THURSDAY, AUGUST 21 

Michael Krasney on “Election Year Insights” at the League of Women Voters Luncheon at 11:15 a.m. at Hs Lorships Restaurant, Berkeley Marina. Cost is $75. 843-8824. 

ACCI Seconds Sale Thurs.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun. noon to 5 p.m. at 1652 Shattuck Ave. 843-2527. www.accigallery.com 

Art Workshop for ages 5 and up at 3 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043.  

Discussion on the New Constitution of the RCP, USA at 6:30 p.m. at Revolution Books, 2425 Channing Way. 848-1196. www.revolutionbooks.org 

Three Beats for Nothing South Mostly ancient part music for fun and practice meets every Thurs. at 10 a.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, Ellis at Ashby. 655-8863. asiecker@sbcglobal 

“Kneipp Wellness Program for Elders” at 5:30 p.m. at AgeSong at Lakeside Park, 486 Perkins St., Oakland. RSVP to 444-4684. 

“Away With All Gods” Discussion group meets to discuss Part 4 of the book by Bob Avakian at 7 p.m. at Revolution Books, 2425 Channing Way. 848-1196. 

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

Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters at 6:45 p.m. at Spud’s Pizza, 3290 Adeline at Alcatraz. namaste@avatar.freetoasthost. 

info 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22 

Berkeley High School, Class of 1968 40th Reunion at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Hotel, Emeryville, dinner-dance on the 23rd, and picnic in Roberts Park, Oakland on Sun. Cost for the weekend is $90. For information call 867-1389. 

Hurrican Katrina Fundraiser with authors who contributed to “Words Upon The Waters: A Poetic Response by SF Bay Area Artists in Support of Hurricane Katrina Survivors” at 7 p.m. at Rebecca’s Books, 3268 Adeline St. Donation $5. 852-4768. 

Introduction to Pilates at 10:30 a.m. at Elephant Pharm, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

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

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. 

Drop-In Acupuncture Clinic from 3 to 6 p.m. at Long Haul Info Shop, 3124 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $15-$30. 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 

Bike Against the Odds Fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Fund from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lakeside Park, Lake Merritt, Oakland. Registration is $50-$75. 866-760-8223. www.breastcancerfund.org/bao 

Help Restore Cerrito Creek Help Friends of Five Creeks volunteers spread seed and control erosion on Cerrito Creek at the foot of Albany Hill. Meet at 10 a.m. Creekside Park, south end of Santa Clara Ave., El Cerrito. All ages welcome; snacks, tools, and gloves provided. 848-9358. www.fivecreeks.org 

Michael Parenti on “Capitalism’s Apocalypse: Why the Plutocrats Cannot Save Anyone, Not Even Themselves” at 4 p.m. at NoneSuch Space, 2865 Broadway, at 29th St., 2nd flr., Oakland. Donation $10. 625-1600. www.paragon-media.org/nonesuchspace 

Nature’s Pharmacy: Medicine Making Workshop Learn how to make a variety of botanical medicines using native California plants, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Regional Parks Botanic Garden Visitor Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $30-$35, with optional $5 materials fee. Bring lunch. To register call 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Raptors from the Ridges Join a strenuous 8-mile hike in search of birds of prey, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Crockett Hills Regional Park. Bring sunscreen, water and a lunch. Call for meeting place. 525-2233. 

Philbrick Boatworks A tour of a business unchanged since 1946, one of the last of the twenty wooden boatbuilders in the Oakland Estuary, sponsored by Oakland Heritage Alliance. Tours at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Meet 603 Embarcadero, at Clinton Basin. Cost is $10-$15. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

Got a problem in the garden? Want expert advice on watering, plant selection, lawn care, or pest management? Visit the master gardener booth from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Center Street between ML King and Milvia. 639-1275. 

Walk the Line & Connect to the Home Front Walk the line of history and the keel of a victory ship, and learn about the men and women who contributed to victory on the home front during World War II, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. followed by optional 45 min. Bay Trail stroll. Meet park ranger at memorial by main parking lot at Rosie the Riveter Memorial, Marina Bay Park, Melville and Regatta, Richmond. 232-5050. www.nps.gov/rori/ 

All Hands on Deck: Building the Ships that Kept Democracy Afloat Learn about the 747 ships built at the Kaiser shipyards and the people that built them, from 2 to 3 p.m. at Historic Shipyard No. 3, 1337 Canal Blvd., Berth 6A, Richmond. Park outside SS Red Oak Victory gate. 232-5050. Directions to shipyard 237-2933. www.ssredoakvictory.com/contact.htm 

“Japanese Only/No Foreigners Allowed” A lecture by Debito Arudo on the Otaru Onsen lawsuit over Japanese xenophobia at 4 p.m. at University Village Community Center Gym, 1123 Jackson St., Albany. Suggested donation $7. 

Jewish Literature and Discussion Series meets to discuss “The Little Disturbances of Man” by Grace Paley at 2 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

”Celebration of Praise” Praise dance by Changing Lives Ministry, at 6 p.m. at First Christian Church, 111 Fairmont Ave. Oakland. Cost is $10-$20. 669-1893.  

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

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

The 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. 

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

SUNDAY, AUGUST 24 

Flutter by Butterflies Learn about butterfly life cycles, and the plants that attract them, from 10 a.m. to noon at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Sprouts Gardening Project Spend the afternoon in the Kids’ Garden doing chores, singing songs, and learining about what it takes to make plants grow, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Tiles and Terra Cotta in Uptown Oakland A tour of twenty buildings with facades clad in architectural ceramics, all built between 1914 and 1931, sponsored by Oakland Heritage Alliance. Meet at 10 a.m. at southeast corner of 17th and Webster, at the Howden Bldg. Cost is $10-$15. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

Live Broadcast of the Democratic National Convention at 7 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation $5. www.Humanist Hall.org 

Social Action Forum with Dr. Stephen Zunes on his work on the Western Sahara at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensigton. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Yoga and Meditation at 9:15 a.m. at Elephant Pharm, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

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 Jared Baird on “A New Way of Learning” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000. www.nyingmainstitute.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 

MONDAY, AUGUST 25 

Berkeley Path Wanderers Sunset Walk exploring Berkeley Rock Parks with David Weinstein. Meet at 6 p.m. at Great Stoneface Park, Thousand Oaks at Yosemite. 528-3246. www.berkeleypaths.org 

Kensington Library Book Club meets to discuss “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy at 7 p.m. at 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 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. 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, AUGUST 26 

Little Farm Open House from 10 a.m. to noon to meet the animals and participate in crafts and other educational activities at the Tilden Little FArm, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Grant Writing Workshop for Non-Profits from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. Sponsored by the Foundation Center. To register call 981-6148. 

ECDC Candidates Forum for Kensington Police and Community Services Board and El Cerrito City Council candidates at 7:30 p.m. at El Cerrito United Methodist Church, 6830 Stockton St., near Richmond Ave. Sponsored by the El Cerrito Democratic Club. 375-5647. 

Solo Sierrans Walk at Lake Chabot Reservoir Meet at 4 p.m. at the boathouse for an hour walk, followed by optional dinner. 351-6247. 

Young People’s Symphony Orchestra Auditions by appointment from 4 to 9 p.m. at Crowden Music Center. 849-9776. www.ypsomusic.net 

Rafting the Great Bend of the Yangtze River at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

“Holding Ground: The Rebirth of Dudley Street” Documentary screening followed by discussion with the filmmakers, Mark Lipman and Leah Mahan at 7:30 p.m. at NoneSuch Space, 2865 Broadway,at 29th St., 2nd flr., Oakland. Dontation $5-$10. 625-1600. www.paragon-media.org/nonesuchspace/ 

Python Ron & Prize Party for ages 3 and up at 6:30 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043. 

“Away With All Gods” Discussion group meets to discuss the book by Bob Avakian at 7 p.m. at Revolution Books, 2425 Channing Way. 848-1196. 

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. 

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 

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

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.  

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. 

Yarn Wranglers Come knit and crochet at 6:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

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

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27 

Birding with the Golden Gate Audubon Society at Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at the large spherical cage near the Nature Center at Perkins and Bellevue. 834-1066, 528-2093. 

Albany Chamber of Commerce Mixer at 5:30 p.m. at Fit-Lite by 24 Hour Fitness, 1775 Solano Ave. Includes a demonstration of training routine. Cost is $3-$5. RSVP to 525-1771. www.albanychamber.org 

Spanish Conversation Classes Wed. and Thurs. at 9:30 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst St. 981-5190. 

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. 

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, AUGUST 28 

Nomination of Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention will be shown at 7 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Sponsored by the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club. www.Humanist Hall.org 

Young People’s Symphony Orchestra Auditions by appointment from 4 to 9 p.m. at Crowden Music Center. 849-9776. www.ypsomusic.net 

Toastmasters Berkeley Communicators meets at 7:30 a.m. at Au Coquelet, 2000 University Ave. Rob.Flammia@gmail.com 

Three Beats for Nothing South Mostly ancient part music for fun and practice meets every Thurs. at 10 a.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, Ellis at Ashby. 655-8863. asiecker@sbcglobal 

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

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, AUGUST 29 

Introduction to Pilates at 10:30 a.m. at Elephant Pharm, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

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. 

Three Beats for Nothing Mostly ancient part music for fun and practice meets every Fri. at 10 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, Hearst at MLK. 655-8863. asiecker@sbcglobal 

Drop-In Acupuncture Clinic from 3 to 6 p.m. at Long Haul Info Shop, 3124 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $15-$30. 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30 

Family Birdwalk Learn birding basics on a walk around the Nature Area seeking our feathered friends in a variety of habitats, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Wildcat Peak Hike Join a 3-mile loop, from 2 to 4 p.m. to learn about the flora and fauna of the East Bay Hills. Bring water, a snack and a poem or story to share at the peak. Call for meeting place. 525-2233. 

Got a problem in the garden? Want expert advice on watering, plant selection, lawn care, or pest management? Visit the master gardener booth from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Center Street between ML King and Milvia. 639-1275. 

Walk the Line & Connect to the Home Front Walk the line of history and the keel of a victory ship, and learn about the men and women who contributed to victory on the home front during World War II, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. followed by optional 45 min. Bay Trail stroll. Meet park ranger at memorial by main parking lot at Rosie the Riveter Memorial, Marina Bay Park, Melville and Regatta, Richmond. 232-5050. www.nps.gov/rori/ 

All Hands on Deck: Building the Ships that Kept Democracy Afloat Learn about the 747 ships built at the Kaiser shipyards and the people that built them, from 2 to 3 p.m. at Historic Shipyard No. 3, 1337 Canal Blvd., Berth 6A, Richmond. Park outside SS Red Oak Victory gate. 232-5050. Directions to shipyard 237-2933. www.ssredoakvictory.com/contact.htm 

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 

The 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. 

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

SUNDAY, AUGUST 31 

Family Fun on the Farm Day Meet the animals, explore the gardens, and enjoy crafts, music games, and home-made ice cream, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. at Tilden Little Farm, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Solo Sierrans Hike in Tilden Park Meet at 5 p.m. at Lone Oak parking lot for an hour and a half hike through the cool woods. Optional dinner on Solano Ave. 234-8949. 

Leopard Shark Feeding Frenzy Feed our resident leopard shark and learn more about them and our other aquatic inhabitants at 2 p.m. at the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center, 4901 Breakwater Ave., Hayward. 670-7270.  

Social Action Forum with Gary Bogue, co-founder of the Lindsay Wildlife Museum on animal farming at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Yoga and Meditation at 9:15 a.m. at Elephant Pharm, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

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 Sylvia Gretchen on “Courage, Fear, and the Spiritual Path” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000. www.nyingmainstitute.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 

School Backpack Collection Drive Drop off new or gently used backpacks at Spenger’s, 1919 Fourth St.,during August, for a $10 dining certificate. Backpacks will be distributed by the Berkeley Boosters/Police Activities League. 845-7771. 

CITY MEETINGS 

Design Review Committee meets Thurs., Aug. 21, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7415. 

Fair Campaign Practices Commission meets Thurs., Aug. 21, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6950.  

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21 

FILM 

The Dark Cinema of David Goodis “The Professional Man x Two” at 6:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

CineMingle “Sidewalk” by Israeli filmmaker Duki Dror at 7:30 p.m. at JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $5-$8. 848-0237. 

“The Petrified Forest” A fundraiser for Masquers Playhouse at 9:15 p.m. at El Cerrito Speakeasy Theater, 10070 San Pablo Ave. at Central, El Cerrito. Tickets are $9. www.cerrito 

speakeasy.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Introduction to Fire in California” with author David Carle, part of a summer series of natural history literary events at 5:30 p.m. University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. www.universitypressbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Downtown Berkeley MusicFest feturing jazz, blues, folk r&b at various locations through Sun. www.downtownberkeleymusic.org 

Amendola vs Blades, groove jazz, at noon at the downtown Berkeley BART station, Shattuck at Center St. 

Cataracts, hip-hop, rock, pop, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

Alasdair Fraser’s Fiddle Summit with Natalie Haas, Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill and Bruse Molsky at 8 p.m. at the Roda Theater. Cost is $22.50-$23.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Mal Sharpe’s Big Money in Jazz at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Monte Montgomery, acoustic guitar, at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

Speak the Music at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $8. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

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

Habib Koite & Bamada at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Divasonic with Diet Snakes at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22 

THEATER 

Belasco Theatre Company “The Wiz” Thurs. at 7:30 p.m., Fri. at 8 p.m. at Malonga Arts Center, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. Tickets are $15-$20. 925-284-9544. www.belasco.org 

Central Works “Midsummer/4” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., through Aug. 24. Tickets are $20. 558-1381. www.centralworks.org 

Crowded Fire Theater Company “The Listener” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Aug. 31. Tickets are $15-$25. 415-433-1235. crowdedfire.org 

“Prisons” by Shanique Scott. Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $15-$18. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Stage Door Conservatory Teens on Stage “The Wiz” Fri.-Sat. at 7:30 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2460 College Ave. Tickets are $10-$20 at the door. 521-6250. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Alison Wilson-Fried reads from her novel “Outside Child” at 7 p.m. at Rebecca’s Books, 3268 Adeline St. 852-4768. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Carmen Milagro, Latin pop, at 5 p.m. outdoors at Broadway at Water St., Jack London Square, Oakland.  

Joe Warner Trio at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Dee Spencer’s “Jook Joint Jazz” at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Macka B, reggae at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

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

Brendan Getzell, Kristin Lagasse at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

The California Honeydrops, The Lloyd Family Players at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Devastator, Virulent Death, Laceration 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 Mundaze at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Amar Khalil, R&B, at 9 p.m. at Maxwell’s, 341 13th St., Oakland. Cost is $10. 839-6169. 

Steven Emerson Band at 8 p.m. Beep Trio at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Martin Luther at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $14-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 

CHILDREN  

Puppet Show “The Adventures of Peer Gynt” Sat. and Sun. at 11 a.m., 2 and 4 p.m. and “Aesop’s Fables” 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 Live Oak Park. Free, donations accepted. 415-285-1717. www.sfmt.org 

Shotgun Players “Ubu for President” An adaptation of the plays of Alfred Jarry, Sat. and Sun. at 4 p.m. at John Hinkel Park, Southampton Ave., off the Arlington, through Sept. 14. Free, donations accepted. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

Prism Stage “The W. Kamu Bell Curve” Sat. and Sun. at 8 p.m. at JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., through Aug.24. Tickets are $15-$20. 848-0237. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“WhatYouSee Galore” featuring Bay Area artists, fashion designers, and musicians, at 7 p.m. at Autobody Fine Art Gallery, 1517 Park St., Alameda. www.myspace.com/1517artprojects 

FILM 

The Dark Cinema of David Goodis “Moon in the Gutter” at 6:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Junius Courtney Big Band at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge at Shattuck, the 2nd floor Reading Room. 981-6241.  

Lady Bianca Blues 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. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Mike Glendinning, Will Derryberry at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Great Night of Soul Poetry at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761.  

Malachi Whitson Trio at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373.  

Beep with Michael Coleman at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

The Porchsteps, Evil Diane, Xenia Rudycka at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9. 841-2082.  

Curtis Bumpy at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Toys That Kill, Off with Their Heads, Nothington 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. 

Maria Muldaur & The Free Radicals with Holly Near and Linda Tillery at 8 and 10 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $18-$22. 238-9200.  

SUNDAY, AUGUST 24 

THEATER 

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

EXHIBITIONS 

Berkeley Art Center Annual National Juried Exhibition Opening reception at 2 p.m. at 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park. Exhibition runs through Oct. 12. 644-6893. www.berkeleysrtcenter.org 

“Communication Gap” Works by Angie Brown, Crystal Morey, Jake Gabel, Nancy Bach, Patrick Renner and Amanda Jayne Kennedy. Opening reception from noon to 5 p.m. at The Compound Gallery, 6604 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. 655-9019. www.thecompoundgallery.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Egyptology Lecture “Excavations at the Amenhotep III Mortuary Temple at Thebes” with Dr. Hourig Sourouzian, German Archaeological Institute, and Dr. Rainer Stadelmann, Director Emeritus, German Institute of Archaeology, Cairo, at 1:30 p.m., Barrows Hall, Room 20, Barrow Lane at Bancroft Way, UC Campus. 415-664-4767. 

Mama Coatl and Phava Kujchagulia read at 3:30 p.m. at Rebecca’s Books, 3268 Adeline St. 852-4768. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

West Coast Songwriter’s Playoff Finals at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Alex Pfeifer-Rosenblum at 8 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

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

Tom Huber and Misisipi Mike at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Americana Unplugged: Pete Madsen at 5 p.m. and Chad Manning and Friends at 6 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Royal Society Jazz Orchestra at 5 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $20. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Karl Tingwald Quintet at 4:30 p.m., Natalie Cressman at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

MONDAY, AUGUST 25 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry Express theme night on “the funniest sex you’ve ever had” at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

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

Downtown Jam Session with Glen Pearson at 7 p.m. at Ed Kelly Hall, Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, 1616 Franklin St., Oakland. Cost is $5. www.opcmucsic.org 

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

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Andrew Carriere & The Zydeco/Cajun Allstars at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 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. 

Livingston Taylor at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $22.50-$23.50. 548-1761.  

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

The LeBoeuf Bros. Quintet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10-$15. 845-5373.  

John Santos Sextet and friends at 8 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $16. 238-9200.  

Jazzschool Tuesdays at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Open Mic for Jewish Writers with Naomi Rose at 7:30 p.m. at JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. 528-6725. 

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 

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

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

Groove.org at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Le Vent du Nord at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Maraca at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28 

EXHIBITIONS 

Pro Arts New Visions 2008 Group show opens at Pro Arts Gallery, 550 Second St., Oakland, and runs through Oct. 24. www.proartsgallery.org 

FILM 

International Latino Film Society “Tres/Three” and “Lorca; así que pasen cien años” at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5-$6. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Artists’ Talk: Ellen Lake & Takehito Etani at 7p.m. in the Kala Gallery, 1060 Heinz Ave. 

Peter Orner discusses the plight of undocumented workers in the United States as part of the Literature and Conversation series at 7:30 p.m. at JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Ditty Bops at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $20.50-$21.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

Jean-Paul Buongiorno at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Geva Alon, Krystle Warren, Steven Taylor-Ramirez at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

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

Maraca at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 29 

THEATER 

“A Noir Musical” and “Staged Reading” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun at 2 p.m., at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $16. 800-838-3006. 

Aurora Theatre “The Best Man” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St. through Sept. 28. Tickets are $40-$42. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

Berkeley Rep “Yellowjackets” by Itamar Moses, a Berkeley resident, set at Berkeley High School, Tues.-Sun. at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., through Oct. 12. Tickets are $27-$71. 647-2949. berkeleyrep.org 

Crowded Fire Theater Company “The Listener” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Aug. 31. Tickets are $15-$25. 415-433-1235. crowdedfire.org 

Rough and Tumble “Candide” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun at 7 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. through Sept. 21. Tickets are $16-$22. 499-0356. www.randt.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“AeroSoul” Works by the TCB Crew, celebrating the significance of spray can art. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Joyce Gordon Gallery, 406 14th St. Oakland. www.joycegordongallery.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Robert Bowman performs Mozart, Prokofiev, Gottschalk, Scarlatti, and Brahms at 8 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Tickets are $10-$15. 845-1350. www.hillsideclub.org  

GTS Band, old school 60s, 70s, 80s, at 5 p.m. outdoors at Broadway at Water St., Jack London Square, Oakland.  

Ill Ones, hip-hop, at 9:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$8. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

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

Caribbean Allstars at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Amy Meyers & Jennifer Corday at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Wilson Wong, Nomad at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Mushroom, The Moore Brothers, Matt Baldwin at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Sahn Maru, Appalachian Terror Unit, Wartorn at 7:30 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

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

Rocker T, More Love Band, reggae, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 548-1159.  

Greg Scott, R&B, at 9 p.m. at Maxwell’s, 341 13th St., Oakland. Cost is $10. 839-6169. 

Bobi Cespedes with Marco Diaz, Saul Sierra, Jose Roberto Hernandez, Sandy Peres and Julio Perez at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $18-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30 

CHILDREN  

Puppet Show “The Adventures of Peer Gynt” Sat. and Sun. at 11 a.m., 2 and 4 p.m. and “Perez & Mondinga Mexican Fiesta” at noon at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $6. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

THEATER 

Shotgun Players “Ubu for President” An adaptation of the plays of Alfred Jarry, Sat. and Sun., and Mon. Sept. 1, at 4 p.m. at John Hinkel Park, Southampton Ave., off the Arlington, through Sept. 14. Free, donations accepted. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Art & Soul in downtown Oakland with over 60 bands on six stages, participatory art projects, artisans and community group, Sat.-Mon. noon to 6 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza. COst is $5-$10. 238-7402. art&soul@oaklandnet.com 

Violin Variations Themes and variations for solo violin at 8 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. Cost is $10-$15. 524-5203. 

Fuga, Tocayo at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

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

Nice Guy Trio, Jessica and Ramon at 8 p.m. at the JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Tickets are $10-$15. 848-0237. 

Zydeco Flames at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun/Zydeco dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Moment’s Notice Improvised dance, music and theater at 8 p.m. at Western Sky Studio, 2525 8th St. Tickets are $8-$15 at the door. 692-6295. 

Brindl, Will Edwards at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

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

Pebble Theory, Silver Griffin, Hey Young Believer at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

The Force, Static Thought, Das Kapital 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, AUGUST 31 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Kit Parra Latin Jazz Ensemble at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Paul H. Taylor and the Montara Mountain Boys at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Americana Unplugged: Redwing Bluegrass Band at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

The Strange Boys, Crystal Antlers at 5 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926.

The end of summer ushers in the busiest theater season after Labor Day—and this year, summer was unusually busy, so the first fall openings will overlap with the last performances of the summer season. 

Berkeley Rep holds the palm for the fall opening with the highest local profile—if a word like “profile” is in order—with Berkeley High alumnus Itamar Moses’ Yellowjackets, set at the school and based on events there in the ’90s, about race, privilege and the news. Directed by Rep artistic director Tony Taccone, Yellowjackets plays Aug. 29-Oct. 12 on the Thrust Stage (see separate story on its making). From Oct. 31-Dec. 14, The Rep stages August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone in association with San Francisco’s Lorraine Hansberry Theatre at the Roda, directed by noted actor (Master Harold & the Boys on Broadway, Malcolm X in film) Delroy Lindo, back after his success with Blue Door last year. 

The Aurora gets a leg up on the election with Gore Vidal’s The Best Man, directed by artistic director Tom Ross, Aug. 22-Sept. 28. Aurora founder Barbara Oliver will helm Shaw’s The Devil’s Disciple, from his Three Plays for Puritans, running from Halloween to Pearl Harbor Day (Oct. 31-Dec. 7), an oblique look at an original, if apocryphal American hero and nay-sayer. 

CalShakes continues its run of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, directed by San Jose Rep artistic director Timothy Near, in the Bruns Amphitheatre in Orinda through Aug. 31. From Sept. 10-Oct. 5, CalShakes will stage what many consider The Bard’s finest comedy, Twelfth Night, directed by Mark Rucker. 

Shotgun Players carry on with their outdoor Ubu for President, cut by Josh Costello (who founded Impact) from the cloth of Alfred Jarry’s Ubu Roi (though it plays more like a sketch comedy Duck Soup), directed by Shotgun founder Patrick Dooley through Sept. 14 in John Hinkel Park. Vanguard director (and founder of Temescal Labs, nee Ten Red Hen) Maya Gurantz will direct Chris Jeffries’ play, Vera Wilde, based around Oscar Wilde’s first theater piece about Vera Zasulich, “Mother of Terrorism,” from Sept. 17-Oct. 19. 

Central Works, in the Berkeley City Club, will finish its run of Gary Graves’ updated take on Shakespeare, Midsummer/4, directed by Jan Zvaifler, this weekend (Aug. 24), and from Oct. 25-Nov. 23 perform Graves’ adaptation of Paul Hawkens’ book on the environmental movement, Blessed Unrest. 

Impact Theater, which is announcing its Bar Mitzvah season for its 13th year, coming off a spirited ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore, will play Lauren Yee’s Ching Chong Chinaman, Sept. 5-Oct. 11, and from Nov. 14-Dec. 20, the Bay Area debut of an emerging playwright with Melanie Marnich’s transposition of Middleton’s The Changeling to the Great Plains, Tallgrass Gothic. 

Ragged Wing Ensemble, Berkeley’s movement theater troupe, will perform Clive Barker’s The History of the Devil, Oct. 5-Nov. 8, at Central Stage, Richmond near El Cerrito. 

Rough and Tumble, a Berkeley troupe of 14 years’ vintage, will present Len Jenkin’s adaptation of Candide at the Berkeley City Club, Aug. 29-Sept. 21, directed by founder Cliff Mayotte. 

Black Repertory Theater, over a half century old, on Adeline, continues their monthly Apollo BRG Style cash competition for both amateurs and pros, as well as Night Owl Comedy with host Miracle Malone, both on the third Sat. of every month. 

Woman’s Will, Oakland’s all-female Shakespeare Co., will be staging founder Erin Merritt’s adaptation of Macbeth, to bring the Weird Sisters to the fore, Oct. 16-26, across from Yoshi’s in Jack London Square. 

TheatreFIRST, until a year ago Oakland’s only resident theater company, will hold a playreading Oct. 18 for their 15th anniversary, as well as introduce their new leadership, with cofounder Clive Chafer stepping down as artistic director. The troupe continues to negotiate for a new home near the Psaramount Theatre. 

A new performing arts venue that’s presenting shows while their complex is being finished in West Oakland, is the Noodle Factory Theater, managed by Maya Gurantz and Norman Gee, which will open with Gee’s direction of his Oakland Public Theater production, Before the Dream: The Mysterious Death & Life of Richard Wright, by Richard Talavera, previews to commence on the great black author’s centennial, Sept. 4, through the 21st, when it moves to San Francisco. Also at the Noodle Factory, the Milk Bar’s international film festival (Sept. 11-14) with site-specific and interactive performances, and later in the Fall, Colored Ink (Oakland’s hip-hop theaer), San Francisco Recovery Theater and jazz artist-storyteller Cooper Moore. 

The community theaters of the East Bay all have distinct personalities. Berkeley’s own, half-century old Actors Ensemble will produce Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus this fall at the Live Oak Theater. Masquers Playhouse in Pt. Richmond, also “50ish,” is set this weekend to open Robert Sherwood’s The Petrified Forest, Aug. 22-Sept. 27 (with a special showing of the film of the play that made Humphrey Bogart’s career at the Speakeasy Theater on Central in El Cerrito tonight only, $9). Altarena Playhouse in Alameda (an oldtimer at 70) will play Bat Boy, The Musical, in time for Hallowe’en, Sept. 26-Nov. 1. And Contra Costa Community Theatre (CCCT, founded in 1960, the youngster of the group), will feature Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution and Greater Tuna this fall and for the holidays. 

Woodminster stages musicals outdoors in Joaquin Miller Park every summer, ending this year with Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, Sept. 5-14. 

UC’s Department of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies opens Oct. 10-19 with Measure for Measure (Peter Glazer directing) and continuing with Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls, Nov. 14-23 (directed by Christine Nicholson). There are also workshop productions, like Gunter Grass’ The Plebians Rehearse the Uprising (concerning Bertolt Brecht and the 1953 East Berlin workers uprising, Oct. 23-25). CalPerformances will present Dublin’s Druid Theatre Co. in Playboy of the Western Word at the Roda Theatre, Oct. 8-12. 

Not to forget those companies that produce a show or two a year, like Subterranean Shakespeare at the Berkeley Art Center in Live Oak Park, George Charbak’s TheatreInSearch (whose Gilgamesh last year at Ashby Stage was unique), Darvag (producing for over 20 years, in both Farsi and English), or those based in the East Bay who play mostly in San Francisco: The Eastenders (opening Frozen at the Eureka next week), Golden Thread (plays about the Middle East and their annual Re:Orient fest), Liebe Wetzel and her Lunatique Fantastique puppets ... 

Other companies bring shows regularly to the East Bay, like San Francisco’s Crowded Fire (performing Liz Duffy Adams’ The Listener at Ashby Stage through Aug. 31), The SF Mime Troupe, playing their election year spoof Red State for free at 1:30 this weekend in Live Oak Park, before taking it to Denver); and Traveling Jewish Theatre, to name a few. 

The Bay Area has more classical musicians and venues than a glam rock singer has sequins. And the East Bay’s musical glitterati have always displayed an interest in more than Mozart and Beethoven, as some of the nation’s best musicians compose, improvise and flash their considerable talents into the dark and cozy audience of tradition. You can find everything here from the most radical to the most sedate, but what’s best of all is the combination that breeds the original and the spellbinding.  

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra 

Variety and imagination have garnered numerous ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music for this orchestra. Although this year marks the end of his directorship, Kent Nagano opens his 30th anniversary season with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra on Sept. 18. The search for a new maestro began last year with three young directors conducting the symphony in programs of their own choosing. That search continues this fall with three more potential Berkeley Symphony Orchestra conductors at the podium: William Eddins, musical director of Canada’s Edmonton Symphony Orchestra; Paul Haas, artistic director of New York’s cutting-edge Sympho concerts; and Joana Carneiro, currently assistant conductor of the Los Angeles Phil. All three conductors will lead performances of Berkeley Symphony’s “Under Construction” series, the revelatory program that introduces new works by emerging composers-in-residence. Maestro Nagano closes the season with two concerts in May. For tickets and information, call 841-2800 or visit www.berkeleysymphony.org. Single tickets, $40, $60; students, $20; “Under Construction” concerts, $10 and $20. 

Berkeley Opera 

Speaking of original, the Berkeley Opera strives to present “opera as lively, compelling musical theater.” And lively it is—no matter what they take on and how they take it on, the Berkeley Opera is always interesting. Berkeley born and educated Artistic/Music Director Jonathan Khuner has staged some wonderful contemporary operas. Last year’s double bill of Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle and Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortileges, libretto by Colette, turned its lights on the wildly dark nooks and crannies of love: both operas perfect for the intimate format that is integral to the company’s ambitions and realized in productions that were both haunting and charming. In the past, Berkeley Opera, to its credit, has commissioned lively adaptations and engaging new operas. Productions are in English or with English supertitles. The 2009 season will be announced in September. For information and tickets, call (925) 798-1300 or visit www. berkeleyopera.org. Tickets are $40, $16 on the sides, $20/10, seniors, student rush. 

Oakland East Bay Symphony 

The Oakland East Bay Symphony, directed by Maestro Michael Morgan and housed in the gold encrusted Paramount Theater, presents six diverse programs of music during the season. OEBS continues its sixth season of Magnum Opus, one of the largest commissioning projects of new symphonic works in the United States. Sponsored by Kathryn Gould through Meet the Composer, Inc., the grants commission, premiere and perform nine new works in the Bay Area by American composers. For tickets and information, call 444-0801 or visit www.oebs. org. Subscription series available. Single tickets, $70-$25. 

When not adorning the Paramount with their sparkling musicianship, Morgan and members of his orchestra perform in other capacities—supporting Ron Guidi’s newly reorganized Oakland Ballet Company in their holiday Nutcracker event and fall and spring programs. Live music adds luster to this dance company’s admirable performances, and Morgan’s conducting is thoughtful and appropriate. During the summer, Morgan is also music director for the Festival Opera at Walnut Creek’s Dean Lesher Center. The opera company only performs two works during the summer, but they are exceptional. 

Cal Performances 

As far as multiplicity of interest, Cal Performances has more programs than contemporary classical has time changes. With a miscellany of performance that spans the spectrum from bel canto to soul to world music, the Zellerbach Hall-based organizations programming is simply the richest and most electrifying to be found in the Bay Area. This year’s programming includes pianists Murray Perahia and the absolutely thrilling young Piotr Anderszewski; soprano Angela Gheorghiu, who will also be starring in SF Opera’s La Boheme; György Kurtág’s Kafka Fragments based on excerpts from Franz Kafka’s diaries and letters, directed by Peter Sellars and performed by soprano Dawn Upshaw and violinist Geoff Nuttall; and Jake Heggie’s new chamber opera Three Decembers ffeaturing Federika Von Stade. Laurie Anderson will perform her newest work, Homeland. That’s just for starters. For information and tickets, call 642-9988 or visit www.calperfs.berkeley. edu. 

UC Music Department 

With three series that provide a range of classical music from western European to Asian to ethnic music, the university music department’s Noon Concerts are hard to beat in the category of compelling and free. In September alone, the concert series includes Beethoven, Morton Feldman and Alban Berg, art songs by Chausson, Debussy, Richard Strauss and American composers William Grant Still, Margaret Bonds and Kirke Mechem; and Shoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht; as well as a conference on African and Afro-Caribbean performance. Regular performances of the University Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Milnes, are scheduled at Hertz Hall ($12, $8, $4). For information and tickets, call 642-4864 or go to music.berkeley.edu/ noon.html. Free or close to it. 

Other musical series 

For early music buffs, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra is dedicated to historically informed performances of Baroque, Classical and early-Romantic music played on original instruments. Regularly heard on tour in the United States and internationally, the San Francisco-based PBO performs in Berkeley several times during the season. For information, call (415) 252-1288 or visit www.philharmonia.org. $30-$72. Berkeley Chamber Performances presents a variety of outstanding local—and some farther afield—chamber groups such as the Maybeck Trio, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, Empyrean Ensemble and the Debussy Trio at the Julia Morgan-designed Berkeley City Club. Concerts are followed by a reception. Preconcert meals are also available. For information and tickets, call 525-5211 or visit www.berkeleychamberperform.org. $10-$20. Children through high school, free. Trinity Chapel at 2320 Dana St. has its own music series with a way-far-afield line-up of both traditional and off-the-map concerts—the Sept. 6 concert features violin and harpsichord duets and, on Sept. 20, Grosse Abfahrt performs, specializing in large ensemble improvisation using a dazzling mix of electronica, acoustica, and trombone! For information call 549-3864 or visit www.trinitychamberconcerts.com. $12, $8 seniors, disabled, student. No one turned away for lack of funds. 

Other opera 

Goat Hall Productions is a cabaret-theater community of musicians and artists presenting original work written by Bay Area composers, who probably put the finishing touches on their notes at the final dress rehearsal. Energetic, provocative and originally based in San Francisco, they’re moving to Berkeley this year to present musical theater and opera in English. For tickets and information, call (415) 289-6877 or visit www.goathall.org. Cabaret table: $25 per seat; single tickets, $20. Oakland Opera Theater specializes in 20th- and 21st-century operas. Last year they relocated to a larger more acoustically vibrant space located a few blocks from Jack London Square. More experimental in outlook and edgier in taste, Director Tom Dean often re-configures an earlier opera to fit today’s heartbeat. Frequently he commissions new work. For information and tickets, go to www.oaklandopera.org or call 763-1146. Tickets are $25 in advance, $32 at the door. 

One more note . . . 

Not interested in performance but need those class music vibes? South campus has two excellent classical stores. Located on Bancroft across from Zellerbach Auditorium and behind the café of the same name is The Musical Offering. For the genteel and the well-heeled, the store offers a wide selection of classical cds, many displayed with helpful comments by the staff. The upstairs classical music section at Amoeba Music, on Telegraph Ave. at the corner of Haste Street, is simply the rock star of classical cds and vinyl—with prices and a new and used selection that leaves everyone, including the internet, painting its nails in the dressing room. Check it out.

“Our ‘Under Construction’ new music series is really about composer development more than music development,” says James Kleinmann, Berkeley Symphony’s executive director. “We’ve spent over 15 years developing an orchestra that’s very proficient at taking on challenging work with short preparation. We give the composers’ works ‘cold readings,’ with the pieces extensively marked up before a, say, 25-minute performance. We give it our darnedest, with the audience hearing the pieces played and corrected, and, in spite of any trepidations, even a ‘gnarly’ score, something beautiful and unique to the composers’ voice and style comes through. And over time, the composers can get a sense of how a real orchestra works, and push through the boundaries, let their personalities shine through; test out, develop their craft—and hopefully fall in love with creating symphonic work.” 

“It’s like open mic night...with full orchestra!” So the symphony’s website announces the informal concerts, when the Emerging Composers in Residence with the symphony “hear their work come to life for the very first time.” The three events that will feature music by the 2008-9 composers in residence, with guest conductors (visiting as candidates in the search for a successor to Musical Director Kent Nagano), will be on Sundays at 7 p. m.: Oct. 26 (William Eddins conducting), Nov. 16 (Paul Haas) and Dec. 14 (Joana Carneiro), all at St. John’s Presbyterian Church on College Avenue. The resident composers also provide feedback for the evaluation of the visiting conductors as candidates.  

Themes are: Democracy in America (for the pre-election concert, Oct. 26), Harvest Fest (Nov. 16) and The Longest Night (Dec. 16, before the solistice). Recorded clips will be on the Symphony website next year. 

This year there are four Emerging Composers in Residence, one more than last year (and Kleinmann says future years could see even more): Jean Ahn, David Graves (who was one of last year’s class of three in residence), Patricio da Silva and Clark Suprynowicz. All are Bay Area residents; none has had a symphonic work performed by a local professional orchestra. 

Jean Ahn, an Orinda resident, received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Seoul National University in South Korea, and is a Ph. D. candidate at UC Berkeley. Her interest is in combining instruments and elements from traditional Asian music with electronics. Her entry for residency is entitled Salt for Orchestra. 

David Graves, who lives in San Francisco, composes in various genres, including jazz, rock and ambient music. A large-scale ambient piece, tree/sigh, was installed in a redwood canyon, and a multimedia work was part of Surround>Sound in San Francisco, 2006. His work has been performed by the San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra, with which he is affiliated. His pieces Insecurity (and Other Agencies of Government), The Spectator and Deep Green Dreams were performed by the symphony during his residency last year.  

Patricio da Silva, a Danville resident, studied piano and composition in his native Portugal, completing his MFA at CalArts and his Ph. D. at UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz. His work has been performed internationally at festivals. Da Silva’s entry is entitled The Fact of the Matter as a Matter of Fact.  

Berkeley resident Clark Suprynowicz studied bass with Dave Holland and has worked with leading jazz artists. He’s composed theme and incidental music for National Public Radio. Berkeley Opera staged his Chrysalis (with John O’Keefe’s libretto) in 2006 and San Francisco Shakespeare Festival commissioned Caliban Dreams (with Amanda Moody). A cofounder of the New Music Theatre Project at San Francisco’s Z Space, Suprynowicz teaches at Berkeley’s Crowden School and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and has written songs and chamber music. 

Kleinmann, Suprynowicz and Graves engaged in a far-ranging discussion of “Under Construction” recently, commenting on its uniqueness in the musical world as a development program, enabling composers to work directly with an orchestra, albeit on short deadlines (draft scores due about eight weeks before performance, only a matter of weeks after the theme has been announced) with no rehearsals, in an ongoing program not geared to the performance of one commissioned work from a composer. “There’s nothing else like this,” Graves said, “just contests, or the schools where composers get their Master’s.” 

Graves and Suprynowicz flatly stated that getting any style of composition performed is becoming more difficult. “It’s all getting harder—whether opera, symphonic work—all the time,” Suprynowicz said. “Sometimes somebody gets a break. Composers often have to work out unusual deals to get professional musicians to play and record their pieces. I know one composer who writes soundtracks for video games who farms out an extra hour when they’re recorded to get his own music played and recorded for his own benefit.” 

Graves, as returning composer, said to Suprynowicz that the musicians “will recognize your style by the third concert”—and commented that in recent years “the public has become willing to listen to performances without full orchestra,” which he and Suprynowicz discussed. “It’s great to write for, and to actually hear your music with, a full string section,” Suprynowicz remarked, saying that he’s previously written for groups of up to 20 pieces. (Graves remarked that most compositions are for up to eight or 10 pieces; compositions for larger groups have much less likelyhood of getting played.) Suprynowicz said that many performances of bigger works use “essentially string quartets augmented with brass or electronics.” Graves added, “Composers have a limited time to compose; they compose what’ll be played ... There isn’t another resource with 30 strings that would run through this for you.” 

Kleinmann, who is also founder of the play development organization Playground, “a parallel development in theater,” added that “Under Construction,” initiated in 2003, with its first class of resident composers last year, “needs to stick five or 10 years to have it work correctly. It’s ultimately about long-term relationships with local composers, not somebody we fly in for the concert, but hopefully originating a new body of work over time. Composers—and playwrights—are originating artists, but the attention is on the superstars, the conductors and musicians ... As David said, nobody builds a career through one piece at a time. But once someone’s crawled over the transom, creating that initial relationship, something’s begun. But if the tendency is to commission one work at a time, what’s that for a community? We hope ultimately to create a small community of composers. It’s not about any one composer producing great work after great work ... but a different type of recognition. If you succeed more than you fail—that’s a career.”

The Zolas, Dan and Dale, present another “variety show” of spoken word with music, singing and performace, “The Great Night of Soul Poetry,” running a gamut of poets from Hafiz to Neruda, Roethke to Ferlinghetti, performed by a dozen or more presenters, singers, dancers/body musicians (Keith Terry) and players (Sheldon Brown, Gary Haggerty, Arshad Sayeed and Claude Palmer on instruments from East and West). 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23 at Freight and Salvage. $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org.