Arts & Events

On a gorgeously painted set of a Mediterranean town of Antiquity (Lili Smith's design, Steve Coleman's artistry) resembling the constructions of the early Italian stage, Actors Ensemble of Berkeley assembles their cast of 15 to celebrate longtime AE player Vicki Siegel's musical version of The Bard's 'Comedy of Errors' (and Plautus' 'Menaechmi'), 'A Hot Day in Ephesus,' after a few years as a work-in-progress, an earlier workshop version done outdoors in Mill Valley three years ago; the band of four musicians onstage hails from that show. -more-

Prolific and highly-acclaimed East Bay author Ishmael Reed's dramatic writings will get a showcase this weekend—and for free—at both CCA campuses, Oakland and San Francisco. Saturday at 2:30, A Sampler of the Theater of Ishamael Reed will be presented at Nahl Hall on CCA's Oakland campus, 5212 Broadway (at College Avenue); Sunday at 2:30, at Timkin Hall, CCA-SF, 1111-8th Street, between Hooper & Irwin, in the Design District, South of Market. Feaured will be Boadiba, Sherry Davis, Michael Lange, Genny Lim, Alex Maynard, with Tennessee Reed as narrator. Carla Blank directs. Free admission. cca.edu/about/directions ... for directions. -more-

Over the next several days there are a number of historical or local garden tour events in town. Here’s a brief rundown, in chronological order. Some are free, and all offer interesting insights into the present, past, and future of our local community. -more-

A few years ago, producers got hip to the idea that when it comes to children’s theatre, it needs to appeal to both parents and kids to keep them coming back for more. “Up,” “Toy Story” (particularly #3), and “The Lion King” cashed in on it. -more-

This year’s 10th Berkeley Poetry Festival (BPF) will be held Saturday, May 5th, from 1 – 4:30 PM in the Audito­rium of Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St., Berkeley. The Poetry Festival’s main purpose is to introduce the public to the work of the community poets who read throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. -more-

No matter what mood the title character of Arthur Schnitzler's 1893 play 'Anatol' finds himself in, he's bound, by the end of the scene, to express the opposite. Soaring to imagined romantic heights, Anatol plunges down to the depths—and plumbs them as vigorously as he exalted his former ecstasy. Carried away by his own passion, he's immediately overcome by jealousy, sure his lovers have deceived him, all the while plotting his next affair, or suddenly taking advantage of an amorous possibility that arises in the midst of his agonies of doubt and rejection, usually just imagined. -more-

New Monsters:

The latest brainchild of Dan Plonsey, saxophone and Steve Horowitz, bass; features Steve Adams, saxophone; Scott Looney, piano and John Hanes, percussion, all long-time vets of the Bay Area Music Scene. -more-