of Misunderstandings?” with Wen-hsin Yeh, Prof. of History, U.C. Berkeley in a keynote talk for the May 1 seminar on "A Beijing Olympics Primer: Place, Performance, and Performative Space" at 6 p.m. at 150 University Hall, UC Campus. Cost is $10. 642-2809. ieas.berkeley.edu 

“No End in Sight” A documentary on failed US policies, at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation $5. www.Humanist Hall.org 

“Julia Robinson and Hilbert’s Tenth Problem” A film by George Csicsery at 7 p.m. at the Chan Shun Auditorium in Rm. 2050 Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Campus. 642-0143. www.msri.org  

“Sex and the Single Savior: Gender and Sexuality in Biblical Interpretation” with Prof. Dale Martin, Yale Univ. at 6:30 p.m. at the Badé Museum, Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave. For information call 849-8253.  

Small Business Loan Application Night Information from Lenders for Community Development which provides loans and business consulting to low-income business owners who cannot qualify for bank loans at 5:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 1-866-299-8173. www.L4CD.com 

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. Everyone is welcome, wear comfortable shoes and a warm hat. 548-9840. 

Theraputic Recreation at the Berkeley Warm Pool, Wed. at 3:30 p.m. and Sat. at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley Warm Pool, 2245 Milvia St. Cost is $4-$5. Bring a towel. 632-9369. 

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 

Teen Chess Club from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the North Branch Library, 1170 The Alameda at Hopkins. 981-6133. 

Morning Meditation Every Mon., Wed., and Fri. at 7:45 a.m. at Rudramandir, 830 Bancroft Way at 6th. 486-8700. 

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.  

CITY MEETINGS 

Council Agenda Committee meets Mon., April 14, April 28, at 2:30 p.m., at 2180 Milvia St. 981-6900.  

Parks and Recreation Commission meets Mon., April 28, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5158.

FRIDAY, APRIL 25 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “Uncle Vanya” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave., through May 17. Tickets are $10-$12.. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org  

Aurora Theatre “The Trojan Women” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through May 11. Tickets are $40-$42. 843-4822.  

Berkeley High School “Grease” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m., through May 3 at Florence Schwimley Little Theater, BHS Campus. Dance contest at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5-$15. hypedrama@aol.com 

California Conservatory Theatre “The Turn of the Screw” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at 999 East 14th St., San Leandro City Hall Complex, near BART, through April 27. Tickets are $20-$22. 632-8850. 

Contra Costa Cvic Theater “Foxfire” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave. at Moeser, El Cerrito, through May 11. Tickets are $11-$18. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Masquers Playhouse “Tartuffe” Fri.-Sat. at 8 p.m., at 105 Park Place, Pt. Richmond, through April 26. Tickets are $18. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

“Refugee Nation” Stories of Laotian refugees and their descendants, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Shotgun Players “Mrs. Warren’s Profession” by George Bernard Shaw. Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m., through April 27, at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. Tickets are $17-$25. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

Theatre de la Jeune Lune “Figaro” through June 8 at Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St. Tickets are $13.50-$69. 647-2949. 

TheatreFirst “Future Me” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., through May 3. Tickets are $23-$28. 436-5085. www.theatrefirst.com 

EXHIBITIONS 

El Cerrito Art Association Annual Art Show, featuring “How I See Emotion” and “Art from Scrap.” Reception at 7 p.m. at El Cerrito Community Center at 7007 Moeser Lane, El Cerrito. Exhibition open Sat. from 1o a.m to 5 p.m. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  

Works by Lori-Marie Jenkins, assemblage, collage and sculpture. Opening reception st 7 p.m. at Eclectix Gallery, 7523 Farimount Ave, El Cerrito. www.eclectixgallery.com 

FILM 

“Mad Hot Ballroom” at 3:30 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. Folowed by “Boogie in the Books” dance lessons in the library on Sun. April 27 from 4 to 6 p.m. 981-6241. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Lynne Knight, Nina Lindsay, Murray Silverstein and Helen Wickes read their poems for National Poetry month at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Garrett Murphy and Steve Martinot read their poetry, followed by open mic at 7 p.m. at Expressions Gallery, 2035 Ashby Ave. www.expressionsgallery.org 

Steven Greenhouse describes “The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker” at noon at UC Berkeley Labor Center, 2521 Channing Way. 642-6371. 

Kevin Phillips describes “Bad Money: Wreckless Finance, Failed Politics, and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way at Dana. Free. 559-9500.  

Bill Soto-Castellanos reads from “16th & Bryant: My Life and Education with the San Francisco Seals” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Bay Area Classical Harmonies with Donne Di Mezze at 7:30 p.m. at The Pro Arts Gallery, 550 Second St., Oakland. Tickets are $12-$18. 868-0695.  

Berkeley Dance Project 2008 Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Zellerbach Playhouse, UC Campus. Tickets are $8-$14. 642-8827. theater.berkeley.edu 

Ramblin Jack Elliott and Country Joe McDonald An evening of song, stories and more at 7:30 p.m. at Cafe de la Paz, 1600 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $40. 843-0662. 

David Berkman New Trio at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15-$18. 845-5373.  

Daria & Her Trio with Frank Martin at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ.  

The Uptones and a Shakin’ Dance Contest at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054. 

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

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

DJ Fflood, rare vinyl remixes and mashups, at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Pulling Teeth, Conquest for Death Circles at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $8. 525-9926. 

The P-PL at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Raya Nova, alt rock and latin, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SATURDAY, APRIL 26 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Colibri, songs from Latin America at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5 for adults, $4 for children. 849-2568.  

Active Arts Theatre, “The Emperor’s New Clothes” Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $14-$18. www.activeartstheatre.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“In the Midst of Things: Street Photography 1988 - 2008” Black and white photographs by Ilona Sturm. Opening reception at 5 p.m. at Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Exhibit runs through May 17. Gallery hours Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat. 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 644-1400. 

THEATER 

San Leandro Players “Redwood Curtain” Sat. at 8 p.m. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at San Leandro Museum Auditorium, Casa Peralta, 320 W. Estudillo Ave., through May 4. Tickets are $10-$15. 895-2573. www.sanleandroplayers.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

National Poetry Month Reading Celebrating the Bicentennial of the Birth of John Greenleaf Whittier, at 2 p.m. in the Poetry Garden, Berkeley Arts Magnet/Whittier School, Milvia and Lincoln. Open Mic follows, children and their poems especially welcome. 

2nd Annual Bay Area JazzPoetry Festival at 7 p.m. at Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Tickets are $20. 848-3227. www.hillsideclub.org 

Poems Here and There, featuring readings by Jeff T. Johnson, Kaya Oakes, Claire Donato, Jesse Nathan, Jared Hawkley, at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Jared Bernstein reads from “Crunch: Why Do I Feel So Squeezed (And Other Unsolved Economic Mysteries)” at 7 p.m. at Cody's Books, 2201 Shattuck Ave. 559-9500. 

Sparking Art with Soul: A Workshop for Arts Educators from noon to 4 p.m. at John F. Kennedy University, Berkeley Business Center, 2956 San Pablo Ave. Free, but registration required. www.jfku.edu 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Chelle and Friends “The Queens of New Orleans” at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $10-$15, children under 12 free. 228-3218. 

Benefit Concert for AIDS/Lifecycle with GQ Wang, tenor, Gemini Soul, jazz quartet, members of Oakland Youth Orchestra and others at 7:30 p.m. at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Donation $15-$25. 449-4402. 

Heidi Hau, piano, performs works of Debussy, at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St. Cost is $8-$12. 549-3864.  

Korean-American Annual Cultural Show at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Cost is $5. 

Ramblin Jack Elliott and Country Joe McDonald An evening of song, stories and more at 7:30 p.m. at Cafe de la Paz. Tickets are $40. 843-0662. 

Kitka: Nostalgic Cafe Songs from Bosnia, Croatia and Beyond at 8 p.m. at First Unitarian Church, 685 14th St., Oakland. Tickets are $18-$25. 444-0323. 

University Chorus at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $4-$12. 642-4864.  

Lady Bianca Blues Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ.  

Baba Ken & the Afro-Groove Connexion at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. African dance lesson at 9 p.m. Cost is $10-$15. 525-5054. 

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

“Archeology of Memory: Villa Grimaldi in Three Cantos” at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373.  

Zoe Ellis Group, jazz, blues, at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Big Lion, folk-rock, at 9:45 p.m. at Beckett’s, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Moment’s Notice Improvised music, dance and theater at 8 p.m. at Western Sky Studio, 2525 Eighth St. Tickets are $8-$15. 

Space Heater at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Guttermouth, United Defiance, Pour Habit at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

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

SUNDAY, APRIL 27 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Berkeley, A City of Firsts” Exhibition opening from 3 to 5 p.m. at Berkeley Historical Society, Vterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St The exhibit runs to September 27. Regular hours are Thurs.-Sat. 1- 4 p.m. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/histsoc/ 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Caroline Murphy reads from “Murder of a Medici Princess” at 4 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MATRIX/REDUX A conversation with Peter Doig and Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson at 3 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

“Pearls from the Sea: Music & Dance of Tahiti” Lecture and video at 3 p.m. at Expressions Gallery 2035 Ashby Ave. www.expressionsgallery.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Community Orchestra “The Mozart Requiem” at 4:30 p.m. at St. Joseph The Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Free, donations appreciated. 

California Bach Society Cantatas by Buxtehude and Bach at 4 p.m. atSt. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way, at Ellsworth. Tickets are $10-$25. 415-262-0272.  

Balkan Cabaret Sevdah Singing Workshop with Mary Sherhart from 3 to 5 p.m. at First Unitarian Church, 685 14th St., Oakland. Tickets are $20. 444-0323.  

Qui, Emerald Bay, hip-hop cypher for the whole family at 8 p.m. at Epic Arts Studios, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cos tis $5.  

University Wind Ensemble at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $4-$12. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Salvadora Galan, flamenco, at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $12-$14. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Dima Birich & Calvin Keys at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Tribute to Vibraphonist Cal Tjader at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15-$18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Patty Larkin with Peter Mulvey at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $24.50-$25.50. 548-1761.  

The Estranged, Spectres, Stiff Jeans at 5 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

MONDAY, APRIL 28 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Subterranean Shakespeare Intensive staged reading of “Cymbeline” at 7:30 p.m. at The Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship, Fireside Room, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. Tickets are $5. 276-3871. 

Art, Technology and Culture Colloquium “The Medium is not the Message” with Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson, at 7:30 p.m. at 160 Kroeber Hall, UC Campus. 643-9565.  

Steven Farmer and Steve Dickison, poets, with music by John Schott, at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Poetry Express “Favorite Poems Night” for National Poetry Month at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

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

Classical at the Freight: Johannes Brahms’ 175th Birthday Celebration at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $6.50-$7.50. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

Cowboy Junkies at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $30. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

TUESDAY, APRIL 29 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Berkeley, A City of Firsts” Opening reception from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Berkeley History Center, 1931 Center St. 848-0181. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/histsoc 

“Interplay” Works by David Kwan, Nora Pauwels, Bartosz Posacki, and Steve Reich. Gallery talk with the artists at 7 p.m. at Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977. www.kala.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Paintings around Practice: Unflattening Kano Eitoku’s Landscape Paintings at Jukoin” with Prof.Gregory Levine, Art History, UC Berkeley at 5 p.m. at Jodo Shinshu Center, 2140 Durant Ave. 809-1444.  

Rabih Alameddine reads from “The Hakawati,” a novel at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books, 2201 Shattuck Ave. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

T-Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $12. 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 

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

Led Kaapana & Mike Kaawa at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $14-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30 

CHILDREN 

Pee Wee Mariachi Children’s games and music from Mexico at 6 p.m. at West Branch, 1125 University Ave. Free, but arrive ealry as space is limited.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Michael Eric Dyson describes “Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Death and How It Changed America” at 6:30 p.m. at East Bay Church of Religious Science, 41st St. and Telegraph, Oakland.  

Rachel Sontag reads from “The House Rules” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books, 2201 Shattuck Ave. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert, with Javanese Gamelan at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Icarus Junior in concert at 2 p.m. at Crowden Music Center, 1475 Rose St. Free. 559-6910. 

Rivka Amando at 7 p.m. at Le Bateau Ivre, 2629 Telegraph Ave. www.lebateauivre.net 

UC Jazz and SF Jazz All-star Combo at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Kurt Ribak Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

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

Benny Velverde y su Super Combo at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, MAY 1 

THEATER 

Eastenders Repertory Company “Three Vanek Plays” by Vaclev Havel, Thurs. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at JCC East Bay. Tickets are $15-$20. 800-838-3006. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Lunch Poems Student readings at 12:10 p.m. at Morrison Library, Doe Library. 642-0137. lunchpoems.berkeley.edu 

Lytle Shaw, Holloway Lecturer in the Practice of Poetry, reads at 6:30 p.m. at 315 Wheeler Hall, The Maude Fife Room, UC Campus. 642-3467. http://holloway.english.berkeley.edu 

Chana Bloch, poet, reads at 7 p.m., followed by open mic, at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. Albany. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Akademie Ensemble with Kent Nagano and Stuart Chanin at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $20-$60. 841-2800. www.berkeleysymphony.org 

Icarus Ensemble, contemporary music group from Italy, in concert at noon at Crowden Music Center, 1475 Rose St. Free. 559-6910. 

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

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

Over the Edge Guitar/violin and vocals at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Mauricio Diaz El Hueso and Fernandito Ferrer, young singer-songwriters from Mexico and Puerto Rico, at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

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

Rachelle Ferrell at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $26-$30. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

If I’d had a normal life, I could’ve been a Schopenhauer or a Dostoyevsky!” Funny, awkward explosions like that are rare but significant moments in Chekhov’s plays, which—as one spectator at the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley production of Uncle Vanya put it—seem to run on the rhythms of “the comedy of everyday life.” 

The blend of comedy and tragedy, as director Stanley Spenger (who also plays Vanya) put it in his notes, links Chekhov to Pirandello and Beckett as a predecessor to the “Theatre of the Absurd.” 

Even a generation ago, this analysis would have been met with blank stares by many theatergoers and theater folk themselves. Stanislavsky, whose Mos-cow Art Theatre gained its enduring reputation through premiering Chekhov’s new kind of drama—in which nothing seems to happen but everything is somehow communicated—canonized an interpretation, over the objections of the playwright, which emphasized the more pathetic, emotional aspects rather than the humor that conditions them. (Elia Kazan did something similar with the often Chaplinesque plays of Tennessee Williams.) 

Chekhov’s characters are grotesques in something of the way Sherwood Anderson meant the term to be used. A commercially successful writer of short stories and humorous vaudeville sketches, Chekhov carried over the comic style innovatively into his longer plays, in which a character will even comment on one mood, act out another, then self-consciously comment on that, circling back into a spiral of repeated assertions and mannerisms fitted and refitted together, a real-life stylization of a comic or clown’s routine. 

(In fact, V.S. Meyerhold, the great Soviet director, who said “the grotesque is the triumph of form over content” and who insisted that the poetry in Chekhov was in the rhythm of the lines, may have realized his notion of “attractions,” staging a play in units reminiscent of a circus or sideshow, partly through his understanding of Chekhov’s vaudevillian form. 

Meyerhold initiated several Chekhov roles under Stanislavsky’s direction, was close to the playwright, directing his plays and corresponding with him before Chekhov’s death at 40. The playwright never realized his announced intention to write more stylized works.)  

A rough synopsis of Uncle Vanya sounds like a pathetically funny melodrama, a social farce in a way. Vanya and Sonya, the daughter of his dead beloved sister, work hard managing the family’s country estate to support the urban life and intellectual activities of Sonia’s father, the Professor, who’s remarried a younger woman. The couple has recently moved to the estate, throwing its quiet life topsy-turvy. Vanya and the district’s doctor (loved unrequitedly by Sonya) have both fallen in love with the Professor’s demure young wife, and Vanya has lost faith with the Professor’s genius (though his aged mother’s still under his spell), thinking of him as epitomizing what Kierkegaard meant when he called a certain type of brilliant-seeming intellectual go-round a “scintillating inactivity.” The pot’s heated up, and soon boils over. 

The directorial troika has assembled a very sympathetic cast: besides Spenger, Scott Alexander Ayres, Maureen Coyne, Jose Garcia, Martha Luermann, Sarah Meyeroff, Aaron Murphy, Jennifer Rice and Jerome Solberg. 

On opening night, they hadn’t quite gelled into an ensemble, with the best work by Luermann throughout, and increasingly better work by Rice, Ayres, Garcia and Murphy as the evening went on and the play opened up. Spenger himself was showing Vanya’s more pathetic, acerbic and self-pitying side over both his underlying, idealized stoicism and caricaturized Romanticism. But a second night spectator reported that problems seemed to be no more than opening night jitters.  

Spenger directed a very credible Hedda Gabler last year for Actors Ensemble, and now Chekhov: They aren’t afraid of the most difficult modern classics. And with a surprising Barefoot in the Park, directed by Barkan with Carlson’s assistance, Actors Ensemble shows it can do the most sparkling entertainment as well. Rose Anne Raphael’s flexible set design and Helen Slomowitz’s usual excellence in costuming, on a shoestring budget no doubt, add to the can-do sense of Vanya and Actors Ensemble’s recent productions—another reason we’re lucky with our local community theaters. 

UNCLE VANYA 

Presented by Actors Ensemble at 8 p.m.  

Fridays and Saturdays through May 17 at  

Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Av. $10-$12.  

649-5999. UNCLE VANYA Tickets 

Guitarist John Schott will join poet Steve Dickison in an unusual “back and forth, call and response” poetry and music improvisation as part of this coming Monday At Moe’s reading series, 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books on Telegraph Ave. Admission is free. 

Poet Steve Farmer will also read. 

Owen Hill, who coordinates the reading series at Moe’s, explained how the show got put together after Dickison’s book Disposed (Post-Apollo Press) was published last year. The book earned him the Poet to Watch distinction from Independent Bookstores Awards, for which Hill was a reader. 

“It’s rare for him to publish,” Hill said. “He’s better known for being the director of the Poetry Center at San Francisco State and for his work with Small Press Distribution. He’s a regular customer at Moe’s, so it was easy to convince him to read. He chose Steve Farmer as co-reader, and I thought of John Schott playing as an interesting combination with Steve’s poems, which are jazzy. John’s playing is all over the map, but I think of him as a jazz guitarist. And I didn’t know they knew each other. So they’ve worked something out to perform together, besides a solo set each.” 

Dickison said he has known Schott since the days that Yoshi’s was open on Claremont, before the club moved to Jack London Square. 

“Going ’way back to the days Yoshi’s was on Claremont near College, when he and Ben Goldberg worked in tandem a lot, in bands like Junk Genius, which played a lot of Monk and other bop-inspired work with sidemen who’ve since moved to New York,” Dickson said. “And I miss the old Beanbenders series on Shattuck, that musician-run thing that was done really out of pocket. You knew every Sunday you could walk downtown to the old bank and hear really amazing music. John played there a lot.” 

Dickison went on: “When I got to know John better and went over to his house, I found he was a deep reader of poetry. At his ’Round Midnight concert recently—he called it a midrash!—he had a table out with books, not just about Monk, but also Alfred Lord on the oral tradition in epic poetry.” 

Schott and Dickison are both Berkeley residents, “right around the corner from each other. I’m on Blake, which really was named after William Blake, and John’s on Parker. I like to think it was named after Charlie Parker!” 

Dickison even took guitar lessons from Schott a few years back. “I found out John’s been reading my book, so suggested we trade off in the call-and-response tradition,” he said. “What he plays will dictate what I read, and so on.” 

Steve Farmer, who lives in the Danville area, has put out books of poetry that include Medieval (Krupskaya, 1999) and Coracle (1988).