THURSDAY, OCT. 22 

Berkeley Path Wanderers Founders Walk Join BPWA co-founder Pat DeVito on a brisk walk of her favorite paths. Meet at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley Rose Garden, near the sign on Euclid. Walk lasts 2.5 hours. 520-3876.  

Conference on Afghan and Iranian Diaspora Cultures and Communities in the Bay Area with presentations, discussions, film screening, art exhibition, poetry and dance performance, Thurs. from 5 to 7 p.m. and all day Sat. and Sun. at California State University, East Bay, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd., Hayward. Cost is $35- $50. http://class.csueastbay.edu/Global_Knowledge.php 

Home Energy Improvements Workshop Learn how you can save energy and money, improve indoor air quality and take advantage of incentives and rebates, at 7 p.m. at Epworth Unified Methodist Church, 1953 Hopkins St. For information call 981-7473. 

Berkeley Entrepreneurs Forum for innovation in the semiconductor industry at 6:30 p.m. in Andersen Auditorium, Haas School of Business, UC campus. http://entrepreneurship.berkeley.edu 

National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality at noon at Oakland City Hall Plaza, 14th & Broadway 

FRIDAY, OCT. 23 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Dr. Joel Parrott, Exec. Dir. of the Oakland Zoo, on “The History and Future of the Oakland Zoo” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $15, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For reservations call 527-2173.  

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. 

Stand With Us Stand for Peace Stand with Israel vigil every Friday from noon to 1 p.m. at Bancroft and Telegraph. www.sfvoiceforisrael.org 

SATURDAY, OCT. 24 

Out of the Darkness Walk A benefit for the American Society for Suicide Prevention at 6 a.m. at The Colonnades, at Lake Merritt. You do not have to fundraise to walk, and any size donation helps. For information email OaklandWalk@aol.com 

“Upholding Dignity: The Farm Worker Struggle Continues” Benefit dinner for AFSC in honor of the commitment to farm worker’s rights, with David Bacon and Jesus Gamboa, the Mayor of Visalia, at 5 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $100, some scholarships available. 415-565-0201, ext. 16. jparish@afsc.org 

Help Restore Cerrito Creek at the foot of Albany Hill. Meet at 10 a.m. at Creekside Park, south end of Santa Clara Ave., El Cerrito. Wear closed-toed shoes with good traction and clothes that can get dirty. All ages welcome, snacks, tools, and gloves provided. 848 9358. www.fivecreeks.org 

Project Peace East Bay’s Day of Peace from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Volunteers at Claremont Middle School, 5750 College Ave., in Oakland, and Berkeley’s Leconte Elementary School, 2241 Russell St. will help each school with various building and grounds projects. Those who wish to volunteer may register at www.projectpeaceeastbay.org 

The New School Halloween Bazaar with face painting, children’s games, rummage sale, book sale, lunch, crafts, jump tent, bake sale, mobile bike repair, and live entertainment, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1606 Bonita at Cedar. 548-9165. 

Haunted House and Family Pre-Halloween Party for all ages with adjustable scariness, from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Wear costumes. 845-6830 ext 13. 

Halloween Spook-tacular Music and party with games, Haunted Parlor and fun for the whole family, at 6:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Alameda, 2001 Santa Clara at Chestnut, Alameda. Free, donations acepted. 522-1477.  

Fall Storytime for preschool children and thier families at 11 a.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720. 

Superheroes and Mythical Monsters Make a cape and mask from 1 to 3 p.m. at Museum of Children’s Art, 538 9th St., Oakland. Cost is $7 per child, $3 per adult. 465-8770. 

Music Business Seminar sponsored by California Lawyers for the Arts from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Ex’pression College for Digital Arts, 6601 Shellmound St. Cost is $25-$70. 415-775-7200. www.calawyersforthearts.org 

South Berkeley Clinic Acupuncture Day from 8 a.m. to noon at 2880 Sacramento St.  

Walking Tour of Jack London Waterfront Meet at 10 a.m. at the corner of Broadway and Embarcadero. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234.  

“Get Well!” Alternative practitioners talk about healing from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 3rd Flr, 2090 Kittredge. 981-6107. 

Family Art Workshop: Superheroes and Mythical Monsters from 1 to 3 p.m. at Museum of Children’s Art, 538 9th St., Oakland. Cost is $3-$7. 465-8770. www.mocha.org 

Community Reflections on Oakland Homicides Open roundtable discussions set among art exhibits and performances from 4 to 6:30 p.m. in San Antonio Park, Oakland. ace.arts.eastbay@gmail.com 

Albany Reads “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” Discussion on autism and asberger’s syndrome with Mimi W. Lou, Clinical Director of CHAI, Children's Hospital Autism Intervention at 2 p.m. in the Edith Stone Room of the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. 526-3720 ext. 5.  

Zombies and Killer Klowns 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.  

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.  

SUNDAY, OCT. 25 

Free/Low-Cost Animal Care including vaccines for dogs and cats, rabies vaccines, microchipping, dog licensing, and spay/neuter vouchers, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Berkeley Animal Care Services, 2013 Second St., cross street Addison. Dogs need to be on a leash; puppies and cats in a carrier. No-one turned away for lack of funds. 981-6603. 

Community Music Day with Instrument Petting Zoo, class demonstrations, performances, food and prizes from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Crowden Music Center, 1475 Rose St. 559-6910. info@crowden.org 

Haunted Caves of the Environmental Education Center with crafts, refreshments and Halloween Lore. For ages 6 and up from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $4. 544-2233.  

Pumpkin Mania Come and carve pumpkins and make your own mask from 1 to 5 p.m. at Expressions Gallery, 2035 Ashby Ave. 644-4930. 

“The End of Suburbia” A documentary, followed by discussion at 1:30 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. 528-2261. 

Ssangyong Motor Strike and Occupation in Pyeongtaek, South Korea at 10:30 a.m. at Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., at Alcatraz, Oakland. Sponsored by The Institute for Critical Study of Society. www.tifcss.org 

Tour of the Berkeley City Club, the “little castle” designed by Julia Morgan from 1 to 4 p.m. at 2315 Durant Ave. 848-7800. 

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 

“From Mystical Encounters to Social Activism” with Patrick M. McCollum, at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Jewish Dance Theatre’s “Freylekh” Yiddish dance party with live music by The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band at 7 p.m. at the JCC of the East Bay. 

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

Tibetan Buddhism with Judy Rasmussen on “Power of the Tibetan Prayer Flag” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, OCT. 26 

“Dark Secrets: What Science Tells Us About the Hidden Universe” A panel discussion with scientists Saul Perlmutter, David Schlegel, and Alexie Leauthaud at 7 p.m. at Roda Stage, 2015 Addison St. Free. friendsofberkeleylab.lbl.gov 

Peace Corps Information Night Learn about serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in one of 70+ countries at 6 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, Community Meeting Room, 2090 Kittredge. 452-8442.  www.peacecorps.gov 

California’s 10th Congressional District Candidates Forum at 7 p.m. at Soda Activity Center, Saint Mary’s College of California, 1928 St. Mary’s Road, Moraga. This district includes El Cerrito and Kensington. 925-386-0067. 

“The Role of Victims in the Criminal Justice System: Death Penalty and Domestic Violence Cases” with Judy Kerr, murder victim family member, Prof. Nancy Lemon, Boalt School of Law and others at 12:45 p.m. at Berkeley Law School, Boalt Hall, Room 105, UC campus. www.californiacrimevictims.org 

“Chocolate for a Cause” fundraiser and community event benefiting the Lafayette School Mentoring Project, a West Oakland children’s non-profit, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bittersweet Chocolate Cafe, 5427 College Ave., Rockridge. info@lsmptutor.org  

Kensington Book Club meets to discuss “The Enchantress of Florence” by Salman Rushdie at 7 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

Berkeley School Volunteers New Volunteer Orientation from 3 to 4 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. Bring a photo ID and two references to the orientation. Returning volunteers do not need to attend. For further information 644-8833. 

TUESDAY, OCT. 27 

Mario Savio Memorial Lecture with Naomi Klein on “Shock Doctrine California Style: How the Poor are Paying the Price for Wall Street’s Greed—and How to Fight Back!” at 8 p.m., free tickets available at 6:30 p.m. at the Pauley Ballroom, Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center, UC campus. 707-823-7293. 

Halloween/Day of the Dead Celebration with pumpkin carving contest, costume making, entertainment from 2 to 7 p.m. at Tuesday Berkeley Farmers’ Market, MLK, Jr. Way at Derby. 548-2220. 

“360 Degrees Longitude: One Family’s Journey Around the World” with the Higham family at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Genealogy Workshop with Jane Knowles Lindsey, president of the California Genealogical Society who will instruct individuals on how to research and start a genealogical program at 3 p.m. at Salem Lutheran home, 2361 East 29th St., Oakland. Free. 534-3637. www.salemlutheranhome.org 

“As Seen on TV: Jewish Concepts and Popular Media” with Rabbi Judah Dardik at 7:15 p.m. at Beth Jacob, 3778 Park Blvd., Oakland. bethjacoboakland.org 

Richmond Emergency Food Pantry Volunteers needed to help organize cases of canned food, from 9 a.m. to noon at 2369 Barrett Ave. Richmond. Ability to lift 50 pounds helpful.  Help needed on Fridays also. 235-9732. 

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. 

Homework Help at the Albany Library for students in grades 2 - 6, Tues. and Thurs. from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. Emphasis on math and writing skills. No registration is required. For more information, call 526-3720. 

Homework Help Program at the Richmond Public Library Tues. and Thurs. from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at 325 Civic Center Plaza. For more information or to enroll, call 620-6557. 

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. www.watersideworkshops.org 

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

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

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland around Preservation Park to see Victorian architecture. Meet at 10 a.m. in front of Preservation Park at 13th St. and MLK, Jr. Way. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234.  

Taking Back California in 2010 with Jodie Reid of California Alliance of Retired Americans. Hear about needed changes in the State Legislature and how to achieve them, at 1:30 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst. 486-8010. 

Volunteer Weeding at the Edible Schoolyard from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Edible Schoolyard garden at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, 1781 Rose St. Gardening experience is helpful, but not necessary. Come prepared to do physical work and dress appropriately. Call or email for more information or to sign up. 558-1335. info@edibleschoolyard.org 

“Don’t Talk About the Weather” A documentary about the chemtrailing of our skies at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation $5. www.Humanist Hall.org 

“Remembering the Departed with Love: Days of the Dead Altars” at 7 p.m. at Grace North Church, 2138 Cedar St. www.gracenorthchurch.org 

“Rain Man” film screening in conjunction with Albany Reads “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” 6:30 p.m. in the Edith Stone Room of the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. 526-3720 ext. 5.  

Family Sing-along for young children and their families at 5 p.m. at Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. 526-3720. 

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. 

THURSDAY, OCT. 29 

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! We will have a Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 1-888-327-2757. 

“Poverty and Human Rights” with Irene Khan at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Cost is $10-$13. www.brownpapertickets.com 

FRIDAY, OCT. 30 

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult. We will have a Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 1-888-327-2757. 

“Identity Theft Prevention and Remedies” with Mark Jackson, Alameda County District Attorney at noon at Alameda County Law Library, 125 Twelfth St., Oakland. 272-6486. 

“Holy Land: Common Ground” Film and discussion at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Unversalists, 1924 Cedar St. 841-4824.  

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. 

Stand With Us Stand for Peace Stand with Israel vigil every Friday from noon to 1 p.m. at Bancroft and Telegraph. www.sfvoiceforisrael.org 

SATURDAY, OCT. 31 

Berkeley Historical Society Walk ”West Berkeley Works!” led by West Berkeley Artisans and Industrial Companies (WEBAIC) advocate Rick Auerbach. From 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $8-$10. For reservations and starting point, call 848-0181.  

Halloween Pancake Breakfast Benefit from 8 to 11 a.m. at First United Methodist Church of Richmond, 201 Martina St., corner of W. Richmond Ave., Point Richmond. Suggested donation $6. 236-0527. 

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. 

Compost Give-Away from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Center St. at the Park. Please bring 2 buckets or 1 large bag to dig your compost into, and haul it to your backyard garden. Sponsored by the Berkeley Community Gardening Collaborative & City of Berkeley Recycling Division. 

Fall Storytime for preschool children and their families at 11 a.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720. 

Tracy the Animal Show Guy with animals for Halloween at 11 a.m. at Studio Grow, 1235 10th St. Cost is $9. 526-9888. 

Monster Bash Aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Hornet, with haunted tours, costume contests, music, crafts and activities for children, from 7:30 p.m. to midnight at 707 W Hornet Ave., Pier 3, Alameda. Tickets are $10 for children, $20-$25 for adults. 521-8448, ext. 282. www.hornetevents.com 

Princesses, Pirates and Super Heroes 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 

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.  

SUNDAY, NOV. 1 

Environment Restoration Program An action-oriented program for the whole family to learn about nature’s interrelationships at 10:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 544-2233. 

Tilden Nature Theater games a movie, snacks and cider for the whole family at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 544-2233. 

Personal Theology Seminars with Bill Garrett on “The Social Matrix of Islamic Origins” at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

THURSDAY, OCT. 22 

THEATER 

Saint Mary’s College High School Performing Arts Department “Alice in Wonderland” Thurs.- Sat. at 7:30 p.m. in the school auditorium, 1294 Albina Ave. Tickets are $6-$8. www.saintmaryschs.org  

EXHIBITIONS 

Photographs by Kim Stringfellow at 6 p.m. at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism Center for Photography, Northgate Hall, Hearst and Euclid. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Kay Redfield Jamison “Nothing Was The Same” at 7:30 p.m. at the The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Tickets are $6-$15. www.brownpapertickets.com 

Joshua Beckman and Graham Foust read their poetry at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Kim Stanley Robinson and Terry Bisson read at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Richie Unterberger presents his latest book “White Love/White Heat: The Velvet Underground Day-by-Day” at 7 p.m. at the El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave., El Cerrito. 526-7512. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Other Guise Grateful Dead Night at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $3. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

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

Not Just for Singers with Branice McKenzie and Glen Pearson, piano, at 7:30 p.m. at Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, 1616 Franklin St., Oakland. 836-4649. 

Jeff Kanzler Band, The Whiskey Dicks at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

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

Benefit for KUSF’s Friday Night Session at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

FRIDAY, OCT. 23 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “As It Is in Heaven” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave., through Nov. 19. Tickets are $12-$15. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org 

Altarena Playhouse “The Nerd” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Oct. 25. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Berkeley Rep “American Idiot” at 2025 Addison St., through Nov. 15. Tickets are $32-$86. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Berkeley Rep “Tiny Kushner” Short plays by Tony Kushner at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison, through Nov. 29. Tickets are $33-$71. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Central Works “Blastosphere!” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. through Nov. 22 at The Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Tickets are $14-$25. 558-1381. centralworks.org 

Community Voices Theater Project “How Smart Is Education?” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon St., Oakland. Tickets are $5-$10. 464-3161. 

Ragged Wing Ensemble “So Many Ways to Kill a Man” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at Metal Shop Theater, 2425 Stuart St. at Willard School, through Oct. 24. Tickets are $15-$30. 1-800-838-3006. www.raggedwing.org 

Saint Mary’s College High School Performing Arts Department “Alice in Wonderland” Thurs.- Sat. at 7:30 p.m. in the school auditorium, 1294 Albina Ave. Tickets are $6-$8. www.saintmaryschs.org  

TheatreFirst “Stones in His Pockets” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Marion E. Greene Theatre, ground floor of The Fox Oakland Building, 19th St. entrance, through Nov. 8. Tickets are $15-$30. www.brownpapertickets.com 

Virago Theatre Company “The Afterlife of the Mind” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at tThe Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. Tickets are $15-$25. 865-6237. www.viragotheatre.org 

Youth Musical Theater “A Chorus Line” Fri. and Sat. at 7:30 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $10-$20. www.brownpapertickets.com 

EXHIBITIONS 

Timothy Kadish New Paintings. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Alphonse Berber Gallery, 2546 Bancroft Way. info@alphonseberber.com 

FILM 

“Tragos” A film by Antero Alli at 8 p.m. at Grace North Church, 2138 Cedar St. Cost is $6-$10. www.verticalpool.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Michael Lewis in Conversation with Dacher Keltner in a benefit for the Greater Good Science Center, at 7:30 p.m. at Zellerbach Playhouse, UC campus. Tickets are $25. www.greatergoodscience.org 

Deepak Chopra “Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul: How to Create a New Self” at 7:30 p.m. at FCCB, in the sanctuary at 2345 Channing Way at Dana. Tickets are $35, includes an autographed copy of book. www.brownpapertickets.com 

Milvia Street 2009 Publication celebration with art exhibit at 6:45 p.m. and readings by contributors at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St. scoleman@peralta.edu 

Leonard Pitt presents “Paris Postcards: The Golden Age” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Lichi Fuentes with Argentinian guitarist, Hugo Wainzinger and Peruvian percussionist Raul Ramirez at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $14-$16. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“Songs the Brothers Warner Taught Me” CD Release Party, Megan Lynch with Tony Marcus, Steven Strauss and Billy Wilson at 8 p.m. at DaSilva Ukulele Co., 2547 8th St., Suite 28. Cost is $15. 649-1548. www.ukemaker.com 

Valerie Cooper at 5 p.m. at at It’s A Grind, 555 12th St., Oakland. 268-9902. 

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

Eric Swinderman’s Straight Outta Oakland at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Native Elements, Mega Banton & the Reggae All-stars in a birthday bash for Ras Kidus, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15-$20. 525-5054.  

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

Tempest, Points North at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $12. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Justin Anchetta at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

The Grease Traps at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low. Cost is $8. 548-1159.  

Code Name: Jonah at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SATURDAY, OCT. 24 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Bonnie Lockhart at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5 for adults, $4 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Jack O’ Lantern Jamboree from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with parade at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. 296-4433.  

EXHIBITIONS 

“3AM: Under the Full Moon” New work by Christopher Romer. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at The Compound Gallery, 6604 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. www.thecompoundgallery.com 

“Counts & Constructs” Works by Augusta Talbot and Eli Noyes. Sat. and Sun. 1 to 5 p.m. to Nov. 1. at Garage Gallery, 3110 Wheeler St. www.berkeleyoutlet.com 

“Space/Place” featuring works by Claudio Cambon, Sherrod Blankner and Kim Bass. Opening reception at 7 p.m. at 4th Street Studio, 1717d 4th St. 

“30 Days Later” Art exhibit planned in just one month with works by artists associated with Berkeley City College, at 5 p.m. at The Space, near High St., 4148 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland. www.thespaceoakland.com 

Rock’n Comics Exhibition Sat. and Sun. from noon to 6 p.m. at D. King Gallery, 2284 Fulton St. Guest artist on Sat. is Lee Conklin (Fillmore, Santana). Guest artist on Sun. is Ernie Chan (Batman, Conan). 849-2094. houseofcomics.com  

THEATER 

“Reality Playthings” experiments in experience with Frank Moore at 8 p.m. at Temescal Arts Center, 511 48th St. www.eroplay.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Islam and Authors: A Conversation with Anouar Majid at 8 p.m. at Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California, 1433 Madison St., Oakland. Tickets are $5-$7. 832-7600, hamza@iccnc.org 

Music Business Seminar sponsored by California Lawyers for the Arts from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Ex’pression College for Digital Arts, 6601 Shellmound St. Cost is $25-$70. 415-775-7200. www.calawyersforthearts.org 

Kazuko Nakane, Stan Yogi and poet Alan Chong Lau discuss Central Valley immigrant history, stories and poetry at 3 p.m. at Eastwind Books of Berkeley, 2066 University Ave. 548-2350. 

David Sax reads from “Save the Deli” at 4 p.m. at Saul’s Restaurant and Deli, 1475 Shattuck Ave. www.saulsdeli.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

San Francisco Early Music Society “Strings of the Streicher Trio” with Elizabeth Blumenstock at 7:30 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 Colleges at Garber. Tickets are $10-$25. 528-1725. www.sfems.org 

Flute Recital with Isabelle Chapuis and Mark Anderson, piano, at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St. Tickets are $8-$12. 549-3864. www. 

trinitychamberconcerts.com 

“Songs of Love and Light” Mezzosoprano Anne Shapiro, pianist Rebecca Trujillo, cellist Gael Alcock, guitarist Javier Trujillo present Latin American classical music, in a benefit for the Ridhwan School at 7:30 p.m. at Ridhwan Center, 2075 Eunice St. Suggested donation $20. www.diamond-dust.org/newbuilding 

Anna Estrada at 8 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $12-$14. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

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

Baba Ken & Afro-Groove Connexion at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

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

The Lost Cats at 7 p.m. at Chester’s Bay View Cafe, 1508 Walnut St. 849-9995. 

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

Pam and Jerry, Clair at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082.  

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

SUNDAY, OCT. 25 

CHILDREN 

Rachel Rodriguez presents her new picture book, “Building on Nature: The Life of Antoni Gaudi” at 3 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Halloween Cabaret Carnival at Ashkenaz at 3 p.m. Cost is $4-$6. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Gary Vaynerchuk on “Crush It! Why Now Is The Time To Cash In On Your Passion” at 7:30 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2285 Cedar St. Tickets are $6-$15. www.brownpapertickets.com 

“Snow in May” Dramatized English-language reading of a 1966 Finnish play about a dysfunctional middle class urban family, " at 2 p.m. at Finnish Kaleva Hall, 1970 Chestnut. Donation $5. 849-0125. latoja86@hotmail.com 

Poetry Flash with Jennifer K. Sweeney and Patti Trimble at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph. 525-5476. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Community Music Day with performances from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Crowden Music Center, 1475 Rose St. 559-6910. info@crowden.org 

Oakland Civic Orchestra with Alina Ming-Kobialka, violin, at 4 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. Free. 238-7275. 

Allen Temple Baptist Church Men’s Chorus Benefit for South African Child Care Center at 2 p.m. at Allen Temple Auditorium, 8501 International Blvd., Oakland. Tickets are $15. 433-0175. www.allen-temple.org 

Samantics performs music for movies and television, including Ennio Morricone, Henry Mancini and John Barry, at 3 p.m. at All Saints Chapel at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, 2451 Ridge Rd. Tickets are $10 at the door. 

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

Rita Hosking & Cousin Jack at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Bill Ortiz at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

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

Rhythm and Blues at 7 p.m. at Chester’s Bay View Cafe, 1508 Walnut St. 849-9995. 

MONDAY, OCT. 26 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Concrete Abstractions” by photographer John Bergholm, on display through Dec. 2 at Cafe Tomate, 2265 5th St. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry Express open mic theme night on elders and ancestors at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Classical at the Freight Percussion Fest at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $8.50-$9.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

TUESDAY, OCT. 27 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Lee Piano Trio performs Bloch, Mendelssohn, Nathaniel Stookey at 8 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Tickets are $25, high school students, free; post-high school students, $10. 525-5211. www. 

berkeleychamberperform.org 

Courtableu at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Singers’ Open Mic with Kelly Park at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Four Schillings Short at 7 p.m. at Julies Coffee and Tea Garden, 1223 Park St., Alameda. 865-2385. 

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

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

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert, with Scottish and Irish folk songs at Hertz Hall, UC campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Black Olive Babes, Southern Balkan and Middle Eastern, at 7 p.m. at Le Bateau Ivre Resturant, 2629 Telegraph Ave. 

UC Jazz at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $6. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Johnny Nitro & The Doorslammers at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Blues dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Strange Angels Blues Band at 7 p.m. at Chester’s Bay View Cafe, 1508 Walnut St. 849-9995. 

Montuno Swing at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $8. 548-1159.  

Wayward Monks at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

THURSDAY, OCT. 29 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Kaja Silverman discusses her new book “Flesh of My Flesh” with Judith Butler and Anne Wagner at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. 

“Metaphysical Abstraction: Contemporary Approaches to Spiritual Content” Panel discussion with exhibition curators and artists at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center. 644-6893. berkeleyartvcenter.org 

Irene Khan on “The Unheard Truth: Poverty and Human Rights” at 7:30 p.m. at FCCB, 2345 Channing Way at Dana. Tickets are $10-$13. www.brownpapertickets.com 

Jonathan Lethem reads from his new novel “Chronic City” at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Antero Alli reads from his new book “The Eight-Circuit Brain” at 7:30 p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut. 464-4640. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Beaufunk at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

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

The Real Tom Thunder, The Mitchell Experiment, Emily Stein at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

FRIDAY, OCT. 30 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “As It Is in Heaven” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave., through Nov. 21. Tickets are $12-$15. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org 

Aurora Theatre “Fat Pig” through Dec. 6, at 2081 Addison St. Tickets are $15-$55. 843-4822. auroratheatre.org 

Berkeley Rep “American Idiot” at 2025 Addison St., through Nov. 15. Tickets are $32-$86. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Berkeley Rep “Tiny Kushner” Short plays by Tony Kushner at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison, through Nov. 29. Tickets are $33-$71. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Central Works “Blastosphere!” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. through Nov. 22 at The Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Tickets are $14-$25. 558-1381. centralworks.org 

Masquers Playhouse “The Rocky Horror Show” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond, and runs through Dec. 12. Tickets are $18. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

TheatreFirst “Stones in His Pockets” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Marion E. Greene Theatre, ground floor of The Fox Oakland Building, 19th St. entrance, through Nov. 8. Tickets are $15-$30. www.brownpapertickets.com 

Virago Theatre Company “The Afterlife of the Mind” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at tThe Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. Tickets are $15-$25. 865-6237. www.viragotheatre.org 

FILM 

“Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein” at 8 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $5. 1-800-745-3000. 

“Psyche and Cinema: Bride of Frankenstein” Film screening and discussion at The Dream Institute, 1672 University at McGee. Cost is $15-$30. 496-6060. dream-institute.org 

“Object Knowledge: Art Artifact, and Authority in Southeast Asia” A conference with historians, art historians, anthropologists and curators in an exploration of the social life of things, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Registration required. http://ieas.berkeley.edu/ConferenceRegistration 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

University Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC campus. Tickets are $5-$10. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Los Boleros, Halloween dance party, at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Creative Voices with Molly Skuse and Rebecca Griffin at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Ken Husbands Group with Susanna Smith at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Shimshai, Aluna at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

Fred Firth, Mirthkon at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

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

Oola Rock Steady, Honey Chile, Relapse, Planting Seeds at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 548-1159.  

Marcus Shelby Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SATURDAY, OCT. 31 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña Halloween songs with Ingrid Noye at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5 for adults, $4 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

Jesus Sosa, Oaxacan master woodcarver and painter, will demonstate his work, Sat. and Sun. from noon to 5 p.m. at Talavera Ceramics, 1801 University Ave.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

A Conversation with Don Byron at 3:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $20. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Thomas Turman on “WAWA, West Africa Wins Again” a memoir of teaching in Ghana in the 60s, at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6151. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

University Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC campus. Tickets are $5-$10. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

La Monica “Out of the Depths: The Birth of a German Style” at 7:30 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College at Garber. Tickets are $10-$25. 528-1725. www.sfems.org 

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

Ghosts of Electricity with Mookie Siegel, Robin Sylvester, Greg Anton and others at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Mike Meezy Halloween Bash at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 548-1159. www.shattuckdownlow.com 

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

Deuce, with Jean Fineberg and Ellen Seeling at 7 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $16-$20, under 16, $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Backyard Tarzans at 7 p.m. at Chester’s Bay View Cafe, 1508 Walnut St. 849-9995. 

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

Hippie Halloween Costume and Dance Party featuring Country Joe McDonald and live 60s tributes at 8 p.m. at Art House Gallery & Cultural Center, 2905 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $15. 482-3336. 

Guns for Sebastian Halloween party at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

12th Annual Murder Ballads Bash at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

SUNDAY, NOV. 1 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Kenneth Cardwell Oral History Reception Celebrating the work by Paul Grunland at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Historical Society, Veterans Memorial Building. 848-0181. 

Camille T. Dungy, Chad Sweeney, and Russell Dillon, poets, read from their work from the latest Parthanon West Review at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Dan Alter, poet, reads at 2 p.m. at Mo’Joe Cafe, 2517 Sacramento St., Suite A.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland Youth Chorus Music of Our World Benefit Show Music and dance from diverse African and Afro-American traditions at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $10-$25. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Zoyres Eastern European Wild Ferment at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

UC Folkdancers’ Reunion at 1:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $7. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

On a mostly-bare set—a couple of chairs at skewed angles across the stage, a cabinet with a broadbrimmed hat and a cap on the shelves and clothing on hangers at the sides—two men pose, seeming to lurch together as Irish music strikes up to open TheatreFIRST’s production of Marie Jones’ Stones in his Pockets—the first production in the company’s return to downtown Oakland. 

The two begin a dense dialogue, one at first asking for lemon meringue pie, but for his mate, then talking up someone on the run, how they were dressed, and that “They’ll check on Polaroid who had on what.” The glib, funny, strung-along duet finally settles—or boils—down: “You know that man’s famous?”—as “the last surviving extra from The Quiet Man” gets pointed out—and we’re on location in Ireland with the locals called in for color, the American starlet with the Italian surname given a dialect lesson, a joke between production team members on set that proves prophetic: “What do you call a Kerryman with brains? ... Dangerous!” (To the puzzled reply, “I don’t get that,” a smug “You will!”) 

The life of the shoot unfolds before us—and the life of the town, extras and crew mingling in the pub as the stars make an entrance and the locals waffle between wisecracks and acting starstruck. 

The counterpoint to the “hectic compression” of the filmmaking scene presented is that all of it is performed by the two actors, which not only ups the ante of nervous energy considerably but also allows a different kind of storytelling and theatricality, vaudevillized maybe, but not the kind of extended comedy sketch-iness we’ve become accustomed to in live theater as well as on the tube. Clive Worsley (very familiar to local theatergoers and artistic director of Townhall Theatre in Lafayette) plays Charlie, a hale fellow hawking a script, and Kevin Karrick, his fellow “40-a-day man,” the somewhat more reticent, reflective Jake, just back from a stint in the States he’s a little evasive about.  

Peeling off from their funny tête-à-têtes and set-tos, real and merely acted out for effect, one or the other takes on another persona from the film set in a kind of syncopation of the marchtime of the two workbuddy extras. Sometimes it’s a duet, usually just for a moment, of the studio folk rehearsing their own patois and mores. 

The effect is delightfully insidious, pulling the audience into the action as it leans back and laughs at and along with the Kerrymen as they’re put through the hoops in repeated takes of cheering for the triumph of the gentry (the A. D. can’t fathom why they’re so halfhearted), a single take of looking tragic (no problem for melancholis such as these) and some well-choreographed yet silly step-dancing.  

A quibble from a British online review noted “not enough is revealed about the life of community outside of their roles as extras”—but this is the strategy by which two actors can carry the play—without either bathos or mere parody, rising at points to genuine touches of satire, relying only on voice and gesture. 

More than just a comedy, though in Stones even the grimmest glimpse of the reality of what play-acting, studio glamor and the easy flow of cash, drugs and promises (stated and implied) do to the social landscape, is seen with a humorous slant. Behind both the bravado and the poor mouthing, there’s a kind of aphasia from desperation, driving one young man, ousted from the pub and shamed in front of his neighbors, over the brink ... thus the title of the play—and of yet another script within it, cooked up by the buddy act to both put the tragic into perspective and to capitalize a little on it. 

With Worsely and Karrick’s deft trouping—something that doesn’t just enhance the script and its setting and theme, but which it demands as its raison d’etat—and Michael Storm’s (TheatreFIRST’s new artistic director) actor’s touch in directing, Stones in his Pockets is an apt start for a new season, a new theater (in their old stomping grounds) and a new artistic directorship, continuing afresh with the company’s old commitment to socially aware international material, staged with economy and artistry. 

And the Marion E. Green Theatre, aka the 19th Street Theatre, around the corner off Telegraph from the main entrance but inside the Fox Theatre building, deserves a mention: Home to the Oakland School for the Arts, with which TheatreFIRST has a collaborative relationship, the black-box theater realizes TheatreFIRST’s longstanding but often-thwarted commitment to bring real, resident theater back to the heart of Oakland.  

After opening night’s show, spectators celebrating with the cast and the production team in the lobby could be heard commenting on the new urbanity of the neighborhood and the ease in getting there, BART barely a block away. It’s good to have one of this area’s best independent companies back on its own turf, in its own, well-deserved home. 

STONES IN HIS POCKETS 

TheatreFIRST 

8 p.m., Thurs.–Fri., 2 p.m. Sun. through Nov. 8,  

Marion E. Green Theatre,19th St. off Telegraph, side entrance of Fox Theatre Building, Oakland.  

Tickets: $25-$30 

436-5085; www.theatrefirst.com

“With the expulsion of the Moors by decree of the Spanish crown, assisted by other European powers, 400 years ago, in 1609—at 5 percent of the population, the worst ethnic cleansing in modern Europe until the 20th century—the Moor became the template, the archetype for the alien, the universal minority figure in the modern world,” said Professor Anouar Majid, director of the Center for Global Humanities at the University of New England, who will discuss his book, We Are All Moors (University of Minnesota Press), with Hamza Van Boom and the audience Saturday for the inaugural event in the Islam and Authors series at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California, near the main library in downtown Oakland.  

“Spain was in the process of consolidating a national identity: a common faith, a common language and a national state from the territory ruled by feudal lords. It was really the first to do so in Europe. In 1492, when the Reconquest of Spain from the Moors was complete, the Moors who remained were given all rights and privileges, but they were forced to convert to Catholicism. They were known as the Moriscos, ‘Little Moors,’ a pejorative, and were under the jurisdiction of the Inquisition. There were statutes written concerning purity of blood, as synonymous with race, religion for the first time, the predecessor to what happened in the last century. A priest described the losses in the conflict as ‘the agreeable holocast,’ a burnt offering to God. The Moor became literally in the language an undesirable alien. And since the First Crusade, Jews had been closely identified with Muslims in the West. In fact, much of Jewish history until the creation of Israel is closely identified with Islamic heritage. Much Jewish theology and poetry were written in Islamic societies. Emancipated Jews in Germany claimed Moorish heritage and built synagogues on Moorish models, as many synagogues in the U. S. have been built. Germans were puzzled; instead of becoming European, Jews were claiming Oriental identity, as Benjamin Disraeli had constantly boasted of his Sephardic origins.” 

Majid noted that even as late as the concentration camps of the 1930s and ’40s, “the Nazis referred to Jews, to the most wretched who had been consigned to death, as Musselmen—Moslems. If Jews and Moslems could become aware of their common history, of the common image they’ve had in the European imagination, maybe there could be a human foundation to begin a discussion.” 

The title of his book comes from the remark of a participant in a Spanish rural fiesta of the 1990s, one of many in which locals dress up, “half the village as Moors, the other half as Christians, and reenact the battles of the Reconquista, complete with costumes and Moorish flair—big ceremonial events all over Spain. The villagers often compete to be the Moors, because they have the better costumes! In this village, near Alicante, the patron saint is represented in a painting as a black woman. There’s a great deal of ambivalence in it all.” 

Hamza Van Boom of the Islamic Cultural Center said the series, designed to introduce new and important books and other literary works about Islam to the Bay Area community, would be “a mix ... we have a playwright, a journalist and an academic coming up, as well as the author of books for young adults. Dave Eggers will be here next year.” 

Van Boom continued: “Some people have asked why Muslims aren’t saying things about progressive issues, about human rights. There are muslim voices speaking to those issues that are not being heard, as well as a new movement in the arts, humanities and literature. In the past, immigrants, for social reasons, usually chose business careers.” 

This spring, the Cultural Center plans to host a film festival of work from young muslim filmmakers. Van Boom also mentioned working with an artist to make a documentary using the poetry of Hafiz, one of the greatest Islamic poets, who inspired writers in the West such as Goethe and Emerson, to “look at the lives of muslims in the Bay Area.” He also noted the Center has staged events recently, like a performance of Rumi-style dervish dancing. “Arts and cultural activities are the best way to reach out; the general public—muslim, nonmuslim and secular—can come together and have discussions.” 

Both van Boom and Ali Sheikoleslami, executive director of the Center, stressed that its programs supported unity in the muslim community.  

“We are an independent nonprofit, founded in 1995,” said Sheikoleslami, a cofounder. “We have a language school for Farsi, and classes in Islamic ethics are held here, mostly for teenagers and younger. We do interfaith work with the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Montclair Presbyterian Church and Kehilla Community Synagogue in Piedmont. Our programs are cosponsored by the Islamic Media Network and Illume Media Organization. Other Pan-Islamic groups use the Center for fundraising activities for scholarship funds, for instance. Our mission is to inform others of the message of Islam and how we may contribute to society.” 

The historical building on Monroe Street occupied by the Islamic Cultural Center is a Masonic building, appropriately enough in Moorish Revival style, dating from 1909. Sheikoleslami noted the Center has won recognition, including an award, for the restoration of the building and improvements made.  

“Designed as a Masonic building, it was set up for performances of music, theater, dance, poetry,” said Van Boom. “We’re looking forward to presenting more in the future.”  

Islam and Authors:  

A conversation with Professor Anouar Majid, author of We Are All Moors,  

8 p.m. Sat.  

Islamic Cultural Center of Northern  

California, 1433 Madison St., Oakland.  

Tickets: $5-$7  

832-7600; hamza@iccnc.org

There are few more difficult tasks than writing an interesting biography, particularly if the subject is someone most people know very little about.  

If the subject is Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War-historian James McPherson’s Tried by War comes to mind—the reader is likely to have an appetite for details.  

But if the subject is Mario Savio, one of the leaders of the 1964 Free Speech Movement (FSM), then the writer needs to thread a careful path between the personal and the political, with an emphasis on the latter. 

New York University historian Robert Cohen tries to do both, and at least partially succeeds. He does an admirable job of uncovering the experiences that turned a stuttering Queens, New York altar boy into a formidable orator, and there are times where the author does a brilliant job of capturing the passion and the power of Savio’s rhetorical style.  

If there is a weakness in the book it is that the great social upheaval Savio was an important part of sometimes recedes into the background. 

The core of Cohen’s book focuses on the FSM, although his examination of Savio’s political education in Mexico and Mississippi fills in how those experiences help mold a young man who had but recently broken loose from a powerful connection to Catholicism.  

When Savio arrived on the Berkeley campus it was already a center of political activity. Berkeley’s progressive student organization, SLATE, helped chase the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) out of San Francisco in 1960, and Cal students had joined demonstrations challenging the racist hiring practices of San Francisco’s hotels and car agencies.  

But in the fall of 1964 Berkeley was still tangential to the massive sit-ins and demonstrations around HUAC, the Sheridan Palace Hotel, and the big car sales outlets on San Francisco’s Van Ness Avenue. The city has a long history of political activism dating back even before the successful 1934 general strike, and it featured a strong Left and a powerful union movement that was highly political, and much of it racially integrated.  

Cohen gives that history a nod—it should get more—but focuses on the FSM. Since this is a biography of a free speech leader, that is understandable, but it ends up sidelining some of the wider political and social tides that set the stage for the Berkeley uprising. 

This is not to say that the author doesn’t attempt to place the FSM within a wider context. On one hand, he chronicles in detail the events and the decision making in the FSM. On the other, he tries to echo the rumbles of social unrest that eventually exploded into a generation of activism. One wishes Cohen had spent a little more time on the wider issues and trimmed some of the FSM minutiae.  

One problem with contemporary history is that so much of it depends on with whom you talk. The FSM was a complex movement with dozens of currents and eddies. Cohen is particularly enamored with the New Left, which indeed played a very important role in the struggle. He is less so with the old Left, which also played a key role, particularly in mobilizing outside support for the students.  

As one example, he talks at length with conservative faculty member John Searle, who while supporting the FSM, was a caustic critic of the Left, and later became a staunch opponent of student activism.  

In contradistinction, biologist Leon Wofsy gets a single quote. Yet Wofsy’s political savvy and organizational experience played a key role in finally bringing the Academic Senate around to supporting the FSM. But Wofsy was “old Left” and one suspects his brevity as a source is partly related to that fact. 

The book leans heavily on a few leaders, in particular, Jack Weinberg. While other leaders like Bettina Aptheker and Jackie Goldberg get a say, they feel extraneous. Yet they—and many others—played as important a role as Savio and Weinberg. 

Focusing on a few misses the rank-and- file students who were the core strength of the FSM. Out of 800 students arrested in the great Dec. 2 Sproul Hall sit-in, fully 61 percent had never been involved in demonstrations before the free speech fight.  

Cohen spends a lot of time on Savio as an orator, analyzing his speeches in sometimes exhausting detail. The man could indeed talk, but what made him so effective was less his rhetorical style than the fact that he channeled what people were thinking. It wasn’t quotations from Greek philosophers that fired the troops, it was the issues at stake and the inability of university officials to understand anything but the use of force. 

Cohen correctly identifies what made Savio an effective speaker: he was thoughtful, honest and straightforward, breaking down what the issues were and exactly what the administration said during negotiations. 

That deep-seated honesty was central to his character, and it resonated with his audience. When it came time to take the Bastille, you wanted Mario to make a speech and lead the charge. 

The last part of the book deals with Savio’s later psychological difficulties, his withdrawal from activism, and his return to politics until his death in 1996. The book also includes many of Savio’s speeches and writings. 

Is this a book for a general audience? One hopes so, because it is well written, and Cohen really does a good job of analyzing the tactics and strategy of the FSM, what worked and what didn’t. In that sense, Freedom’s Orator is a useful blueprint for how to take on one of the most powerful institutions in California.  

True, the issues are different today—though one knows that deep in its dark little heart the university would love to roll back the gains of the FSM—but the beast in 2009 is pretty much the same as it was in 1964. Instead of trying to shut students up these days, the university is doing its best to exclude all but the well- to-do. In the end, it is much the same thing.  

A new generation of activists has appeared on the campuses, fighting to keep the university open to all Californians. They too have marched and struck, and are finding that they are most effective when they tap into their allies outside the ivy tower. There are many of those.  

The arrogance and elitism of the university has not changed a whit from the days when UC Chancellor Edward Strong and UC President Clark Kerr plotted and schemed against the FSM.  

The students who are digging in to take on the university and the regents would do well to read this book. Because in the end its message is simple: get your politics right, recruit allies in the wider world, and mobilize enough students to pull down the walls.  

Conn Hallinan was arrested in Sproul Hall on Dec. 2 1964. 

Freedom’s Orator: Mario Savio and the Radical Legacy of the 1960s 

By Robert Cohen 

Oxford University Press 

$34.95

Mick LaSalle’s SF Chronicle review of A Serious Man does the Coen brothers an injustice—although his little man was jumping out of the chair‚ because he fails to recognize the movie’s roots. And it’s set in the ’60s not to show, as LaSalle said, that “everything happened, and it all amounted to nothing,” but because the Coens are talking about, literally, the Religion of their Fathers. No other time—or place, a suburb of Minneapolis where they grew up—would do. The Coens are working with sacred material, on the level of what Tom Stoppard did with Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. A Serious Man is a retelling of Job, with its comic potential realized. 

Jews, like Buddhists, are skeptical believers. Jews don’t pray in search of salvation or out of fear, but to maintain their side of an odd contract. Job is the biblical book that has long demarcated the bounds of their difficult relationship to God. Job is a thoroughly righteous man picked by God to prove to Satan that His chosen people really love Him and aren’t just doing it for the goodies, wealth and happiness. The throne of heaven was at stake, and if Satan had won, humanity would have been abandoned as God’s naive folly. Every conceivable affliction and misfortune is visited upon Job; God’s special effects department was clearly told not to worry about going over budget. It’s the sacrifice-of-Isaac test in spades. Job holds up stoically—Jesus complaining on the cross was pretty much a wimp in comparison—but the book owes its enduring relevance to the question it leaves unanswered: Why is there evil in the world? Jesus died for everyone’s sins for all time forward, but if evil exists to test the capacity of humankind to follow God’s laws even in the absence of just reward for righteousness, and Job passed the test for humanity, why are we still getting tested? 

Nietzsche’s announcement of God’s death at the end of the 19th century presaged Existentialism, the dominant philosophical movement of the 20th, which has as its central tenet the not-so-compelling revelation “we’re here, so we might as well learn to live with it,” and whose most prominent exponent, Martin Heidegger, was a faithful Nazi Party member. It was a century that would have made an excellent affliction in Job. 

  Job got to go, more or less, face-to-face with the big guy, so the question of His existence wasn’t an issue then. The question of evil got resolved in Job, if you can call it a resolution, in favor of God, who gets to allow evil to exist without having to explain His reasons. But if the resolution instead turns out to be that evil exists because there is no God, then these centuries of sacrifice and endless self-examination and gefilte fish will have been shown to be pointless. So we are putting the best face on a difficult case. That’s why “Tradition” in Fiddler on the Roof is half sarcastic and half sentimental, and how the joke from Annie Hall about relationships applies as well to Woody Allen’s relationship to his religion: A man tells his psychiatrist that his brother thinks he’s a chicken. When the psychiatrist asks why he doesn’t just have his brother committed, he says, “I would, but I need the eggs.” 

My grandfather was a rabbi in Poland in the 1890s, but abandoned his faith when he came to America. After grandma died, he started back into it, dovening—praying aloud but too softly to be overheard—every day and attending services regularly. I once asked him whether, after all his decades as a lost sheep, he really believed his prayers were being heard On High. He said, “Honestly, I don’t know. But what can it hurt?” In the face of the argument of Job, Jews pray mostly because there’s just nothing better to do. (You got something better? Let me know.) 

Here’s another relevant joke. Schmuel’s clock breaks down, so he takes it into town to what he always assumed to be a clock repair store because of the huge grandfather clock in the window. But when he asks the storekeeper whether he can fix it, the reply he gets is, “I don’t fix clocks. I’m a mohel (ritual circumcisionist). So Schmuel asks, “Then why is there a big clock in your window?” and the mohel says, “And just what do you suggest I put there?”