MONDAY, JULY 7 

Mel Lavine, author and journalist will speak at the Brown Bag Speaker’s Forum, at 12:30 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Freedom from Tobacco Quit Smoking Class A free and confidential quit group provided by the City of Berkeley Tobacco Prevention Program, Mon. July 7 to Aug. 11 at South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St., at Ashby Ave To register call 981-5330. QuitNow@ci.berkeley.ca.us  

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. Join us to work on current issues around police misconduct. Volunteers needed. For information call 548-0425. 

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

Free Boatbuilding Classes for Youth Mon.-Wed. from 3 to 7 p.m. at Berkeley Boathouse, 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Classes cover woodworking, boatbuilding, and boat repair. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

TUESDAY, JULY 8 

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 the Richmond Marina. Call for meeting place and if you need to borrow binoculars. 525-2233. 

Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Park A presentation on local history and the latest park development plans, at 10 a.m. at the Richmond Marina, Harbor Master’s Building. Registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

Audubon Nature Studies “Birds & Butterflies: Easy Garden Enchantment” A series of four Tues. eve. classes at 7 p.m. and a field trip, at Albany Adult School, 601 San Gabriel, Albany. Cost is $40. 559-6580. 

Vitamin D Deficiency & Sun Screens at 7:30 p.m. at Elephant Pharm, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

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

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

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. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. We offer ongoing classes in exercise and creative arts, and always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

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

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9 

Nature’s Engineers Learn how creatures in the rain forest make their homes at 12:30 and 2 p.m. at Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Drive. 642-5132. www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

Sudden Oak Death Preventative Treament Training Session Meet at 1 p.m. at the Tolman Hall portico, Hearst Ave. and Arch/LeConte, UC Campus for a two-hour field session, rain or shine. Pre-registration required. SODtreatment@ 

nature.berkeley.edu 

“Discussion with Oakland CEO’s & Executives” featuring Tim Westergren of Pandora at 11:45 a.m. at Oakland Council Chambers, Oakland City Hall, 14th and Broadway. 238-3627. 

“Growing Up in the Universe” A film by Richard Dawkins at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation $5. www.Humanist Hall.org 

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

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

geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

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

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. 

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

Berkeley CopWatch Drop-in office hours from 6 to 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

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

THURSDAY, JULY 10 

East Bay Mac Users Group meets to discuss REALbasic & REALSQL at 7:15 p.m. at Expression College for Digital Arts, 6601 Shellmound St., Emeryville. http://ebmug.org 

Temescal Street Cinema “Runners High” at 8:30 p.m. outdoors at 49th and Telegraph. Bring a chair. www.temescalstreetcolletive.org 

Fitness Class for 55+ at 9:15 a.m. at Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

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

World of Plants Tours Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 p.m. at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $5. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

FRIDAY, JULY 11 

LaborFest 2008 International Working Class Film and Video Festival “The International/Beynelmilel” at 7 p.m. at Niebyl Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. Donation requested. 

Fearless Meditation I The practice of the body from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Center for Urban Peace, 2584 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Cost is $20-$30, no one turned away. RSVP required. 1-866-732-2320. 

“Raising the Rail: Suicide and the Golden Gate Bridge” with two different kinds of survivors: David Hull & Kevin Hines at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Free, donations accepted. www.bridgerail.org 

Arts & Crafts Lover’s Sale Gala Early Bird Party at 7 p.m. at Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. at Arch. Cost is $20. 527-6399. www.hillsideclub.org 

Bauman College Open House “Careers in Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts” from 6 to 9 p.m. at 3901 Grayson St. 800-987-7530. www.baumancollege.org 

Summer Outdoor Movie Series “Like Water for Chocolate” at 8:30 p.m. at Charles Chocolates, 6529 Hollis St, Emeryville. Free. Bring a chair or blanket. 652-4412, ext. 311. 

“What is the Jewish Bible?” at 6:15 p.m. at JGate, near El Cerrito Plaza. RSVP to 559-8140. 

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, JULY 12 

Botanic Art Workshop with Andie Thrams on techniques for working outdoors to capture botanical detail, pattern color, light and shadow. For ages 12 and up. From 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $60-$70. Registration required. 238-2365. www.museumca.org 

Walking Tour of Temescal sponsored by Oakland Heritage Alliance. Meet at 10 a.m. at Genova Delicatessen, 5095 Telegraph Ave., in the shopping center, to explore the commercial district that developed around the Oakland Street Car Barn. Cost is $10-$15. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

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. 

Brooks Island Boat Trip Join a guided boat trip across the Richmond Harbor to Brooks Island to explore the island’s natural and cultural history, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For experienced boaters who can provide their own kayak and safety gear. Cost is $20-$22. Registration required. 1-888-EB-PARKS. 

“Feast for the Beast” Bring your fresh produce and help feed the elephants, and build enrichment boxes for the lions and tigers. Breaksfast for humans at 9 a.m. For more information 632-9525, ext. 131. 

Arts & Crafts Lover’s Sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. at Arch. Cost is $5. 527-6399. www.hillsideclub.org 

Live Art for Progress Hip Hop and Graffiti art to get youth involved in political ativism, from 1-5 p.m. at Peoples Park. www.wearstrong.org 

East Bay Baby Fair, with resources for new and expecting parents, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Albany Veterans Memorial Building, 1325 Portland Ave., Albany. 540-7210. 

US-Nepal Technology Development Conference Sat. and Sun. in the Maude Fife Room, 315 Wheeler Hall, UC Campus. Detailed information is available at www.can-usa.org/description.php. 

The East Bay Chapter of The Great War Society meets at 10:30 a.m. at the South Branch of the Berkeley Library, Russell at MLK. The speaker will be Robert Denison on “The Role of Topography in the Battles of the Western Front & The First World War-Birth of Modern Style Warfare.” 527-7718. 

Summer Board Game Days from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

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

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

Oakland Artisans Marketplace Sat. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jack London Square. 238-4948. 

SUNDAY, JULY 13 

Introduction to Fly-Fishing Learn how to cast at Lake Anza, then learn the details of knots, fly selection, reading the water and more, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lake Anza, Tilden Regional Park. Cost is $60-$66. Registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. www.ebparks.org  

Creative Outdoor Fun, in conjunction with the Oakland Museum of California’ exhibit “In Our Own Backyard” for children ages 7 and up from noon to 4 p.m. in a local park. Cost is $15-$35. Registration required. 238-2365. www.museumca.org 

Walking Tour of Mountain View Cemetery sponsored by Oakland Heritage Alliance. Meet at 10 a.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. Cost is $10-$15. 763-9218.  

The Ponds of Our Lives Learn about life in the ponds, then use nets to investigate this dynamic habitat, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Free Hands-on Bicycle Clinic Learn how to do a safety inspection, at 10 a.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Bring your bike and tools. 527-4140. 

LaborFest 2008 “19th Century Working Pepole of Berkeley” A walking tour with author Richard Schwartz, at 1 p.m. at the north east corner of Shattuck and Haste.  

“Congregational Song and the Arts: Gifts for Worship and Ministry” A conference of The Hymn Society, Sun.-Thurs. in Berkeley. Free, and open to the public. For details see www.thehymnsociety.org 

Magnes Friends and Family Day at the new future home of the Magnes Museum from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2222 Harold Way, across from the Berkeley Public Library. 549-6950. 

Social Action Forum with Marilyn Langlois on “Arbitration in Community Conflict Resolution” at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensigton. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

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 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 

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 “Right Here, Right Now: The Heart of Who You Are” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

Ecstatic Dance East Bay, freeform dance and movement every Sun. at 10:30 am. at Historic Sweets Ballroom, 1933 Broadway, Oakland. Cost is $15. www.ecstaticdanceeastbay.com 

Sew Your Own Open Studio Come learn to use our industrial and domestic machines, or work on your own projects, from 4 to 8 p.m. at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Also on Fri. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $5 per hour. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

ONGOING 

Summer Lunch For Kids & Teens from June 16 to August 15 Meal sites are located at various schools and community centers throughout Oakland and Alameda County. For information call 800-870-3663 for a meal site near you or visit www.summerlunch.org To make a donation see www.accfb.org  

CITY MEETINGS 

Landmarks Preservation Commission meets Thurs., July 3, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7419.  

Community Environmental Advisory Commission meets Thurs., July 3 , at 7 p.m., at 2118 Milvia St. Nabil Al-Hadithy, 981-7461.  

Housing Advisory Commission meets Thurs., July 3, at 7 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Oscar Sung, 981-5400.  

Peace and Justice Commission meets Mon., July 7, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Manuel Hector, 981-5510.  

City Council meets Tues., July 8, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Commission on Disability meets Wed., July 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6346. TDD: 981-6345.  

Homeless Commission meets Wed., July 9, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5426.  

Police Review Commission meets Wed., July 9, at the South Berkeley Senior Center, 981-4950.  

Commission on Early Childhood Education meets Thurs. July 10 , at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5428.  

Community Health Commission meets Thurs., July 10, at 6:45 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5356.  

Public Works Commission meets Thurs., July 10, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6406.  

West Berkeley Project Area Commission meets Thurs., July 10, at 7 p.m., at the West Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7520.  

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., July 10, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. 981-7410.

MONDAY, JULY 7 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Beverly Trieber and Rosita Pardo: A Retrospective” opens at NIAD, National Institute of Art and Disabilities, 551 23rd St. Richmond, and runs to Sept. 26. 620-0290. www.niadart.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Josh Emmons reads from his new novel “Prescription for a Superior Existence” at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Poetry Express with Manual Garcia, Jr. at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Stanley Jordan with Charnett Moffett and Kenwood Dennard at 8 and 10 p.m., through Wed. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

TUESDAY, JULY 8 

CHILDREN 

Ane Carla Rovetta, storyteller, at 6:30 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “Stagecoach” 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 

Michael Nicoloff and Alli Warren read from their recent works at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Zach Plague reads from his novel “Boring, Boring, Boring, Boring, Boring, Boring, Boring” at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tom Rigney & Flambeau at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 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 

Benefit Concert for Paul McBride with Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum & Home Run Jethro, Julay Brooks & Friends, and Conspiracy of Venus at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9 

EXHIBITIONS 

East Bay Women Artists “Summer Artistry” Works by Benny Alba, Norma Anderson Fox, Virginia Dorn, Olivia Eielson, Gwen Halpin, Mei-Yu Lo, and Rita Sklar, through Sept. 6, at Royal Ground Gallery, 2058 Mountain Blvd., Monclair. 841-0441. 

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “The Shanghai Gesture” 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 

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

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Summer Sounds at Oakland City Center with Napata and Her Kisses, motown, R&B, at noon at 12th and Broadway, Oakland.  

Greg Murai “Unveiling a Song” Contemporary music at 6 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Broadway, Oakland. 444-3555. www.firstchurchoakland.org 

Gillian Harwin & Gotham Groovers at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

The Cataracs at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Taj Weekes & Adowa at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

THURSDAY, JULY 10 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Out from Under” Oil paintings of George A. Sariot opens at the Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. and runs through July 31. 848-1228. giorgigallery.com 

FILM 

Hecho por México: The Films of Gabriel Figueroa “Let’s Go with Pancho Villa!” at 6:30 p.m. and “The Pearl” at 8:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Artist Support Group Speaker Series with Cheryl Haines, owner, Cheryl Haines Gallery, SF, at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park. Cost is $8-$10. 644-6893. 

Adam David Miller discusses “Ticket to Exile” his memoir about growing up in the Jim Crow South at 7 p.m. at Revolution Books, 2425 Channing Way. 848-1196. www.revolutionbooks.org 

Toni Martin reads from “When the Personal Was Political: Five Women Doctors Look Back” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Nesta Rovina wil resd from her new book “Tree Barking” at 7 p.m. at Rebecca’s Books, 3268 Adeline St. 852-4768. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The California Honeydrops, New Orleans roots and blues, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

The Dooors Legacy Band, at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9. 841-2082.  

The Rippingtons, featuring Russ Freeman at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $24-$28. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Beep! Quartet, with pianist Michael Coleman, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

FRIDAY, JULY 11 

THEATER 

Altarena Playhouse “Hay Fever” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Aug. 9. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Aurora Theatre “The Busy World is Hushed” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through July 20. Tickets are $40-$42. 843-4822. auoratheatre.org 

Citizen Josh with Josh Kornbluth Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. Sun. 5 p.m., at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. through July 20. Tickets are $20-$25. 841-6500, ext. 303. www.shotgunplayers.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Kiss Me Kate” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through Aug. 3. Tickets are $15-$24. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Subterranean Shakespeare “The Merry Wives of Windsor” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at The Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Tickets are $12-$17. For reservations call 276-3871.  

Westminster Summer Musicals “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” Fri. - Sun. at 8 p.m., through July 20 at Woodminster Amphitheater, 3300 Jaoquin Miller Rod, Oakland. Tickets are $23-$38. 531-9597.  

Woman’s Will “The Good Person of Szechuan” at 6 p.m. and Sat. and Sun. at 1 p.m. at John Hinkle Park. Fri. tickets are $25. For additional performances see www.womanswill.org 

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “Paths of Glory” at 7 p.m. and “The Killing” at 8:45 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Kirk Lumpkin and Erin Elliot read their poetry at 7 p.m. at Nefeli Caffe, 1854 Euclid Ave. 841-6374. 

Studio One Reading Series with Jack Morgan, Trevor Calvert and Barbara Freeman at 7:30 p.m. at Studio One, 365 45th St. at Broadway, Oakland. Suggested donation $3-$15. 597-5027. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Billy Dunn and the Ladies Choice Band at 5 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2022.  

Point Richmond Summer Music with Michael O’Neill, jazz, at 5:30 p.m. and Adrian Gormley, jazz, at 6:45 p.m. outdoors at Park Place in downtown Point Richmond. www.pointrichmond.com 

Caesar’s Empire at 5 p.m. outdoors at Broadway at Water St., Jack London Square, Oakland.  

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

The Park at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

The Blank Tapes, Ben Ross Band, Frank Dufay and The Gift Machine at 8 p.m. at Epic Art Studios, 1923 Ashby Ave., across from Ashy BART. Suggested donation $5. 

Ariel Vento/Nick Grinder Quintet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Red Meditation, Blaak Lung, Arkaingelle, Messenger Selah, Malika Madremana at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

Robustritron, Temple of Roots, TripKnight, reggae, at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Juke, Rich White Males, Atom Age 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 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Foreign Legion, Psyhokinetics, hip hop, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $12. 548-1159.  

Moped at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SATURDAY, JULY 12 

CHILDREN  

Aesop’s Fables Sat. and Sun. at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $6. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

THEATER 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Red State” at 2 p.m. at Mosswood Park, Oakland. Free, donations accepted. 415-285-1717. www.sfmt.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

Fiber Art & Textiles From The National Institute of Art & Disabilities at the Addison Street Windows Gallery, 2018 Addison St. through Aug. 28. 981-7546. 

Art of the Cotton Mill Studios Paintings, sculpture, photography and mixed media by Keiko Nelson, Bill Stoneham, Elizabeth Tennant and Susan Tuttle. Closing party at 6 p.m. at Float Gallery, 1091 Calcot Place, Unit # 116. 535-1702. www.thefloatcenter.com 

“Beverly Trieber and Rosita Pardo: A Retrospective” Opening reception at 2 p.m. at NIAD, National Institute of Art and Disabilities, 551 23rd St. Richmond. Exhibition runs to Sept. 26. 620-0290. www.niadart.org 

“The Right Kind of Girl” Works by Heidi Forssell examining female identity and experience. Opening Reception at 6 p.m. at Arts and Consciousness Gallery, John F. Kennedy University Berkeley Campus, 2956 San Pablo Ave. 2nd Floor. Exhibition runs through Aug. 2. 649-0499. www.jfku.edu/gallery/ 

“Awakenings” Paintings by Larry Melnick. Reception for the artist at 2 p.m. at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, 2301 Vine St. Exhibition runs to July 29. 845-1208. 

“Art in the Garden” featuring works by Richmond and East Bay artists, on display Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Annie’s Annuals, 740 Market Ave., Richmond. 215-1671. www.anniesannuals.com 

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “The Apartment” at 6:30 p.m. and “Goldfinger” at 8:55 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Lora Jo Foo reads from “Earth Passages: Journey Through Childhood” at 3:30 p.m. at Eastwind Books of Berkeley, 2066 University Ave. 548-2350. asiabookcenter.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Opera “Tosca” at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are 16-$44. 925-798-1300. www.berkeleyopera.org 

Bastille Day Ball with Baguette Quartet at 8 p.m. at Lake Merritt Dance Center, 200 Grand Ave., Harrison, Oakland. Dance lesson at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20. www.FridayNightWaltz.com 

14th Annual Bay Area Follies, with tap, hula, jaz, and ethnic dance at 7 p.m. at the Roda Theater, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $12-$15 at the door. Presented by Gil Chun. dancegil@sbcglobal.net 

Live Art for Progress Hip Hop and Graffiti art to get youth involved in political ativism, from 1-5 p.m. at Peoples Park. www.wearstrong.org 

Bayside Jazz with Dan Hicks at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $15. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Wish Inflicted at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

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

Summer Youth Program Concert at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Free. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Kally Price Old Blues & Jazz Group at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Todd Shipley Band at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Ira Marlowe, Rachel Efron at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Bhi Bhiman, Crooked Roads, 7th Direction at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

“Crust Sin Fronteras” Aghast, Caccion, All Systems Fail, Guida at 7:30 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $8-$10. 525-9926. 

The Rippingtons, featuring Russ Freeman at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $24-$28. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SUNDAY, JULY 13 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Fire & Flora” Hand-built ceramic vessels by Will Johnson and landscape paintings by Karen LeGault on display at the Community Art Gallery, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, 2450 Ashby Ave. through Sept. 4. Open 24/7. Artists’ reception August 10, 2-4 pm. 204-1667.  

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “The Great Escape” at 4 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READIMGS AND LECTURES 

“Congregational Song and the Arts: Gifts for Worship and Ministry” A conference of The Hymn Society, Sun.-Thurs. in Berkeley. Free, and open to the public. For details see www.thehymnsociety.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland Municipal Band at 1 p.m. at the Lakeside Park Bandstand. Bring your beach chair and picnic. 339-2818.  

14th Annual Bay Area Follies, with tap, hula, jaz, and ethnic dance at 2 p.m. at the Roda Theater, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $12-$15 at the door. Presented by Gil Chun. dancegil@sbcglobal.net 

Creative Voices “Maracaibera” at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $15-$18. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Bryan Bowman Group at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Americana Unplugged, live bluegrass, at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

The Moving Violations with caller Mavis McGaugh in a Queer Contra Dance at 6 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Samora Pinderhughes Trio at 4:30 p.m. Steven Lugerner Sextet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10 for each concert. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

The Judah L. Magnes Museum will ask the Berkeley Landmarks Preservation Commission today (Thursday) to approve a structural alteration permit to rehabilitate the landmarked Armstrong University in downtown Berkeley, where it plans to relocate in spring 2010. 

Armstrong University was designated a City of Berkeley landmark in September 1994 and is especially notable for its many large, arched and rectangular windows located on the second floor of the Kittredge Street and Harold Way facades, its graceful entrance lobbies and main lobby, natural lighting and a 5,000-square-foot auditorium with original maple floors. 

Founded in 1918 by J. Evan Armstrong, the university was originally known as the California School for Private Secretaries and taught students shorthand, typing, English, Spanish and math out of three small rooms in the old First National Bank Building on Shattuck Avenue. 

The school’s rapid growth resulted in its move to the UC Theater Building on University Avenue in 1920. 

Three years later it relocated to a brand new Walter H. Ratcliff-designed Spanish Colonial style building on 2222 Harold Way and changed its name to the Armstrong School of Business, though it was popularly called Armstrong College. 

It forms an integral part of a three-square-block cluster of significant buildings, including the U.S. Post Office, Elks Club, the Shattuck Hotel, YMCA, and the Berkeley Public Library. 

After the university vacated the building in 1996, the property was leased to UC Berkeley Extension’s Language Studies department until 2006, at which point it was purchased by the Magnes Museum. 

The nonprofit Jewish museum, which is the Bay Area’s oldest museum and archive dedicated to Jewish history, is proposing some changes to the former business school’s exterior, including altering two windows on either side of the Kittredge Street entrance and replacing the wooden door with glass. 

The Berkeley Municipal Code requires the landmarks commission to review any exterior modifications to a landmark structure. 

“The general exterior of the building itself will remain intact to keep in line with its institutional and historical past,” James Leventhal, the museum’s director of development, told the Planet. 

“There will only be some changes inside. The purpose is to modify one form of an educational institution to another through adaptive reuse.” 

The museum’s basement will serve as an open study center for its permanent collection, Leventhal said, and the first floor will have interactive exhibits. 

Minor upgrades will be made to the second floor auditorium, which will host lectures and public programs. 

The museum’s board of directors hopes to raise $36 million through a rehabilitation campaign, of which $14 million will be a permanent endowment for museum programs, Leventhal said. 

The museum has already raised $11 million with the help of significant contributions from East Bay Jewish Community Foundation leaders and board members, he said. 

Although Leventhal declined to reveal how much the museum had paid for the property, he said it was possible to a great extent because of significant pledges and contributions from the Jewish community. 

“An anonymous donor stepped forward with a major loan to help offset a large part of the purchase price,” he said 

The museum, now located in a historic mansion at 2911 Russell St., has hired Mark Cavagnero Associates—the architects behind the Legion of Honor in San Francisco—for the adaptive reuse of the Armstrong building. 

Of all the interior changes to the building, only one will be visible from the exterior, a report to the commission from the city states. 

In order to use portions of the building as gallery space, the windows to the galleries have to be backfilled from the interior. The report says that the only windows that will be affected by this are the four on the first floor to the west of the proposed loading entrance off Kittredge Street. 

The museum’s website informs visitors the new facility is “envisioned as a space that combines display and research, looking and learning, contemplation and discussion ... In the spirit of the museum’s founders, yet with new technological possibilities, the Magnes will continue to offer public access to unique resources that let every generation find their own story in the texts, images, and sounds of the Jewish past and present.” 

The museum’s collection is considered to be the third largest of its kind in the country. 

Leventhal said Magnes will focus on digitization and off-site programs over the next year, turning the Russell Street facility in Elmwood District into a “Memory Lab,” with computer workstations where users will be able to add their personal histories into the museum’s archives. 

It also hopes to start an installation project by Jonathan Keats entitled “The Atheon: A Temple to Science” in the new building this fall to celebrate defining elements of Berkeley and fuse science and religion by creating a temple for scientific worship—an Atheon. 

“Visitors and passersby will gaze into the large vaulted windows of faux stained glass and see a projection of the universe as they simultaneously listen to an audio accompaniment on their personal cell phone,” Leventhal said.  

Keats’ artwork will be on display from Sept. 27 to Feb. 1, 2009.  

Community members will get an opportunity to visit the downtown building on July 13, as part of Magnes’ celebrations for its move. 

Another LPC Review 

The LPC will also review a preliminary proposal by Wareham Development to demolish the landmarked Copra Warehouse (Durkee Famous Foods), at 740 Heinz Ave., to construct a four-story research and laboratory space. Wareham will return with an official application concerning the property at a later date. 

The LPC will meet today (Thursday) at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave.

Virago Theatre Company has announced a July and early August series of staged readings of new plays by Bay Area playwrights, featuring professional actors, on Monday evenings at 7 p.m. in Alameda, featuring venues that include a cafe, a drawing studio and community centers, with some readings staged outdoors, followed by wine and talk-back receptions.  

The plays include: Death in Van Nuys by Dan Pine, directed by Tracey Rhys at Julie’s Coffee & Tea Garden (1223 Park St.) on July 14; William Bivins’ The Afterlife of the Mind, directed by Laura Lundy-Paine, at Monart Drawing Studio (1918 Encinal Ave.), July 21; Shoot O’Malley Twice by Jon Brooks, directed by Robert Lundy-Paine, at Crosstown Community Center (1303 High St.), July 28; and a triple header of Morgan Ludlow’s The Edge and The Scratch with An Hour in Time by V. B. Leghorn, directed by Angela Dant, at the Frank Bette Center for the Arts (1601 Park St.) on August 4. 

Virago, which has been putting intriguing and diverse shows in a variety of Alameda locations since their unusual staging of Three Penny Opera upstairs in the Masonic Hall off Park St. a few years back, started their reading series in the summer of 2006 (then called “Love on the Edge”), with The Death of Ayn Rand by John Byrd and A Bed of My Own by Berkeley’s Robert Hamm, which were premiered in full stagings by Virago last summer. From the same series, Mankind’s Last Hope by Dan Brodnitz and Jeff Green (reviewed in The Planet), was given an innovative TV studio-style live-and-video production last fall, and The Hermit Bird, also by John Byrd, is scheduled for production next spring. 

“The reading series is a very strong component of our program,” said co-artistic director, Laura Lundy-Paine. “And the response has been great. Two years ago, we received 25 scripts. This year, there were 50. We’ve been averaging audiences of about 40 at each staged reading. Equity actors—and we have a few on board for these—have heard about the series and have been contacting us. And Alameda is a strong community. A lot of actors and dancers have moved here.” 

Virago belongs to Theatre Bay Area’s Bay Area Small Theatres program, along with other locally based companies, like Berkeley’s Impact and Crowded Fire. 

Death in Van Nuys is “an intimate comedy” about the healing that takes place after a divorced middle-aged man moves in with his dying father, an unrepentant communist and former stand-up comedian.  

A philosopher’s wife tries to save her husband’s brain after a botched transplant in The Afterlife of the Mind.  

Shoot O’Malley Twice spins the 1957 tale of an odds-even champ in New York with cosmic clairvoyance and his challenger, The Savannah Kid.  

The Edge tells of a returning kidnap victim’s plight after a four-and-a-half-year, nationally covered abduction. The Scratch has three generations of women confronting their demons. An Hour in Time, based on a true story, is the dilemma of a woman driving with her family’s remains in her station wagon when a truck driver becomes lodged in her windshield. 

Admission is $10 (www.brownpapertickets.com or viragotheatre.org, or 865-6237). Reservations must be made by July 7.

With a musical comedy based on Shakespeare gone south, lyrics and score by Cole Porter, topical humor of the postwar (WW II) era popping up amid the iambs and a couple of gangsters thrown in when the male ingenue goes bust at craps: how could Kiss Me Kate miss? 

And how can a good community theater keep it all in focus? With a cast of 18, a jazz quartet on a backstage set facing the audience, an off-the-cuff attack that runs from urbane romantic to slapstick burlesque, and production numbers of hit songs that stretch a genial ensemble every which way. 

Contra Costa Civic Theater’s got it figured out pretty good, in a production with stage direction by Mary Ann Rodgers, musical direction by Richard Riccardi and choreography by Emily Garcia. The company is composed of several strata of talent and experience, which seem to accent the wild array of theatrics Kiss Me Kate brings off with a nonchalant, semi-screwball brilliance, never stepping on its own toes no matter how much it tap dances around something approaching deliberate self-parody. 

Opening night (of both the musical and the musical-within-the musical) brought up the curtain on the increasingly interchangeable back- and on-stage life of a gaggle of Baltimore show people and those who attach themselves to them, while performing a musical newly cut out of old cloth: “We owe it to Shakespeare—and the three guys up all night rewriting it!” 

There’s a war of nerves between Fred Graham, an old actor-manager type, both directing and playing Petruchio (Ted von Pohle), as well as wooing his ingenue and his diva-esque ex-, Lilli Vanessi (Maggie Gish), who is on board to play Kate the Shrew. Stage and backstage resound periodically with her battlecry—to whit: “Isn’t there a smile in your contract, Miss Vanessi?” 

“Give a Broadway hoofer a chance to play Shakespeare ...” Bill Calhoun, the hoofer in question (played suavely by Robbie Cowan, who really can sing and dance) is in love with his female counterpart, Lois Lane (a perky and recent UC grad, Alicia Bruckman), an “ingenue” who’s been around. They’re playing Lucentio and Bianca—and Bill’s signed a gambling debt with Fred’s name. 

When “The Boys” in fedoras come backstage to “remind” Fred (in leopardskin dressing gown, Anida Weyl’s excellent costume) of his debt, he gleefully confesses another’s sin, seeing in it a way to keep Lilli in the show through someone else’s strong-arm tactics.  

The way is paved for the stage debut of these wiseguys, more like a slangy but erudite vaudeville team. They are beautifully fleshed out by Malcolm Rodgers (who also designed the set) and Eugene DeChristopher, a perfect example of that CCCT “strata” thing. Rodgers is an old trouper hereabouts, an excellent utility man. Their goons’ soft shoe of “Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” when stuck out in front of the curtain and literally on (and in) the spot, is a bona fide showstopper. 

Ted von Pohle’s Fred is a likable egotist, and von Pohle plays him particularly well when at cross-purposes in the maelstrom of trying to cut a figure performing the Bard while everything else is coming unglued. 

Maggie Gish is the sole Equity actor in the show, and is every bit the pro, a versatile performer, radiant with feeling and humor, fine when selling a song or walloping her ex- with a barrelhouse. Her “mystery man,” always calling from the White House, finally shows up in full dress, ribbons and all-Gen. Harrison Howell (sly Ron Dritz), top brass with presidential ambitions, ready to rescue his lady love.  

He tells his mink-loving intended to set her eyes on a good Republican cloth coat! They sing and act out “From This Moment On,” with the General jiving to upstage the diva, another great up-tempo, though offbeat, moment. 

There are any number of great tunes, from Lilli’s signature “I Hate Men,” to the sweltering backstage-in-Baltimore production number, “Too Damn Hot,” performed by the chorus of young women (Jordin Bradley, Erica Gardner, Paulette Herring, Aurelia Jordan and Thea Rodgers) raving it up alongside Hortensio (Luke Kiehn-Thilman) and Lucentio in a tune that’s become identified with Ella Fitzgerald. “Tom, Dick and Harry,” “Always True to You in My Fashion” and a lot of great Cole Porter hits surface in this Chinese box-puzzle of a musical. 

Mary Ann Rodgers has a special touch with an ensemble, and this is an ensemble show. Just covering these stronger points in the CCCT production, they serve as markers for what’s surely to follow as the run unfolds this summer in El Cerrito, not, blessedly, in sweaty Baltimore.

Far from the ragged, blurry, jumpy images in the popular imagination, the silent era of filmmaking was an age of discovery, innovation and supreme achievement in the new medium of cinema. Motion pictures, at first treated as a mere novelty, came into their own between 1910 and 1920, growing from brief, flickering diversions into full-scale narratives. But it was in the 1920s that cinema truly blossomed into the great art form of the 20th century. 

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival, now in its 13th year, showcases the breadth and depth of what was the first golden era of cinema, presenting the full range of film treasures—from slapstick comedy to gothic horror, from experimental animation to stately costume drama—as it was meant to be seen: on the big screen, in a beautiful 1920s movie palace, and with live musical accompaniment.  

This year’s program begins Friday night, July 11, at the Castro Theater with Harold Lloyd’s The Kid Brother and continues all day Saturday and Sunday with 10 more presentations from the peak of the silent era. 

Friday 

Harold Lloyd was not an inherently funny presence as a screen persona. Unlike Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton, who rank among the most innately charismatic and unique cinematic artists of all time, Lloyd couldn’t command an audience’s attention simply by appearing on the screen. There were many such comedians struggling to climb their way to the top of the field, to challenge Keaton and Chaplin at the summit, but Lloyd was the most diligent and talented of them, and he alone managed to scale those heights. Through grit and determination he overcame his limitations as a screen presence and established himself as one of the most popular and enduring comedians of the silent era. In the 1920s he was second only to Chaplin in popularity. In fact, in box office receipts, the prolific Lloyd surpassed Chaplin, who only released a handful of films in that decade.  

Lloyd took a different and perhaps more pragmatic approach to his comedies than his contemporaries. Chaplin made relatively quiet, character-based narratives, punctuated here and there with explosive bits of slapstick. And Keaton let his films develop slowly, building steadily to dizzying climactic chases and daring stunt work. But Lloyd first and foremost aimed to please, and thus he filled movies with gags from start to finish, rarely allowing the audience much time to breathe. 

With The Kid Brother (1927), however, Lloyd altered his style somewhat, adopting some of the techniques of his competitors in pursuit of a more artistic approach. He put more time and effort into technical details, especially the photography, using warm lighting to capture the pastoral beauty of a life in the woods. And he put greater emphasis on pathos; more screen time was spent developing his character, showing us his hopes, his dreams and his humiliations.  

Lloyd didn’t make a bad film in the 1920s; all of them are good and many of them are great. Others made more money (The Freshman), crammed in more gags per minute (Why Worry?), or have enjoyed more lasting fame (Safety Last), but The Kid Brother may very well represent Lloyd’s crowning achievement, bringing greater artistry and subtlety to his workman-like career. Lloyd himself cited the film as his personal favorite. Friday’s screening of the film will feature live accompaniment by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. 

Saturday 

Saturday’s screenings include The Soul of Youth (1920), a portrait of the fate of unwanted orphans in early 20th-century America; Les Deux Timides (1928), a comedy by René Clair; and Mikael (1924), a landmark film in the history of gay cinema, directed by the great Carl Dreyer (The Passion of Joan of Arc, Vampyr) and starring German actor Conrad Veidt.  

Veidt also anchors the centerpiece film Saturday night, The Man Who Laughs (1928). Early in the 1920s, German émigré Carl Laemmle, head of Universal, brought Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame to the screen. Centering an epic film on a grossly disfigured lead character was considered a great risk at the time, but Lon Chaney, who would later become known as “The Man of a Thousand Faces,” used his formidable pantomime skills to create a sensitive and sympathetic portrayal. Laemmle and Chaney then followed Hunchback with The Phantom of the Opera and enjoyed similar success. 

Eager to keep the streak alive, Laemmle turned to his fellow countrymen for The Man Who Laughs (1928), enlisting the talents of Conrad Veidt and director Paul Leni for another Hugo adaptation. Veidt had become the face of German Expressionism with his roles in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and in Leni’s Waxworks, and Leni had recently parlayed his success in Germany into a contract with Universal, bringing the shadowy photography and psychological horror of Expressionism to the States with The Cat and the Canary. These silent classics formed the foundation of what would become a string of classic Universal horror films in the 1930s. Saturday’s screening of The Man Who Laughs will be accompanied by Clark Wilson on the Wurlitzer. 

Following The Man Who Laughs Saturday night is the first in the festival’s new “Director’s Pick” series. Director Guy Maddin will be on hand to introduce and narrate (translating the French intertitles) for Tod Browning’s strange and rarely screened film The Unknown (1927), starring Lon Chaney and Joan Crawford. Live piano accompaniment will be provided by Stephen Horne. 

Sunday 

Sunday’s screenings include The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926), the earliest surviving feature-length animated film; Her Wild Oat (1927), one of the few surviving films of Colleen Moore, among the most popular actresses of the 1920s; and Jujiro (1928), an avant-garde Japanese film.  

The festival concludes Sunday night with The Patsy (1928), starring the great comedienne Marion Davies. Davies, the mistress of William Randolph Hearst, had spent much of her career weighed down with the dreary costumes of the myriad period dramas that Hearst wanted to see her in. It was director King Vidor who finally freed the effervescent Davies from such stifling solemnity, and in The Patsy he gave her free reign to satirize her contemporaries, offering sharp and hilarious impersonations of such silent-era stalwarts as Lillian Gish and Pola Negri. Clark Wilson will again provide accompaniment on the Wurlitzer. 

The San Francisco  

Silent Film Festival 

July 11-13 at the Castro Theater,  

429 Castro St., San Francisco. 

www.silentfilm.org.