THURSDAY, JULY 9 

Creeks, Parks, & Gardens Walk for walkers age 50+ to discover community gardens, restored creeks, environmentally friendly landscaping, and a “hidden” Albany park on a level, 3.5 mi. walk. Meet at 9 a.m. at the garden next to Berkeley Bagels, 1281 Gilman, near Santa Fe. Wear comfortable shoes, bring water and snack. Walk is free but numbers are limited. Please register at Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic. 524-9122, or Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin. 524-9283. 

Dog Day Thursdays Come practice your reading skills by reading to a dog. A free, drop-in program at 2 and 2:35 p.m. at the Albany Library. Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

“Solar Green Jobs” with Joshua Arce on the solar efforts in the Bayview, SF, at 6 p.m. at 2nd flr. conference room, Central Building, 436 14th St., Oakland. RSVP to jeff@baylocalize.org 

East Bay Mac Users Group With presentations of the Omni Group's OmniFocus and OmniGraffle by David Alter and Howard Cohen at 7 p.m. at Expression College for Digital Arts, 6601 Shellmound Street, Emeryville. http://ebmug.org 

Caddwynn the Magician will present her magic show at 3 p.m. at the Richmond Public Library, Main Children's Room, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. 620-6557. www.richmondlibrary.org 

Circle of Concern Vigil meets on West Lawn of UC campus across from Addison and Oxford, Thurs. at noon and Sun. at 1 p.m. to oppose UC weapons labs contracts. 848-8055. 

Summer Dance Party EveryThurs. at 7:30 p.m. at Live Oak Park. Teachers will lead a variety of dances from around the world. All ages at 7:30, teens and adults at 8:30. Cost is $2 children, $5 adults. 

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

FRIDAY, JULY 10 

Water Safety Skills Class for parents and caregivers from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Habitot Children’s Museum, 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111.  

Tsukimi Kai Fundraiser with Nikkei and Latino music and dance, raffle and silent auction at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$20. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Benefit for Tristan Anderson at 7 p.m. at AK Press Warehouse, 674-A 23rd St., Oakland. 208-1700. 

Circle Dancing, simple folk dancing with instruction at 7:30 p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St at University. Donation of $5 requested. 528-4253.  

Red Cross Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kaiser Permanente Office, Dining Conference Room, 1950 Franklin St., Oakland. To schedule an appointment go to www.givelife.org 

Dating Tips Seminar with Life Coach Vanae Tran at noon at Berkeley YWCA, 2600 Bancroft Way. 848-6370.  

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. 

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

SATURDAY, JULY 11 

“Holistic Care for Your Dog and Cat” with practitioners, vendors and experts from 1 to 4 p.m. at Holistic Hound, 1510 Walnut St. 843-2133. 

The Crucible’s 9th Annual Fire Arts Festival Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at Fire Arts Arena, W. Grand Ave. and Wake Ave., Oakland. www.thecrucible.org 

Impact Theatre Benefit Poker Tournament at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. Tickets are $50. impacttheatre.com 

“Breads and Tortillas: Eat Your Way Through History” from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Peralta Hacienda Historical Park, 2465 34th Ave., Oakland. Cost is $1. Tours of the house also available. Wear socks. 532-9142. www.peraltahacienda.org 

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

Common Agenda Regional Network Meeting on the California budget crisis, U.N. Durban Review Conference, alternatives to the death penalty and John Yoo, at 2 p.m. at Gray Panthers’ office, 1403 Addison St., 527-9584. 

Rabbit Adoption Day from 1 to 4 p.m. at RabbitEars, 377 Colusa Circle. 525-6155. 

Collage Worshop for Teens at 1 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. Art supplies provided, but you may bring your own. 526-3720. 

Introduction to Improv Theater and Acting with Pan Theater in downtown Oakland, from 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. For ages 18 and up. Free. Advance registration requested pantheater@comcast.net 

“Bamboo” Learn about the right types to plant in your garden at 10 a.m. at Magic Gardens, 729 Heinz Ave. Free. 644-2351. 

Adventure Weekend at Playland-Not-At-The-Beach Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 10979 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. Cost is $10-$15. 932-8966. www.playland-not-at-the-beach.org 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden Sat. and Sun. at 11 a.m. and 2 pm. Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Lawn Bowling on the green at the corner of Acton St. and Bancroft Way every Wed. and Sat. at 10 a.m. for ages 12 and up. Wear flat soled shoes, no heels. Free lessons. 841-2174.  

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

Open Shop at Berkeley Boathouse from 1 to 5 p.m. at at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Take part in constructing a wooden boat or help out with other maritime projects. No experience necessary. First time is free, cost is $10 per day. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

SUNDAY, JULY 12 

Walking Tour of Amelia’s Airport: Oakland’s Historic North Field Meet at 10 a.m. at the Business Jet Center, 9351 Earhart Rod. Sponsored by Oakland Heritage Alliance. Cost is $10-$15. 763-9218. 

“Specter of Revolution Stalks Iran’s Theocratic Rulers” A discussion at 10:30 a.m. at Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 658-1448. 

Medicinal Plants in Strawberry Canyon Learn the historical and modern medicinal applications, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Bring water, snacks/lunch, hat/sunscreen, a notebook, and a camera. Cost is $25. To register call 428-1810 or email bluewindbmc@yahoo.com 

Free Hands-on Bicycle Clinic Learn how to repair a flat, from 10 to 11 a.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Bring your bike and tools. 527-4140. 

Social Action Summer Forum with Antonio Medrano, Board Member for the West Contra Costa School District on “What’s Happening in the District?” at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Huston Smith on “Tales of Wonder” at 11:30 a.m. at Epworth UMC, 1953 Hopkins St.  

Silpada Designs Jewelry Show and Sale to benefit the Adult Day Service Network of Alameda County from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at Salem Lutheran Home, 2361 East 29th St., Oakland. 534-3637. 

“How to Forgive for Good” Practical ways to let go with Rev. Mary Elyn Bahlert at 9:30 a.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1255 First Ave., Oakland. Donations acepted. 465-4793. 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park Sat. and Sun. at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Call to confirm. 841-8732.  

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

Tibetan Buddhism with Erika Rosenberg on “Emotions in Mind” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000.  

MONDAY, JULY 13 

Reduce Your Personal and Community Carbon Footprint Four-session Climate Change Action Group, Mon. or Tues. from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ecology Center. For specific dates and more information see www.ecologycenter.org  

Community Yoga Class 10 a.m. at James Kenney Parks and Rec. Center at Virginia and 8th. Seniors and beginners welcome. Cost is $6. 207-4501. 

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

Small-Business Counseling Free one-hour one-on-one counseling to help you start and run your small business with a volunteer from Service Core of Retired Executives, Mon. evenings by appointment at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. For appointment call 981-6148. www.eastbayscore.org 

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

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

TUESDAY, JULY 14 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market Community Barbeque with sausages, tofu, msuhrooms and oysters, and live music, from 2 to 7 p.m. on Derby St. at MLK, Jr. Way. Benefits the Ecology Center. 548-3333. www.ecologycenter.org 

Bastille Day Fundraiser for Alameda Non-Profits, including the Animal Shelter, Food Bank and Family Services League from 4 to 8 p.m. at Alameda Wine Co. 2315 Central Ave., Alameda. 21 and up only. Dogs on leashes welcome. www.alamedawineco.com 

Walking Tour of Oakland City Center Meet at 10 a.m. in front Oakland City Hall at Frank Ogawa Plaza. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. 

Bastille Day for Children from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Habitot Children’s Museum, 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111. www.habitot.org 

Early Childhood Safety Choke-Saving Skills Class  

for parents and caregivers from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Habitot Children’s Museum, 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111. www.habitot.org 

Half Dome in a Day Tips for a successful hike at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Irish Social Dance Class at 8 p.m., open dance at 9 p.m. at Henry’s Pub in the Hotel Durant, 2600 Durant Ave. Free. BerkeleyIrish.com 

Jeremy the Juggler at 10:30 a.m. at the West Side branch library, 135 Washington Ave., Richmond, and at 2 p.m. at the Bayview branch library, 5100 Hartnett Ave., Richmond. 620-6557. www.richmondlibrary.org 

Family Program with Juan L. Sanchez, singer and storyteller at 6:30 p.m. at the Albany Library. Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

“Socialism and Bob Avakian’s New Synthesis” A discussion 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. 

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., Sat. and Sun. from 2 to 6 p.m. at at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. 644-2577.  

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

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

Bridge for beginners from 12:30 to 2:15 p.m., all others 12:30 to 4 p.m. Sing-A-Long at 2:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5190. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland Uptown to the Lake to discover Art Deco landmarks. Meet at 10 a.m. in front of the Paramount Theater at 2025 Broadway. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. 

Free Screening of “Bamako“ as part of the Radical Film Nite with free popcorn and post-film discussion, at 8 p.m. at the Long Haul Infoshop, 3124 Shattuck Ave. 540-0751. www.thelonghaul.org 

“The Mysteries, Secrets and Solutions: Connecting with the Energy Research at Berkeley Lab” An Educator Insitute conference Wed. and Thurs. with keynote by Dr. Sally Ride. Cost is $30. To register see www.sallyridescience,com/institutes 

Family Singalong at 4:30 p.m. at the Albany Library. Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Red Cross Blood Services Volunteer Orientation from 6 to 8 p.m. at 6230 Claremont Ave., Oakland. Registration required. 594-5165. 

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 6:30 p.m. at the Berkeley BART Station. 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. 

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

THURSDAY, JULY 16 

“Butterflies in a Butterfly House” with entomologist Rich Kelson of Butterfly Habitat at 7:30 p.m. at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. www.goldengateaudubon.org 

Dog Day Thursdays Come practice your reading skills by reading to a dog. A free, drop-in program at 2 and 2:35 p.m. at the Albany Library. Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

“The Suntrain and Mr. Swan’s Big Idea” Slideshow presentation on a solar-powered railway at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-3402, store@ecologycenter.org 

Berkeley Simplicity Forum on “Decluttering” at 6:30 p.m. at the Claremont Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave. 

Hip-Hop Dance Class for Teens with Lateef at 3 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St.  

Early Childhood Safety Choke-Saving Skills Class, in English and Spanish,  

for parents and caregivers from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Habitot children’s Museum, 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111. www.habitot.org 

Magic Workshop with Ordinary Objects with Heather Rogers from 6 to 8 p.m. at Playland-Not-At-The-Beach at 10979 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. Cost is $20. 932-8966. www.playland-not-at-the-beach.org 

Harry Potter Night with games, snacks, and lots of Hogwarts-style fun Thursday, 7/16/09, 6:15 p.m., at the Main Children's Room, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. 620-6557. www.richmondlibrary.org  

“Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry” Teach-in at 7 p.m. at AK Press Warehouse, 674-A 23rd St., Oakland. 208-1700. 

Circle of Concern Vigil meets on West Lawn of UC campus across from Addison and Oxford, Thurs. at noon and Sun. at 1 p.m. to oppose UC weapons labs contracts. 848-8055. 

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

Summer Dance Party EveryThurs. at 7:30 p.m. at Live Oak Park. Teachers will lead a variety of dances from around the world. All ages at 7:30, teens and adults at 8:30. Cost is $2 children, $5 adults. 

FRIDAY, JULY 17 

Conscientious Projector Film Series “Torturing Democracy” at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. Donation $5-$10. 841-4824. 

Circle Dancing, simple folk dancing with instruction at 7:30 p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St at University. Donation of $5 requested. 528-4253. www.circledancing.com 

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. 

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

SATURDAY, JULY 18 

Friends of the Albany Library Book Sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. For information or to volunteer contact friendsalbany@yahoo.com 

Colusa Circle Community FreeCycle Bring your castoffs too good to throw away to exchange for other treasures. No buying, no selling. Salvation Army will pick up the leftovers at the end of the day. To drop off or to reserve a space, call the Colusa Circle Merchants Assoc. 525-6155. 

Easy Tips to Save Money on Your Pets, While Treating Them really well from 1 to 4 p.m. at RabbitEars, 377 Colusa Ave., Kensington. 525-6155. 

Walking Tour of Historic Oakland Churches and Temples Meet at 10 a.m. at the front of the First Presbyterian Church at 2619 Broadway. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Greater Cooper A.M.E. Zion Church, 1420 Myrtle St., Oakland. To schedule an appointment go to www.helpsavealife.org  

Free Car Seat Checks From 10 a.m. to noon officers from the Berkeley Police Department will administer a car seat safety check on the 5th level of the Allston Way Garage, 2061 Allston Way between Milvia and Shattuck. Parking will be validated by Habitot. 647-1111.  

“How to Attract Butterflies and Beneficial Insects to Your Garden” at 10 a.m. at Magic Gardens, 729 Heinz Ave. Free. 644-2351. 

Hip-Hop Dance Class for Teens with Lateef at 3:30 p.m. at West Branch Public Library, 1125 University Ave. 981-6270.  

Circus Weekend at Playland-Not-At-The-Beach Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 10979 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. Cost is $10-$15. 932-8966. www.playland-not-at-the-beach.org 

Chocolate Chip Challah Learn to decorate and bake a treat for Shabbat at 10:30 p.m. at Jewish Gateways, 409 Liberty St., El Cerrito. 559-8140. www.jewishgateways.org 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden Sat. and Sun. at 11 a.m. and 2 pm. Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Lawn Bowling on the green at the corner of Acton St. and Bancroft Way every Wed. and Sat. at 10 a.m. for ages 12 and up. Wear flat soled shoes, no heels. Free lessons. 841-2174.  

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

Open Shop at Berkeley Boathouse from 1 to 5 p.m. at at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Take part in constructing a wooden boat or help out with other maritime projects. No experience necessary. First time is free, cost is $10 per day. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

SUNDAY, JULY 19 

Bike Tour of Oakland for ages 12 and up with bikes, helmets and repair kits. Meet at 10th St. entrance of Oakland Museum of California. free, but reservations required. 238-3514. www.museumca.org 

Fun with Painting A children and family explorations day from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak sts. Cost is $5-$8. 238-3514. www.museumca.org 

Free Sailboat Rides from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Cal Sailing Club, Berkeley Marina. Wear warm, waterproof clothing and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. Children 5 and over welcome with parent or guardian. www.cal-sailing.org 

Social Action Summer Forum with Leon Litvak, Prof. Emeritus, UCB, on “Fight the Power After the Civil Rights Movement” at at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

“How to Forgive for Good” Practical ways to let go with Rev. Mary Elyn Bahlert at 9:30 a.m. at Lake Merritt United methodist Church, 1255 First Ave., Oakland. Donations accepted. 465-4793. 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park Sat. and Sun. at 11 a.m. and 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 

Tibetan Buddhism with Joleen Vries on “The Nyingma Mandala in Europe” 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 2 to 6 p.m. at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Also on Thurs. from 2 to 6 p.m. Cost is $5 per hour. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

CITY MEETINGS 

Commission on Early Childhood Education meets Thurs., July 9, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5428.  

Community Health Commission meets Thurs., July 9, at 6:45 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5356.  

West Berkeley Project Area Commission meets Thurs., July 9, at 7 p.m. at the James Kenney Recreation Center, 8th & Virginia. 981-7418.  

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., July 9, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. 981-7430.  

Housing Element Community Meeting Thurs., July 9, at 7 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7416.  

City Council meets Tues., July 14, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Medical Cannabis Commission meets Thurs. July 14, at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall, Cypress Room, 2180 Milvia. 981-7402. 

Design Review Committee meets Thurs., July 16, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7415.  

Fair Campaign Practices Commission meets Thurs., July 16, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6950.  

Transportation Commission meets Thurs., July 16, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7061.  

Landmarks Preservation Commission meets Mon., July 20 , at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7429.

THURSDAY, JULY 9 

CHILDREN 

Caddwynn the Magician at 3 p.m. at the Richmond Public Library, Main Children’s Room, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. 620-6557. www.richmondlibrary.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Residency Projects I” New work by Pawel Kruk, Saantha Lautman, Chris turbuck and Lindsey White. Exhibition opens at Kala Gallery, 2990 San Pablo, and runs to Aug. 15. 841-7000. kala.org 

FILM 

Free Outdoor Movies at Jack London Square “Dead Calm” Come at 7:30 p.m., movies begin at sundown. Bring blankets and stadium seat. 645-9292. www.jacklondonsquare.com 

In the Realm of Oshima “The Man Who Left His Will on Film” at 6:30 p.m. and “Dear Sumer Sister” at 8:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Richard Whittaker: Works and Conversation Panel on art, nature and the environment, with Sam Bower, John Toki and Kathleen Cramer at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Cost is $7, free to artist members. 644-6893. 

Tea Party Magazine: The Free Issue with poetry readings at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Peter Jan Honigsberg reads from “Our Nation Unhinged: The Human Consequences of the War on Terror” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

“Japanese Music & Beyond” a conversation with Taki Kanno, on the power of music and the human brain at 7:30 p.m. at the Home Room, International House, UC campus. Cost is $15. To register email ihprograms@berkeley.edu 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Farallon Recorder Quartet with Annette Bauer, Letitia Berlin, Frances Blaker, and Louise Carslake perform works from the 14th century to the present at 8 p.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington Ave., Albany. Tickets are $15-$20.  

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

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

Country Joe’s Open Mic with Mugg Muggles, Man of Many Manifestations at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. Donation $5-$10. 841-4824. 

BASSment, Whiskey Hill at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

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

FRIDAY, JULY 10 

THEATER 

Altarena Playhouse “Spitfire Grill” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Aug. 16. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Aurora Theatre “Jack Goes Boating” through July 19. Tickets are $28-$50. 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org.  

Contra Costa Civic Theatre “Thoroughly Modern Millie” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through July 19. Tickets are $15-$24. 524-9132. www.ccct.org  

Masquers Playhouse “Copenhagen” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sat. and Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond. Tickets are $10. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

Pinole Community Players “Pump Boys & the Dinettes” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Community Playhouse, 601 Tennet Ave., Pinole, through July 11. Tickets are $17-$20. www.pinoleplayers.org 

Woodminster Summer Musicals “Peter Pan” at 8 p.m. at Woodminster Amphitheater in Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joachin Miller Rd., Oakland, through July 19. Tickets are $25-$40. 531-9597. www.woodminster.com 

EXHIBITIONS 

Patricia Leslie, animal portraits, watercolor and ink, from 5 to 8 p.m. at 2427 San Mateo St., Richmond. Enter gallery around corner, on Sacramento Ave. 

“Heart of the Mountain” Poems and paintings from Heart Mountain, Wyoming relocation camp by members of the Tachibana Ginsha poetry group while interned during WWII. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at K Gallery, Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Balnding Ave. Alameda. www.rhythmix.org 

“Up Against the Wall: Berkeley Posters from the 1960s” at the Berkeley Historical Society, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. Exhibit runs to Sept. 26. 848-0181. 

2009 National Juried Exhibition Opening reception at 6 p.m. at ACCI GAllery. exhibition runs to Aug. 23. www.accigallery.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Debra Grace Khattab and Leah Steinberg will read their poetry at 7 p.m. at Nefeli Caffe, 1854 Euclid Ave. 

David Watts reads from “The Orange Wire Problem and Other Tales from the Doctor’s Office” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Cafe Americain, gypsy jazz, at noon at the Kaiser Center Roof Garden, on top of the parking garage, 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland. Free. www.KaiserCenterRoofGarden.com 

Point Richmond Summer Concert with Michael Van, Americana, at 5:30 p.m. and Still Time, groove rock, at 6:45 p.m. at Park Place at Washington Ave., Point Richmond. www.pointrichmond.com 

Gateswingers Jazz Band at 7:30 p.m. at 33 Revolutions Record Shop amd Cafe,10086 San Pablo Ave. at Central, El Cerrito. 898-1836.  

Bossa Five-O at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Sambada and Tambores Remelxo, Brazilian, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

The Real Sippin Whiskeys, The Family at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082.  

Dick Hindman at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

The Dave Stein Bub-Hub at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Terrence Brewer Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SATURDAY, JULY 11 

CHILDREN  

“Ciguapas” Stories from the Dominican Republic Sat. and Sun. at 12:30 and 3 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $7. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

“Happy To Be Girls” with illustrator Jenny Matteson at 1 p.m. from 1 to 4 p.m. at Museum of Childrens Art, 538 9th St., Oakland. 465-8770.  

THEATER 

Woman’s Will “The Taming of the Shrew” at 1 p.m. at John Hinkel Park. Free.  

FILM 

In the Realm of Oshima “Pleasures of the Flesh” at 6:30 p.m. and “Empire of Passion” at 8:20 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Moe’s 50th Anniversary Party from 3 to 8 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Bay Area Poets Coalition open reading from 3 to 5 pm. at Strawberry Creek Lodge, 1320 Addison St. Park on the street. 527-9905. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Opera “The Ballad of Baby Doe” at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $18-$48. 925-798-1300, www.berkeleyopera.org 

Bon Singer and Diana Rowan at 8 p.m. at Grace North Church, 2138 Cedar St. Tickets are $5-$20. 548-2153. 

Bob Ernst & Ruth Zaporah, improvisers, at 8 p.m. at Western Sky Studio, 2525 8th St. Cost is $20. momentsnoticeinfo@gmail.com 

Aguacero with Rico Pabon, Sandra Garcia Rivera and Lina G. Torio at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Bayside Jazz with Dan Hicks at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Baba Ken & Kotoja at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. African dance lesson at 9 p.m. Cost is $10-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

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

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

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

Happy Hour Jazz Quintet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Joshi’z 3 at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Christopher Fairman, Pomegranate, Rocking Chairs at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9. 841-2082.  

SUNDAY, JULY 12 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Metamorphosis” Paintings by Laila Espinoza. Opening reception at 4 p.m. at Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. Exhibition runs to Oct. 4. 524-2943. 

Rock’N Comics Vintage rock posters, original comic book art, vintage comic books on display from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at D. King Gallery, 2284 Fulton. www.houseofcomics.com 

Meet the Museum Docent tour at 1 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. 238-2200.  

THEATER 

Woman’s Will “The Taming of the Shrew” at 1 p.m. at John Hinkel Park. Free.  

FILM 

Tribute to Hayao Miyazaki “My Neighbor Totoro” at 4 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Alexandra Yurkovsky reads from her poetry collections “Wanting” and “Futile Songs” at 2 p.m. at Mo’Joe Cafe, 2517 Sacramento, south of Dwight. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Lee Goland Lives Tribute concert to the late songwriter at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $6-$12. 849-2568.  

Gina Harris & Jason Martineau at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ.  

Americana Unplugged: The Backyard Party Boys at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Rising Stars High school jazz intensive concert at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373.  

Israeli Folkdance with Allen King at 1:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $7. 525-5054.  

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

MONDAY, JULY 13 

EXHIBITIONS 

Oakland Art Association Group Show at the Alameda Library Gallery, 1550 Oak St., Alameda, through Aug. 8. 547-7777. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

El Cerrito Art Association with Michele Theberge on painting with acrylics at 7:30 p.m. in the Garden Room, El Cerrito Community Center, 7007 Moeser Lane. 526-9450. 

Subterranean Shakespeare “Henry VI, Part 3” Staged reading at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. Tickets are $8 at the door. 276-3871. 

Craig Santos Perez, poet, reads from “Our Sea of Words” at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Poetry Express Memorial for francEye, open mic and rememberances, at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Sharyn Dimmick and Carol Denney, folk songs, at 7 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Free. 524-3043. 

TUESDAY, JULY 14 

CHILDREN 

Jeremy the Juggler at 10:30 a.m. at the West Side branch library, 135 Washington Ave., Richmond, and at 2 p.m. at the Bayview branch library, 5100 Hartnett Ave., Richmond. 620-6557. www.richmondlibrary.org 

FILM 

Tribute to Hayao Miyazaki “Porco Rosso” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Justin BUA, artist, on his book “The Beat of Urban Art” at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Peter Asmus discusses his new book “Introduction to Energy in California” at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. www.universitypressbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tee Fee Swamp Boogie 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 Ellen Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Meet the Artist: An Evening with Evelyn Roth” on her environmental and textile art “Sedna’s World” at 8 p.m. at Firehouse North Gallery, 1790 Shattuck Ave. Donation $10. RSVP to 530-3735. 

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

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Opera “The Ballad of Baby Doe” at 7:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $18-$48. 925-798-1300, www.berkeleyopera.org 

The Crucible’s 9th Annual Fire Arts Festival Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at Fire Arts Arena, W. Grand Ave. and Wake Ave., Oakland. www.thecrucible.org 

Fito Reinoso, Cuban, at noon at Oakland City Center, 12th and Broadway. 

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

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

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

The Mighty Diamonds with Yellow Wall Dub Squad and Itawe & King David, roots reggae, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $16-$18. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Ray Cepeda Latin Jazz Band at 7 p.m. at Chester's Bayview Cafe, 1508 B Walnut Square. 849-9995. 

Mazacote at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Salsa dance lessons at 8 p.m. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Mojo Stew at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

THURSDAY, JULY 16 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Residency Projects I” New work by Pawel Kruk, Samantha Lautman, Chris Turbuck and Lindsey White. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Kala Gallery, 2990 San Pablo. Exhibition runs to Aug. 15. 841-7000. kala.org 

Alameda Plein Air Paintout 40 artists capture the character of the city through Sat. at various locations. For details see www.frankbettecenter.org 

“The Many Faces of Frida” Artwork by 31 artists representing an aspect, a tradition or a connection to the life of Frida Kahlo. Opening reception at 5 p.m. at Craft & Cultural Arts Gallery, State of California Office Building – Atrium, 1515 Clay St., Oakland. Exhibit runs to Aug. 28. www.vivafrida.com 

FILM 

In the Realm of Oshima “100 Years of Japanese Cinema” at 6:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Tiffany Higgins, poet, reads from “And Anenas Stares Into Her Helmet” at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Sandi Wisenberg reads from “The Adventures of Cancer Bitch” at 6:30 p.m. at the Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 5741 Telegraph Ave, Oakland. 

Peter Dale Scott reads from his new book of poetry “Mosaic Orpheus” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Rafa Postel, trumpet, at noon at the downtown Berkeley BART Station. 

The Crucible’s 9th Annual Fire Arts Festival Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at Fire Arts Arena, W. Grand Ave. and Wake Ave., Oakland. www.thecrucible.org 

CB3, Michael Kang, High Heat at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15-$18. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

“Crazy in Love with Patsy Cline” with Lavay Smith, Carmen Getit and Belle Monroe at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

Pam and Jerry, Jill Knight at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

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

FRIDAY, JULY 17 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. at Berryman, through Aug. 15. Tickets are $12-$15. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org 

Altarena Playhouse “Spitfire Grill” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Aug. 16. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Aurora Theatre “Jack Goes Boating” through July 19. Tickets are $28-$50. 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org.  

Contra Costa Civic Theatre “Thoroughly Modern Millie” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through July 19. Tickets are $15-$24. 524-9132. www.ccct.org  

Woodminster Summer Musicals “Peter Pan” at 8 p.m. at Woodminster Amphitheater in Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joachin Miller Rd., Oakland, through July 19. Tickets are $25-$40. 531-9597. www.woodminster.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Paul Krassner, journalist/satirist, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Veronica Chater reads from “Waiting for the Apocalypse: A Memoir of Faith and Family” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Opera “The Ballad of Baby Doe” at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $18-$48. 925-798-1300, www.berkeleyopera.org 

The Crucible’s 9th Annual Fire Arts Festival Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at Fire Arts Arena, W. Grand Ave. and Wake Ave., Oakland. www.thecrucible.org 

Faye Carol, blues, at noon at the Kaiser Center Roof Garden, on top of the parking garage, 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland. Free. www.KaiserCenterRoofGarden.com 

Bolokada Conde at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $20. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Molly Holm and Ensemble at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Sukhawat Ali Khan at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Big Organ Trio, Alex Lee at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Rising Stars High school jazz intensive concert at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

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

Terrence Brewer Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SATURDAY, JULY 18 

CHILDREN  

“Tales from Beatrix Potter” Sat. and Sun. at 12:30 and 3 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $7. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

Kathryn Rosak & Her Children’s Dance Program at 3:30 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. For ages 3 and up. Free. 524-3043. 

THEATER 

Woman’s Will “The Taming of the Shrew” at 1 p.m. at John Hinkle Park. Free.  

EXHIBITIONS 

Anthony Holdsworth:“Cityscape Paintings” On dispaly through Aug. 20 at Alta Galleria, 2980 College Ave., Suite 4. 414-4485. www.altagalleria.com 

FILM 

In the Realm of Oshima “Double Suicide: Japanese Summer” at 6:30 p.m. and “Gohatto” 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 

“Explore Classical Music” with John Reager, Prof. of Music History at Laney College at 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 3rd flr Community Room, 2090 Kittredge. 981-6241. www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org 

Rosie Sorenson reads from “They Had Me at Meow: Tales of Love from the Homeless Cats of Buster Hollow” in a benefit reading for the East Bay SPCA at 1 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, Jack London Square, 98 Boradway., Oakland. 272-0120. 

Jaimal Yogis reads from “Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer’s Quest to Find Zen on the Sea” at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

“Exploring the Attic of Family Stories” A workshop with Donald Davis from 3 to 5 p.m., and storytelling concert at 7 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4409 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $15-$65. www.ddavisstoryteller.com 

James Gavin on “The Legend of Lena Horne” at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Friends of Negro Spirituals “Generations Preserving Negro Spirituals Together” at 2:30 p.m. at West Oakland Senior Center, 1724 Adeline St., Oakland. 869-4359.  

Allegro Ballroom Summer Showcase Exhibition of social dancing including: ballroom, country, swing, club and Latin dances from 2 ro 8 p.m. at Allegro Ballroom, 5855 Christie Ave., Emeryville. Tickets are $10-$20. 655-2888. www.allegroballroom.net 

Bobi Céspedes, Afro-Cuban, at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $18-$20. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

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

Tom Rigney & Flambeau at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Jazzsinger’s Collective with the Walter Bankovitch Trio at 3:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 

Stevie Coyle & the Ten-in-One Band at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

Apple Pie Hopes, The Sweet Dominiques at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

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

SUNDAY, JULY 19 

EXHIBITIONS 

”The African Presence in Mexico” docent tour at 2 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. Admission is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Squeak Carnwath ”Painting Is No Ordinary Object” docent tour at 3 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. Admission is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

THEATER 

Woman’s Will “The Taming of the Shrew” at 1 p.m. at John Hinkle Park. Free.  

FILM 

Tribute to Hayao Miyazaki “Castle in the Sky” at 2:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Opera “The Ballad of Baby Doe” at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $18-$48. 925-798-1300, www.berkeleyopera.org 

Midsummer Mozart Festival Program I at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Berkeley. Tickets are $30-$60. 415-627-9141. www.midsummermozart.org 

Favianna Rodriguez, Visual Element, and Dr. Loco and his Rocking Jalapeño Band from noon to 4 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. Admission is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Vukani Mawethu Choir at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Darryl Anders & Agape Soul at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Americana Unplugged: Jeanie & Chuck’s Country Roundup at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Madou Sidiki Diabate at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

John Palowich: Non-Standard Basis at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Rita Hosking & Cousin Jack at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org

Michael Frayn’s Copenhagen depicts the wartime meeting in occupied Denmark between physicist Niels Bohr, atomic structure and quantum mechanics theorist, and Werner Heisenberg, namesake of the Indeterminacy Principle, and their conversation about scientific ethics in light of the German atomic bomb program. The 1998 play will be performed this Friday through Sunday only, at the Masquers Playhouse in Point Richmond, staged by Envision, a Masquers Playhouse program. 

The production features John Hutchinson, Robert Taylor and Michael Haven, and is directed by Theo Collins—Masquers all.  

Theo Collins commented on the show and on the origins and purpose of Envision: “Some actors and directors wanted to do plays not part of the regular season—no reason to run for six weeks. So Envision began in 1995 with Ariel Dorfman’s Death and the Maiden, and progressed from there. A committee was formed to select the plays; that year there were three. But it was all on the basis of somebody wanting to do it, not for the purpose of filling up space. It’s not limited to the Masquers, either. It’s very open, just as the Masquers are very open. Shows can run two weekends, but usually just one. The week after they strike the previous main season show at the Playhouse, we set up, do the show, then they put up the set for the next production. There’s no competition that way. There is a limit as far as production values are concerned; we do it as much black box as we can.”  

Copenhagen is black box, almost to the limit: there’s no real set. “A buffet is on one side of the stage; a sofa on the other. It’s hard for the actors to be on their marks! And all three are on stage all of the time.” 

The three are Bohr, Heisenberg and Bohr’s wife, Margrethe. “She’s like the center. Bohr would bounce ideas off her. She typed all Bohr’s reports and knew what they were saying, but not the depth of the science behind.” 

Of Bohr and Heisenberg, Collins said, “Bohr was more intuitive, Heisenberg more mathematical—but very quick, and young, in his 20s, when he first met and worked with Bohr, who would take him out hiking and talking, studying with him for three years before going back to Germany. The play—which all takes place, as they say in it, ‘after we’re dead and gone,’ so late in the century, as Bohr died in the ’60s, Heisenberg in the ’70s, and Margrethe in 1984, well into her 90s. It moves back to the two of them hiking in the ’20s from their meeting in the ’40s, back and forth to the play’s present, after it’s all over.” 

Heisenberg came to visit Bohr; the exact nature of their meeting isn’t known. “And Bohr didn’t know why he was coming. They had apparently become estranged, but nobody seems to know why. One version is that Heisenberg asked Bohr whether it was ethical for a scientist to work in an atomic energy program that could be used for weapons, and Bohr took that to mean Heisenberg was, that he’s to be handed over to Hitler—and stopped the conversation. Heisenberg claimed he was only working on an atomic reactor, and maybe he was.”  

Collins, who decided to direct the play after a Masquer who’d seen it in New York suggested it, said she and the other committe members “were overwhelmed by the science, but the relationships, the purpose, the meaning of the play came through loud and clear.”  

In fact, the moral questions of the play parallel the scientific theories by analogy. Bohr and Heisenberg had jointly presented what was dubbed the Copenhagen Interpretation of quantum mechanics, Bohr having theorized how electrons should be seen as both particle and wave, as matter and energy (Complementarity), while Heisenberg stated his Uncertainty Principle, that the exact location of an electron could never be known, as the process of measurement changes the nature of location. “It’s really about communication,” Collins said. “Can one understand the other, know whether the other understands—can one understand oneself?” 

Collins said the production had expert help from “a physicist, an astrophysicist and someone who taught particle physics at Northwestern”—all Masquers. 

“It’s been fascinating to work with everybody because they’re fascinated with it, devoted to the play. The support of the theater has been very strong, too, for the Envision program. It’s not like a stepchild of the Masquers.” 

Bohr, who was half-Jewish, escaped Denmark to Sweden, later working in the American atomic energy program. 

COPENHAGEN 

8 p.m. Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 12 at Masquers Playhouse, 105 Park Place, Point Richmond. $10. 232-4031. www.masquers.org. 

“We’ve been talking about doing it since our first year,” said Erin Merritt of Woman’s Will’s production of The Taming of the Shrew. Merritt, the all-female Shakespeare company’s founder, will direct the show at John Hinkel Park to kick off its free summer season in parks around the Bay Area.  

“It’s not a modern Feminist play! Not with all that perceived sexism. But there’s so much fun in it, so much mixed in about the relationship between two people. Is it just about a man putting a woman down? If so, where’s the dramatic pay-off for the audience? Yet this play still really speaks to us. I think there’s a real connection between these two people.” 

It will also be Merritt’s farewell as artistic director to the Oakland-based company she founded in 1998. Victoria Evans Erville, who has served as managing director for the past year while Merritt has shuttled back and forth from Los Angeles, where her husband works, is succeeding Merritt in the artistic chair. There will be a celebration for both and for the company from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, July 11, after the opening show.  

Evans Erville, who has worked as education director for Marin Theatre Company, as well as artistic director for San Francisco’s African-American Shakespeare Company, said she was “super-excited, having just walked into a different door, somehow. I’ve wanted to do something different, more diverse. It’s still Shakespeare, of course, but the second show of the year isn’t. The next will be Sarah Ruhl’s The Clean House. I’m looking for ways to expand on the company and what it does. I have lots of ideas.” 

“It’s been lucky for us,” Merritt commented. “She knows about niche markets, has not only Shakespeare, but educational background, the same I came in with. She gets why we were the way we were, originally, but will be a fresh eye. I first heard about her many years before I founded the company, when I was teaching tons and tons of Shakespeare classes. When I had to drop them for Woman’s Will, she often picked them up. Then I really got to know her after we both had kids a few years ago, and it clicked: someone I know, like, trust. So I was trying to find ways to pull her into the company anyway.” 

Evans Erville discussed some of her plans for the company: “The idea before was gender-bending. We all know how many roles for women there are in Shakespeare: very nice—and very few. So Woman’s Will had women playing men’s roles. It got to that level, but not much beyond. There’s more to being a woman in theater.” 

Evans Erville recalled a New York Times article that tracked the acceptance or rejection by artistic directors around the country of plays submitted under masculine and feminine names. “It showed even female directors tending to choose plays with men’s names as author. For me, that was the call to arms. That’s where we have to go.” 

Evans Erville mentioned bringing more female artists and technicians into the company. “Right now, it’s pretty much all actors. We need to invite more female musicians, techs, directors, not just have everybody say goodbye at the end of a production. The second production should be written by a woman, directed by a woman. The Playfest [where playwrights and performers create short shows quickly, moving fast from writing to performance] has been successful—but do people come to see us flying by the seat of our pants or to see good plays? Modifying the idea might give a better opportunity for women to write better plays, to actually think about the process. I love the idea of it, but it doesn’t move women forward. We need more transparency, to be more open to the public, to be seen by everybody. It’s an opportunity for voices to be heard beyond 10 minutes. Shakespeare can be limiting for an audience if you’re concentrating so hard on being a guy that you lose track of the character, the relationship.”  

Merritt talked more of her reading of Shrew for this production. “It’s so much about words, how language defines reality, how people see themselves. You can read it that they have both been fighting against the world, but if they have each other, there’s no need to fight. Petrucchio doesn’t abuse her; he mirrors her bad behavior. She gains empathy for those she’s treated that way. And there are all these little, little lines scattered throughout the play that get lost; some I’d never heard before.”  

Merritt called Shrew “a sexy, sassy play,” and reminded that “kids, babies are welcome.” She called the show and the Passing of the Torch party afterwards “a great opportunity to meet the new artistic director—to meet a group of women working together.” 

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW 

1 p.m. July 11, 12, 18, 19 at John Hinkel Park in Berkeley; July 25 at Mosswood Park in Oakland; July 26 at Dimond Park in Oakland; and through Aug. 2 at other Bay Area parks. Free admission. www.womanswill.org. 

Last year the Contemporary Jewish Museum opened with Daniel Libeskind’s bold elevated stainless steel cube in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena district, where it has mounted a series of pertinent exhibitions.  

Currently “Chagall and the Artists of the Rusian Jewish Theatre” offers Marc Chagall’s stage work in the context of radical theatre of Russia during the hopeful days in the aftermath of the Revolution. Designers such as Natan Altman and Robert Falk took a holistic approach to set design as Konstantin Stanislavksy revolutionized the performance of actors. The exhibition provides stage and costume designs as well as films from Russian archives of the avant-garde Jewish theatre; the Habima performed in Hebrew and the Jewish State Theatre, for which Chagall worked, staged its plays in Yiddish.  

Chagall had come back to Russia from Paris at the outbreak of World War I. In 1910 the talented young artist from the Shtetl (dimunative for Yiddish Shtot, derived from the German Stadt: City) had gone to Paris where, open to the art of the new, he learned about Cubism and assimilated the rigorous new style, innovated by Picasso and Barque, added color as Delaunay and Orphists were using and came back to Russia, where he saw the radical geometric work of Malevich and the Suprematists.  

Chagall amalgamated these new artforms to which he added to his own experience of provincial Jewish life and his vivid imagination. In 1922 he produced remarkable murals, called Introduction to the Russian Theatre, which were painted in gouache and tempera on bedsheets and installed on the walls of the small theatre. They can be read from left to right (Russian) or right to left (Hebrew). Many of the figures of fiddlers, acrobats, and dancers are upside down. Chagall employed Suprematist squares and triangles to give a sense of anchorage to this topsy-turvy world. There are wondrous panels between the original windows, like the fiddler with the green face, who the artist recalled: “represents my Uncle Neuch, who played the violin like a cobbler.” The first version of this image, Green Violinist (1918) was painted in Paris and is now in the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The murals are on loan from the Tretakov Gallery Moscow. 

Less than 20 years later, in Germany the Nazis eradicated all indication of the Jews who had been living there since the early Middle Ages. Before the Enlightenment they had been segregated in ghettos (the word originated in Venice for the Jewish quarter there) with street names like “Judenstrasse” or “Judenweg.” Starting in 1938 the Nazis wiped out these street names. There was to be no memory of the presence of Jews. Then, after the occupying powers (American, British, French and Russian) clearly aware of the linguistic importance of naming and remembering, returned the original names of the streets as part of the De-Nazification process.  

In 2003 the American artist Susan Hiller, living in Britain, produced “The J Street Project” to commemorate the eradication and the restoration of the historic names. In the exhibition we see a map of Germany indicating the 303 sites identified by Hiller. While a relatively large number of Jews were concentrated in cities like Berlin and Frankfurt, many resided in small towns and villages throughout the country. Hiller in her 303 photographs re-awakens an awareness of the presence of Jews who were such an essential part of German life and culture. An installation, video and performance artist, as well as a writer and photographer, Hiller has arranged the pigment printed photographs in a grid, giving it the appearance of a wall installation. Part of the exhibition is a 60-minute film, done with a camera which was held in place to record the life in these streets: we see people walking and shopping. There are cars, motorcycles, bicycles and children on roller skates. There is no narration but we hear the rumble of cars and the tolling of the church bells. The Jews don’t live here anymore, but the restored street names honor their former presence.  

It would also be appropriate and healing if the Israelis would restore the Arab names of the Palestinian villages which have been eliminated.

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival, now in its 14th year, screens a wide range of films each July at the Castro Theater, touching on various genres and styles from cinema’s nearly 30-year silent era. The festival starts Friday with a showing of Douglas Fairbanks’ The Gaucho (1927) and continues through the weekend with a program of a dozen screenings. 

There were many stars in the silent era, but few could rival Douglas Fairbanks. Along with Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin, Fairbanks was at the pinnacle, one of the most beloved performers in the nascent medium.  

Fairbanks made a name for himself between 1916 and 1920 with a string of breezy, acrobatic comedies. His ebullience, prodigious athletic abilities and considerable charm were on display in a series of brisk films produced at a brisk pace—four or five a year, sometimes more—in which genial, dapper Doug took on the world with gusto and a good-natured smile. He was the can-do, all-American boy, a variation on the same theme adopted by Harold Lloyd in his own screen comedies.  

His first movie roles were under the direction of D.W. Griffith, the foremost filmmaker of his day. But there wasn’t much room for Fairbanks’ acrobatic and comedic talents in Griffith’s vision of cinema, so he soon set out on his own. In just a few short years he found himself at the top, one of the most universally admired screen actors.  

And when he fell in love with and eventually married Mary Pickford, the first true movie star, and still, at that time, the biggest, they became the world’s first superstar couple, the pair for whom the term “Hollywood royalty” was coined. 

It was around this time, 1920, that Fairbanks took a new tack. His ambition swelled with the creation of United Artists, an independent company he co-founded with Pickford, Griffith and Chaplin, that would give the artists greater control over the creation and distribution of their work.  

Fairbanks’ notion was to merge his acrobatic brand of comedy with costume drama. He ditched the modern clothes for period attire, donning the garb of musketeers and pirates. Abandoning the casual spontaneity of his rapid-fire comedies, he followed instead in Griffith’s footsteps, producing fewer films—just one or two a year—with greater production values, more complex plots, more costumes, more sets, more drama.  

Fairbanks had found a new formula, and he would stick with it for the greater part of a decade, enjoying great commercial success.  

There were naysayers, however. Some critics bemoaned the loss of brisk, breezy Doug; they complained that his films were becoming longer, slower and more ponderous, with the trademark Fairbanks action reduced to just one or two reels of a total of 10 or 12, even 14. The jaunty Fairbanks of the teens had become a stately, costumed, dramatic figure, his devil-may-care charm and athleticism only coming to the fore in the closing sequences.  

Fairbanks may have felt the same way, for in 1926, he began edging back toward comedy. The Black Pirate saw him costumed and swashbuckling as usual, but the old Doug was back in action; the film did not take itself too seriously and it was full of stunts, smiles, and much broad, comic acting.  

He followed with The Gaucho, a darker, more serious film, but still with much comedy and derring-do. Fairbanks shared the spotlight with Lupe Velez, making her first appearance in a feature film. And Pickford even showed up for a ghostly cameo, appearing as a vision of the Virgin Mary. 

After nearly a decade as a heroic, swashbuckling figure, Fairbanks decided it was time to say goodbye. He would make just one more film along these lines, The Iron Mask, his last silent film. He and Pickford teamed up for his first talkie, The Taming of the Shrew, but his careered tapered off and he retired from the screen in 1934. He passed away a few years later, in 1939, at the age of 56. 

Friday’s screening of The Gaucho will feature the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra performing their original score. 

Other festival highlights 

Bardeleys the Magnificent (1926) screens at noon Saturday. The film reunites director King Vidor with John Gilbert, who had starred in Vidor’s The Big Parade, the blockbuster that earned the director the clout to make a smaller, more personal film, The Crowd, which featured a strong and affecting performance by his wife, Eleanor Boardman. Bardeleys was made before the couple married, and features Boardman as Gilbert's love interest. Live music by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. 

Josef Von Sternberg’s Underworld (1927), one of the early gangster films, screens at 5 p.m. Saturday. The film helped cement the conventions of the genre, greatly influencing the explosion of gangster films of the 1930s. Live piano accompaniment by Stephen Horne. 

Following their success with The Scarlet Letter, actress Lillian Gish again teamed with Swedish director Victor Sjostrom (“Seastrom” in America) for The Wind (1928), a stirring melodrama showing at 7:30 p.m. Saturday that plays to the strengths of each.  

Gish, perhaps the silent era’s best actress, puts her pantomime skills to work in depicting a woman victimized by a tempestuous man and an even more tempestuous physical environment. Having left Virginia for the unruly Southwest, her tormented life is made manifest by the ceaseless and unyielding winds which batter her home and shift the sands of the desert landscape.  

Sjostrom, in his distinguished body of work in his native land, where he established himself as a master of the medium to rank with D.W. Griffith among cinema pioneers, had emphasized the landscape, shooting on location among the stunning vistas of Scandinavia. The mountains, the sea and the skies gave context to his plots and added comment to his characters; with The Wind, he employs that sensitivity to the natural world in the creation of a punishing and relentless force that nearly pounds his heroine into submission. Live Wurlitzer accompaniment by Dennis James. 

Sunday will start at 10:30 with a series of Disney shorts featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, predecessor to Mickey Mouse. Live piano accompaniment by Donald Sosin. 

Quickly shifting gears, Erotikon (1929), a sensual Czechoslovakian film, will screen at 1:30 p.m. Live accompaniment by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. 

It may be hard to believe, but Vaudeville veteran W.C. Fields did pretty well for himself as a silent film star, before the talkies immortalized the comedian’s snide, slurring wordsmithing. So’s Your Old Man (1926) will show at 4 p.m. Sunday. Live piano accompaniment by Philip Carli. 

There were two great adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. One was a 12-minute short, an avant garde American film that owed a great deal to German Expressionism; the other, a feature-length version that deviates from the original in many ways but stays true to Poe’s vision of existential and supernatural terror, will screen at 6:15 p.m. with live piano accompaniment by Stephen Horne. 

The festival will close with an 8:15 p.m. showing of Lady of the Pavements (1929), D.W. Griffith’s last silent. The film stars Lupe Velez, Fairbanks’ co-star from The Gaucho, in a romantic drama that proved the great director hadn’t lost his touch. Live piano accompaniment by Donald Sosin. 

2009 SAN FRANCISCO SILENT FILM FESTIVAL 

Friday, July 10 through Sunday, July 12 at the Castro Theater, 429 Castro St., San Francisco. www.silentfilm.org.