THURSDAY, JULY 17 

Diabetes Screening Drop in anytime between 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. at Frances Albrier Center, San Pablo Park, 2800 Park St. Do not eat or drink anything for 8 hours, with the exception of water, before the test. 981-5367. 

Tilden Explorers An after-school nature adventure program for 5-7 year olds. We will capture and release butterflies from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 1-888-327-2757. 

Electronic Recycling/Blood Drive from 9 a.m .to 3 p.m. at American Red Cross, 6230 Claremont Ave., Oakland. 670-1420. www.com-cycle.com 

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

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

“Dancing with Pain” A movement workshop with Loolwa Khazzoom on dealing with chronic pain at 7:30 p.m. at the JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $15-$20. 843-3131. 

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

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

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

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

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

FRIDAY, JULY 18 

“Dona Spring -Courage in Life and Politics” A film by Linsey Vurek and Valerie Trost on Berkeley’s councilmember and the progressive causes she champions, at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, Cedar at Bonita. Donation $10, no one turned away. 495-5132. www.bfuu.org 

Eco Access for the Blind or Visually Impaired Explore the bird life in varied habitat of the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline with a naturalist guide, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration required 1-888-EB-PARKS. 

Iraq Moratorium Day and Vigil to Protest the War from 2 to 4 p.m. at the corners of University & Acton. Sponsored by Strawberry Creek Lodge Tenant’s Assoc & Berkeley-East Bay Gray Panthers. 548-9696. 

LaborFest 2008 International Working Class Film and Video Festival “Eugene Debs & The American Movement” at 7 p.m. at Niebyl Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. Donation requested. 

Center for Nonviolence Education “Teaching Hope: The Nonviolent Classroom” Workshops and speakers for educators, activists, and students, Fri. from 6 to 9 p.m. and Sat. from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bishop O’Dowd High School, 9500 Stearns Ave., Oakland. Cost is $20-$125. www.efnv.org 

Maggidic Conference Jewish storytelling and ritual arts, from Wed. through Sun. at Chochmat HaLev, 2215 Prince St. Donation $5-$20 per event. For a complete schedule see www.maggidconference.org 

Berkeley Women in Black weekly vigil from noon to 1 p.m. at Bancroft and Telegraph. Our focus is human rights in Palestine. 548-6310. 

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

SATURDAY, JULY 19 

Fresh Tracks: A Taste of Tilden Join naturalist David Zuckermann on a 2-mile hike to enjoy magnificent bay views and learn the history of the park, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., includes lunch. Cost is $38-$44. Registration required. 1-888-EB-PARKS. 

Family Fun at the Little Farm pet a rabbit, feed a goat, or grind some corn to feed the chickens, and play a scavenger game, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Little Farm, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Butterfly Basics We will look for, capture and release buckeyes, swallowtails, checkerspots and more, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Walking Tour of Fruitvale sponsored by Oakland Heritage Alliance. Meet at 10 a.m. at the Fruitvale BART station to discovery the history of international food in this neighborhood. Cost is $10-$15. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

Non-violent Civil Disobedience Training against the Light Brown Apple Moth Trapping & Eradication Program from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 1924 Cedar St., at Bonita. 

Vegetarian Cooking Class “Greens, Greens, Glorious Greens” Learn to prepare Kale and Califlower Salad with Orange Cashew Cream, Swiss Chard with Caramelized Onions, Greens with Sesame Miso Dressing, Borscht and Orechiette Pasta with Dark Greens, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. at Castro. Cost is $50 in advance, plus $5 materials fee. To register call 531-COOK. 

LaborFest 2008 “East Bay Schools, The New Deal & The Education Crisis Today” A presentation and walk. Meet at 9:30 p.m. at Berkeley High School Entrance on Milvia. 649-7395. 

“The Sandinistas and Nicaragua” A report-back from the recent delegation to Nicaragua, at 6:30 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. Donation of $5-$10 benefits projects in Nicaragua. 415-924-3227. www.mitfamericas.org 

Cottontail Cafe and Bunny Adoption from 1 to 4 p.m. at RabbitEARS, 377 Colusa Ave, Kensington. 525-6155.  

Flap in The Breeze Create your own flag, pennant or banner, from 1 to 4 p.m. at The Museum of Children’s Art, 538 9th St., Oakland. Cost is $7. 465-8770. www.mocha.org 

Oakland Zoomobile for ages 3 and up at 2 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043.  

“Brain Boosters” Learn how to improve brain and neurological function through healthy eating at 10 a.m. at Elephant Pharm, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

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

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

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

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

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

SUNDAY, JULY 20 

Bay to Barkers Dog Walk/Run and Festival from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Park in the Berkeley Marina, with dog Olympiad games, line dance, and “Do You Look LIke Your Dog” contest. Registration is $25-$30, benefits Berkeley Humane Society. www.berkeleyhumane.org 

Bruce Lee Memorial Martial Arts Show Honoring former Oakland resident Bruce Lee at 5 p.m. at Lincoln Square Gym, 10th and Harrison, Oakland. 

Community Labyrinth Peace Walk at 3 p.m. at Willard Middle School, Telegraph Ave. between Derby and Stuart. Everyone welcome. Wheelchair accessible. 526-7377. info@eastbaylabyrinthproject.org  

Oakland Fund for the Arts Sidewalk Sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Egghouse, 229 Harrison St. at Third, Oakland. 

The Art of Solar Cooking A workshop on the design and use of solar cookers from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EcoHouse, 1305 Hopkins St., enter though garden on Peralta. Cost is $15 sliding scale, plus $5 materials fee. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

El Cerrito Historical Society meets at noon at Huber Park, 7711 Sea View Dr., El Cerrito. Please bring a salad, a main dish, or a dessert. The primary business on the agenda will be to discuss a recommendation regarding the Society’s project to name the creeks in El Cerrito. 526-7507. 

Sushi Basics Learn the natural and cultural history of this ancient cuisine and you prepare and taste seven different types of sushi. Parent participation required for children 8-10 years. Cost is $25-$39. Registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

East Bay Atheists meets to watch the documentary “The Disappearance of Madalyn Murray O’Hair” at 1:30 p.m. at Berkeley Main Library, 3rd Floor Meeting Room, 2090 Kittredge St. 222-7580. 

Social Action Forum with Rev. Barbara Meyers on “Forming a Mental Health Community” at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensigton. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

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

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

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

Tibetan Buddhism with Sandra Guimares and Roselene Costa on “Psychotherapy and the Buddhist Path” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000.  

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

MONDAY, JULY 21 

Berkeley Green Monday with Kirsten Schwind on “Local Action on Climate Change and Peak Oil” at 7:30 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. www.berkeleygreens.org 

“Leadership for Success for Young Enterprises” at 6:30 p.m. at Siemens Technology-To-Business Center, 1995 University Avenue, Suite 375. Cost is $15-$20. To register, contact mailto:info@ebig.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. Join us to work on current issues around police misconduct. Volunteers needed. For information call 548-0425. 

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

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

TUESDAY, JULY 22 

Diabetes Screening Drop in anytime between 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. at James Kenney Park, 1700 8th St. Do not eat or drink anything for 8 hours, with the exception of water, before the test. 981-5367. 

Tuesdays for the Birds Tranquil bird walks in local parklands, led by Bethany Facendini, from 7 to 9:30 a.m. Today we will visit Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline. Call for meeting place and if you need to borrow binoculars. 525-2233. 

East Bay Vivarium’s Traveling Reptile Show Get a close-up look at tarantulas, scorpions, frogs, lizards and snakes, at 6:30 p.m. at Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

“Natural History from the University of California Press” with the Science and Natural History Editor, Jenny Wapner, in conversation with William McClung at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. www.universitypressbooks.com 

El Cerrito Democratic Club will discuss November’s state and local ballot measures at 7:30 p.m. at El Cerrito United Methodist Church, 6830 Stockton St., near Richmond Ave. Soft-drinks and pizza at 7 p.m. for $4. On-site childcare for children ages 3-8 by reservation at 375-5647. www.ecdclub.org 

Eyewitness Cuba: Advancing in Times of Crisis with Bill Hackwell at 7 p.m. at 636 9th St. at MLK, Oakland 435-0844. www.ANSWERcoalition.org 

“Extraordinary Adventures for the Seasoned Traveler” Don Mankin describes the transformative power of travel at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

“Shifts and Faultlines in the World Economy And Great Power Rivalry: What is Happening and What It Might Mean” A talk by Raymond Lotta, at 7 p.m. at Revolution Books, 2425 Channing Way at Telegraph. 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. 

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

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

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

Street Level Cycles Community Bike Program Come use our tools as well as receive help with performing repairs free of charge. Youth classes available. Tues., Thurs., and Sat. from 2 to 6 p.m. at at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. Sponsored by the Ecology Center’s Farm Fresh Choice. 848-1704. www.ecologycenter.org 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

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

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

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 

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

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! We will learn about butterflies from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Unlock your Family Treasures What not to keep and what to do with it, with Marilyn Ellis of Lighthouse Organizers at 1:30 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst, Corner of MLK. Sponsored by the Berkeley Gray Panthers. 548-9696. 

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

Theraputic Recreation at the Berkeley Warm Pool, Wed. at 3:30 p.m. and Sat. at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley Warm Pool, 2245 Milvia St. Cost is $4-$5. Bring a towel. 632-9369. 

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

geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

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

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

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

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

THURSDAY, JULY 24 

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! We will learn about butterflies from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

“The California Deserts: An Ecological Rediscovery” with author Bruce Pavlik at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. www.universitypressbooks.com 

“Journey to Acceptance” with Geri Taekens on her struggle with losing her vision, at noon at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6107.  

Appropriate Technology in Central America Learn about the work that Energia, Ambiente, y Salud (ENASA) does in Central America creating sustainable business models at 7 p.m. at Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $5 - $25. All proceeds benefit ENASA. 548-2220, ext. 233. erc@ecologycenter.org 

Women of Color Resource Center’s PeaceGAMES Community Launch Learn about the new education curriculum at 6 p.m. at East Side Arts Alliance, 2277 International Blvd, Oakland. 444-2700 ext. 305. 

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

Expressive Arts Workshop Join AgeSong to learn how arts and music can help the quality of life for our elders at 5:30 p.m. at AgeSong at Lakeside Park, 486 Perkins St. RSVP to 444-4684. rsvp@agesong.com 

Assoc. for Women in Science meets to discuss “Work and Family: Achieving Balance” with Mary Ann Mason at 6:30 p.m. at Novartis, bldg. 4, room 104, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville. RSVP to www.ebawis.org 

Teen Book Cub meets to discuss magazines at 4 p.m. at the Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue at Ashby. 981-6107.  

Red Cross Blood Drive from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Kaiser Permaente Lobby, 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com 

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

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

FRIDAY, JULY 25 

The Sydney B. Mitchell Iris Society annual sale and auction of irises at 7:30 p.m. at Lakeside Park Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave., Oakland CA. Free. http://bayareairis.org 

LaborFest 2008 International Working Class Film and Video Festival “Un Poquito De Tanta Verdad” about control of the media in Oaxaca at 7 p.m. at Niebyl Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. Donation requested. 

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

Red Cross Blood Drive from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Kaiser Permaente Lobby, 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com 

Circle Dancing, simple folk dancing with instruction at 8 p.m. at Hillside Community Church, 1422 Navellier St. Potluck at 7 p.m. 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. 

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

SATURDAY, JULY 26 

Berkeley Kite Festival and West Coast Kite Championships Sat. and Sun. from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Park at the Berkeley Marina. HighlineKites.com/Berkeley_Kite_Festival 

Help Restore Cerrito Creek with Friends of Five Creeks. Meet at 10 a.m. at Creekside Park, south end of Santa Clara Ave., El Cerrito. 848-9358. www.fivecreeks.org 

Garden Classrooms & Spiral Gardens Walk, along the southern end of the Santa Fe Right of Way to the Spiral Gardens farm and gardening center, returning to Strawberry Creek Park for lunch. Bring a bag lunch or buy something from the nearby cafe. Meet at 10:30 a.m. on the paved portion of the Santa Fe Right of Way at Delaware, near McGee. 527-3773. 

Toddler Time on the Trails Bring your preschool-aged toddler to discover the wonders of nature from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 1-888-EB-PARKS. 

Bicycle Trip to the Eastshore State Park with the Golden Gate Audubon Society. Meet at 8:10 a.m. at the El Cerrito Del Norte BART station to bird along the Bay trail from Richmond to Emerville. Bring bicycle lock, lunch and liquids. Helmet required. 547-1233. 

Walking Tour “Rail Meets Water: Then and Now” sponsored by Oakland Heritage Alliance. Meet at 10 a.m. in the parking lot of Middle Harbor Shoreline Park. Cost is $10-$15. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

Peach and Other Stone Fruit Tasting from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Saturday Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Center St. at MLK, Jr. Way. 548-3333. www.ecologycenter.org 

The Sydney B. Mitchell Iris Society will hold its annual sidewalk sale of irises from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of the Downtown Oakland YMCA, 2350 Broadway, Oakland. http://bayareairis.org. 

Sidewalk Art Sale and Benefit of animal portraits and art cards Patricia Leslie to benefit the Animal Switchboard's Cora Fund, which provides short-term boarding funds for rescued dogs, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2427 San Mateo St., Richmond Annex. the-tranquil-ctr@earthlink.net 

Wriggling Worms Discover the wonder of worms as you dig through compost, search under logs and rocks, and make worm homes, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center. Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

LaborFest 2008 Oakland 1946 General Strike Walk Meet at 10 a.m. at Latham Square, Telegraph and Broadway, Oakland to revisit the sites of Oakland’s “Work Holiday.” 

LaborFest 2008 “Workers Power in the Present” An interactive presentation led by members of the Bay Area Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World at 7 p.m. at Niebyl Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. Donation requested. 

Jewish Literature and Discussion Series meets to discuss “Portnoy’s Complaint” by Philip Roth at 2 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

Fundraiser for Berkeley High Tennis Teams Social Mixed Doubles and BBQ at 4:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Tennis Club, One Tunnel Rd. Cost is $25-$60. Registration required. 865-0935. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

SUNDAY, JULY 27 

Walking Tour “West Lake Merritt to the Bandstand” sponsored by Oakland Heritage Alliance. Meet at 11 a.m. at the El Embarcadero pergola, across from Lakeview Library. Cost is $10-$15. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

Drawing Reptiles & Amphibians A class with Carolynne Griffin from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $45-$55. Registration required. 238-2365. www.museumca.org 

Mini-Gardeners Explore the world of gardens, dig in the soil, plant a plant, make a craft, sing songs, for ages 3-5 with a parent, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

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. 

Reptile Rendevous Learn about the reptiles that call the nature area home, from 2 to 3 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Rock Reborn Hunger Festival from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland. Cost is 10 cans of food or $10. 875-5297. 

Social Action Forum with DeVone Boggan on “Neighborhood Safety in Richmond” at 10 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensigton. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

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

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

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

Tibetan Buddhism with Joleen Vries on “Mental Clarity through Meditation” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

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

ONGOING 

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

Contra Costa Chorale is accepting new singers. Rehearsals begin August 25, at 7:15 p.m. at Hillside Community Church, 1422 Navallier Street, El Cerrito. 527-2026. www.ccchorale.org 

CITY MEETINGS 

Transportation Commission meets Thurs., July 17, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7010.  

City Council meets Tues., July 22, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Civic Arts Commission meets Wed., July 23, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7533.  

Energy Commission meets Wed., July 23, at 6:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5434.  

Planning Commission meets Wed., July 23, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7484. 

Police Review Commission meets Wed., July 23, at the South Berkeley Senior Center, 981-4950.  

Mental Health Commission meets Wed., July 24 , at 6:30 p.m. at 2640 MLK Jr. Way, at Derby. 981-5213.  

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., July 24, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. 981-7410. 

THURSDAY, JULY 17 

FILM 

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

EXHIBITIONS 

“Radialvedic” Works by Jill Gallenstein, Kristina Lewis and Kana Tanaka. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Johansson PRojects, 2300 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. www.johanssonprojects.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Adam David Miller reads from “Ticket to Exile” at 7:30 p.m. at Books Inc. Alameda, 1334 Park St., Alameda. npetrulakis@booksinc.net 

Anita Amirrezvani “The Blood of Flowers” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Wendy Bartlett reads from her novel “Broad Reach” at 7:30 p.m. at OCSC, 1 Spinnaker Way, Berkeley Marina. 612-2428. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Vukani Mawethu Choir, a cappella gospel in a celebration of Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Green & Root, Andrea Prichett, Claudia Russell at 8 p.m. at Rose St. House of Music, 1839 Rose St. Cost is $5-$20. 594-4000, ext. 687. 

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

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

Mirthkon, The Fuzzy Cousins, Brian Kenney Fresno at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Suzanna Smith Jazz Ensemble at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Dobet Gnahoré, from the Ivory Coast, at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

FRIDAY, JULY 18 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “The Matchmaker” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave., through Aug. 16. Tickets are $10-$12. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org  

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

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

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

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

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

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

EXHIBITIONS 

“Present Tension” Works by Jerry Carniglia, Judith Foosaner and Ann Weber, on display through Aug. 30 at Chandra Cerrito Contemporaty, 25 Grand Ave., upper level, Oakland. www.chandracerrito.com 

“Out of the Fill” featuring the art group Sniff with works by Scott Hewitt, Scott Meadows and David Ryan. Reception at 5 p.m. at Eclectix, 7523 Fairmount Ave., El Cerrito. www.eclectixgallery.com 

FILM 

The Long View: A Celebration of Widescreen “Violent Saturday” at 7 p.m. and “Point Blank” at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

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

Ojada, Latin jazz, at 5 p.m. outdoors at Broadway at Water Street, Jack London Square, Oakland.  

Yosvany Terry “Ye-dé-gbé & the Afro Caribbean Legacy” at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12-$15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Brama Sukarma, trombone, at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Eric Swinderman Group featuring Joyce Grant at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Mawungira Enharira, Mamadou & Vanessa at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

In the Steel of the Night with Bobby Black, Joel Goldmark & David Phillips at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Fred Odell, David Gale at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Buxter Hoot’n, The Blank Tapes, Ed Masuga at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Babyland, The Prids, Swann Danger at 7:30 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Spyro Gyra at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $22-$26. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, JULY 19 

CHILDREN  

“The Day We Danced in Underpants” with author Sarah Wilson at 4 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

“Harvest at the Lake” Native American stories Sat. and Sun. at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m., singer/storyteller Juan L. Sánchez at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $6. 452-2259.  

THEATER 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Red State” Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Cedar Rose Park. Free, donations accepted. 415-285-1717. www.sfmt.org 

Woman’s Will “The Good Person of Szechuan” Sat. and Sun. at 1 p.m. at John Hinkle Park. Free. For addtional performances see www.womanswill.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Nocturnes ... in Berkeley?” A Night Photography Group Show with works by Tim Baskerville, Denise Fuson, Sherry Glassman, Mark Jaremko, Joe Reifer, Charity Vargas, and John Vias. Reception for the artists at 2 p.m. at The LightRoom, 2263 Fifth St. 649-8111. 

“Grace and Joy: A Photo Exhibit of Cheetahs and Greyhounds” at 1 p.m. at 398 Colusa Ave., at the Circle. Kensington. Proceeds of sales benefit Greyhound Friends for Life adoption and advocacy group. 528-1210. www.greyhoundfriendsforlife.com 

“Dreams in Metaphor” Black and white photographs by Moja Ma’at opens at Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Exhibition runs through Aug. 30. 644-1400. www.photolaboratory.com 

FILM 

Hecho por México: The Films of Gabriel Figueroa “A Woman in Love” 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 

Afternoon Delight Poetry Reading with Julia Vinograd, MK Chavez and Jan Steckel at 2 p.m. at Lakeview Branch Library, 550 El Embarcadero, in the Lakeshore district near Lake Merritt, Oakland. Free. 238-7344.  

“Legends: The Blues Photography of Samuel Ribitch” Artist talk at 2 p.m. in the community Meeting Room, 3rd flr, Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6100. 

Teen Playreaders “I Hate Hamlet” at 8 p.m. at the Willard Middle School Metal Shop Theater, 2425 Stuart St. at Telegraph. 981-6121.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Bay Street Arts and Music Festival with local music, dance, arts, Sa. and Sun. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bay St., Emeryville. 655-4002. www.baystreetemeryville.com 

The Function, hip-hop, at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$8. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Robin Gregory & Her Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Aux Cajunals at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun/zydeco dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

The Brew with Iron & the Albatross, Katy Stephan at 8 p.m. at the JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Tickets are $10-$15. 848-0237. 

KC Turner, The Courtney Janes at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Bitches Brew at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Rory Block at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $22.50-$23.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Chris Almada, saxophone, at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Roger Rocha and the Goldenhearts at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Mississippi Riders with Doug Blumer at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Gamelan X at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Calabrese, Switchblade Riot, Apathetic Youth at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Spyro Gyra at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $22-$26. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SUNDAY, JULY 20 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Together and Apart” Individual and collaborative works by Peggy Forman and Jan Schachter. Reception for the artists at 2 p.m. at Collector’s Gallery, Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak, Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2022. www.museumca.org 

FILM 

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

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Teen Playreaders “I Hate Hamlet” at 6 p.m.in front of the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6121.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Midsummer Mozart Festival Program I at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley. For ticket information call 415-627-9141. www.midsummermozart.org 

Berkeley Opera “Tosca” at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are 16-$44. 925-798-1300. www.berkeleyopera.org 

Oakland Jazz Choir at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $20-$33. 228-3218. 

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

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

Lemon Juju at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Americana Unplugged, with The Stairwell Sisters, live bluegrass, at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Axis Mundi at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Oaktown Jazz Workshop at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

John Palowitch Group at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

This Time Tomorrow, Meltdown, New Lows at 5 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

MONDAY, JULY 21 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Actors Reading Writers “An Evening with Author N.M. Kelby” at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave between Dana and Ellsworth. 932-0214. 

Virago Theatre Company: Visions and Voices Play Reading Series “The Afterlife of the Mind” by William Bevis at 7 p.m. at MONART Drawing Studio, 1918 Encinal Ave., Alameda. Cost is $10. www.viragotheatre.org 

LaborFest 2008 “Compared to What” a play reading about the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters at 7:30 p.m. at Fellowship of Humanity Hall, 370 27th St., Oakland. Donation $5. 444-8521. 

Yosvany Terry “Ye-dé-gbé & the Afro Caribbean Legacy” lecture demonstration at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Poetry Express open mic theme night on “teamwork” plus the 2008 San Francisco Slam Team of Matt Blesse, Dre, Steven Meads, Mark States and Leigh Ann at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

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

West Coast Songwriters Competition at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $5. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Anna Maria Flechero, with Cedar Walton at at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

TUESDAY, JULY 22 

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “Red River” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Natural History from the University of California Press” with the Science and Natural History Editor, Jenny Wapner, in conversation with William McClung at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. www.universitypressbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Zydeco Flames in a benefit for Ashkenaz doorman Edwin Thaxter at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

Claudia Russell & the Folk Unlimited Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Robert Walter Trio, with James Singleton and Johnny Vidacovich at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

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

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Toasting the End of Capitalism” Collage and photography by Maria Gilardin at NoneSuch Space, 2865 Broadway at 29th Street, 2nd fl., Oakland, through Aug. 23. 650-224-3108. annskinnerjones@yahoo.com 

FILM 

The Long View: A Celebration of the Widescreen “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

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

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Summer Sounds at Oakland City Center with Stung! Police tribute band, at noon at 12th and Broadway, Oakland.  

Music on the Main with LAVA, Richmond BLOCO and Ballet Lisanga at 5 p.m. in the parking lot at the corner of Macdonald Ave. and Marina Way, next to the Richmond BART station. 236-4049. www.richmondmainstreet.org 

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

Russian Village Singers at 7 p.m. at Le Bateau Ivre, 2629 Telegraph Ave. www.lebateauivre.net 

Jah Arkitekt Sound System at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $7. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Hip Bones, instrumental jazz, with funk and rock, from North Carolina, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Marley’s Ghost at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Robert Walter Trio, with James Singleton and Johnny Vidacovich at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, JULY 24 

FILM 

Hecho por México: The Films of Gabriel Figueroa “A New Dawn” at 6:30 p.m. and “Los olvidados” at 8:40 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Residency Projects Part 3” Works by Katsutoshi Yuasa and Richard T. Walker. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Kala Art Insitute, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977. 

“The Sacred Subjects” New works by Rocky Rische-Baird, Hunter Mack and Clay Cahoon. Reception for the artists at 5 p.m. at Esteban Sabar Gallery, 480 23rd St., Oakland. 444-7411. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Katie Hafner reads from “A Romance on Three Legs: Glenn Gould’s Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Bruce Pavlick describes “The California Deserts: An Ecological Rediscovery” at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. www.universitypressbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Underscore Orchestra, The Black Olive Babes, Balkan, gypsy, world, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

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

Julay Brooks and The Nightbirds, The Backyard Party Boys, bluegrass, at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

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

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

Hank Jones & Roberta Gambarini at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $20-$26. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Jazz Mafia Unit at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

FRIDAY, JULY 25 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “The Matchmaker” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave., through Aug. 16. Tickets are $10-$12. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org  

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

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

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

Youth Musical Theater Company, “Into the Woods” Fri.-Sat. at 7:30 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $8-$18. 800-838-3006. www.brownpapertickets.com  

FILM 

The Long View: A Celebration of Widescreen “It’s Always Fair Weather” at 7 p.m. and “Giants and Toys” at 9 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

The 2008 14th Annual Brainwash Movie Festival Shorts from around the world, Fri. and Sat. at 9 p.m. at Mandela Village Arts Center, 1357 5th St., Oakland. Cost is $9 per night. http://brainwashm.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Downtown Rhythm, old school funk, at 5 p.m. outdoors at Broadway at Water St., Jack London Square, Oakland.  

Rosa Los Santos, in a celebration of Peruvian Independence Day, at 8:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $15-$18. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Bay Area Classical Harmonies “The Forgotten Tales of Armenia” at 7:30 p.m. at Pro Arts Gallery, 550 Second St., Oakland. Tickets are $12-$18. http://forgottentalesofarmenia.eventbrite.com 

Ryan Coleman “The Depthet” at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

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

Modern Kirtan Explorations with Dave Stringer and Suzanne Sterling at 8 p.m. at Rudramandir, 830 Bancroft Way. Tickets are $20-$25. 486-8700. 

Sister I-Live, reggae, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

Mike Eckstein, Jayde Blade at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

The New Centuries, Cloud Archive, Tartufi, indie rock, at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Shipwreck Ad, Pulling Teeth, Bitter End, The Helm at 7:30 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $8. 525-9926. 

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

Blue Vipers of Brooklyn, early jazz, swing, and blues, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SATURDAY, JULY 26 

CHILDREN  

“The Girl Who Lost Her Smile” Sat. and Sun. at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Cost is $6. 452-2259. www.fairyland.org 

THEATER 

Woman’s Will “The Good Person of Szechuan” at 1 p.m. at Mosswood Park, Oakland. For addtional performances see www.womanswill.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Out from Under” Oil paintings of George A. Sariot. Reception at 6 p.m. at the Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. Exhibition runs through July 31. 848-1228. giorgigallery.com 

FILM 

Hecho por México: The Films of Gabriel Figueroa “Nazarin” at 6:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tito y su son de Cuba at 9:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Marcus Shelby Quartet & Faye Carol “Harriet Tubman & Jazz” at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $16. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Baba Ken & the West African Highlife Band at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. African dance lesson at 9 p.m. Cost is $15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Todd Haemmerle, Danny Scherr at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

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

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

Dangerous Rhythm with Tim Fox at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

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

Brod Bob, Superfinos VTO, Silver Griffin, grunge, rock and roll, at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Hank Jones & Roberta Gambarini at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $20-$26. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

The Ergs, Hunchback, In the Red, Nothington at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, JULY 27 

THEATER 

Woman’s Will “The Good Person of Szechuan” at 1 p.m. at Dimond Park, Oakland. For addtional performances see www.womanswill.org 

FILM 

United Artists: 90 Years “The Magnificent Seven” at 5 p.m. and “Ride Lonesome” at 7:30 p.m. at 3 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Great Night of Soul Poetry at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Rock Reborn Hunger Festival from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland. Cost is 10 cans of food or $10. 875-5297. 

Midsummer Mozart Festival Program II at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley. For ticket information call 415-627-9141. www.midsummermozart.org 

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

Jeff & Vidya at 8 p.m. at 383 61st St., Oakland. Not wheelchair accessible. Donation $15-$20. RSVP requested. 655-2771. 

Tribute to Utah Phillips at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

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

Jacob Wolkenhauer at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Americana Unplugged with Jeanie & Chucks Country Roundup, live bluegrass, at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Band Works at 1 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Nick Lamb Quartet at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Geoffrey Keezer “The Art of Solo Piano” at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10-$20. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Kugleplex at 8 p.m. at the JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is 10-$15. www.jcceastbay.org

Four artists, improvising together like a jazz combo in a groove, called themselves SNIFF after what dogs do, and for five years painted up a storm at the Albany landfill. Now three of the four original SNIFFs, Scott Hewitt, Scott Meadows, and David Ryan, are back together and I’m happy to say their work is as wacky-wild and utterly resistant to interpretation as ever.  

The SNIFFs did their first joint paintings “out at the fill” in 1998 on concrete blocks. When a floating dock washed ashore they painted on the decking. Their work was raucous, irrelevant, bawdy, and full of operatic extravagance. Their landfill period ended in 2003 when Scott Peterson’s attorneys held a press conference claiming they had evidence of a satanic cult operating on the landfill that might have murdered Peterson’s wife Laci. Their evidence? The paintings of SNIFF. The tsunami of publicity that followed blew the group apart—it came too fast and for the wrong reasons. 

Now SNIFF’s out of the fill and into the comparative safety of a gallery. Their show consists of one mural-size painting that wraps around an entire room. It’s a landscape with figures. At one end a thatched hut can be seen through the trees. There’s snow on the roof and a sign on the front advertising “Girls.” Bright yellow light streams through the windows. A woman lounges in the open doorway. At the other end a carnival is in progress. An unsavory crowd dances out front in the shadows. In between these two questionable establishments is a dark woods.  

What’s happening in the woods? A sinister tattooed jack rabbit squats in a corner. Not far away is a gender-ambiguous big foot in red panty briefs with hairy legs and a fat butt. A hunter who’s torn the head off his bear costume sits against a dead tree, cradling a gun with a bent barrel while a blue squirrel licks his white face. A village burns in the distance. What set the fire? Was it the pyromaniac bluebird flying through the forest with a lighted match in its beak? It’s clearly responsible for the burning pine tree, and the house in flames where the snowman lives who now runs away in his black galoshes. Who are the seven mismatched riders bundled on top of the rearing blue stallion with the black tail? And why are there two parallel worlds in this wintry woods—the world of the big people and that of the little ones, the tiny woman in a see-through dress who plays golf with the bear, the miniature caballero holding the reins of a leaping stallion, and the crew of little dying sailors, sprawled over the gunny wale of a boat that sails on a fetid sea. 

SNIFF provides no explanation to its riddles: No explanation of the “Last Chance” gas station, empty and deserted, but brightly lit in the middle of the woods; nor of the red station wagon that’s seen better days, stopped on the road in front of it. No explanation of the load tied to its roof: the Egyptian mummy, (on which sits a family of little people), and the gigantic fish with iridescent scales from whose mouth dangle four little legs attached to two naked buttocks. From the ass hole of one sparks spray into the night. Or farts. Who knows? 

There’s no explanation for the crew inside the car: the couple embracing beneath the green blanket in the way back; the fat balding man in the back seat, with a hand out the window holding a glowing tiny blue pixie; or the woman in the purple dress asleep in the front seat, who has tied a string to her finger a string that attaches to a carrot that trails behind the car, attracting a jackalope.  

Bright are the headlights of the station wagon piercing the darkness. Caught in their glare is a gigantic black bull. Frightened is the deer with the Mexican saddle blanket that leaps over a guard rail, throwing to the ground the drunken elf that rode it.  

And what of the owl woman with the headlamp breasts, the monkey sitting in a tree in a clown costume with his finger to his lips, and the multiple women in red dresses packing six shooters with daggers stuck in their stockings, and ... Like one of those Russian nesting dolls, the picture has mysteries within mysteries. 

The eclectix gallery where these mysteries unfold is a single room behind a store packed to the gills with curios and gag gifts—lava lamps, spiders in plexiglas, gummy hearts, nerd glasses, R. Crumb devil girl lunchboxes, plastic ants, comic underwear, and ceramic Tiki mug party packs. In El Cerrito, in this unlikely setting, far from the power centers of the art world, without benefit of white walls and the other accoutrements of artistic respectability, is one of the best damn paintings ever painted in the East Bay. 

OUT OF THE FILL 

Through Aug. 3 at Eclectix Gallery, 7523 Fairmont Ave., El Cerrito. Artist reception 5-8 p.m. July 18.

Before a mural of shepherds and shepherdesses in modern imitation of Restoration style (Annie Smart’s set), to bowed strings (on tape) guests troop into the home of a Member of Parliament, for a party that will see its host blackmailed to go against his principles by a femme fatale, amid all the frothy talk, in CalShakes’ production of Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband. 

Originally staged the same year as The Importance of Being Earnest—and as Wilde’s scandal and downfall—Ideal Husband has lately been said to have “more substance” than Earnest. For “more substance,” read “story” or even “plot.”  

An Ideal Husband seems to be a forerunner of what will later be called “Problem Plays,” in this case about the private lives of public people. But Wilde’s version is not so much melodrama as a comedy of humor in Pirandello’s definition: a sense of the opposite. Everything is found to be other than it purports to be, and events come round full circle, but less through that dramatic device called perpeteia—fate, or a chance downfall—than through Wilde’s sense of masks, of surfaces being more important than the depths which underpin them.  

The players prove quite good at their deadly badinage. Stacy Ross as scheming Mrs. Cheveley; Michael Butler as Robert Chiltern, her prey; and Julie Eccles as his too-upright, adoring wife Gertrude, Mrs. Cheveley’s nemesis at school—this triangle would play out perfectly if Wilde’s play were merely a drama adorned with bon mots and larded with wit. Elijah Alexander plays Lord Goring (who, like Algernon in Earnest portrays something of Wilde’s own persona) with a kind of silly abandon, not Oscar’s impenetrable poise. His madcap ingenue, Mabel Chiltern (Sarah Nealis), just misses being a screwball and preserves her comic aplomb. Joan Mankin’s sad, comic visage, spouting absurdities with the odd ring of truth over a flute of champagne as Lady Markby, has something the others are missing from Wilde’s inverted scheme of things. 

It might have been the ideal cast, but Jonathan Moscone’s direction takes it in another direction, adorning Wildean deadpan with sitcom mugging and physical routines, making his imperturbable observations, which are a lens trained on society beyond irony or wit, merely funny and forgettable. “Humor is a serious distortion of our world,” said poet George Seferis. 

This is most apparent in one of the final scenes, when Lord Goring, after proving to be the saving grace while acting the clueless ne’er-do-well, convinces Gertrude to sacrifice her domestic ideals so her husband may realize his public ambitions, through a homiletic speech she repeats, word for word, to Robert. 

The director (and a few critics) take this to be an unfortunate anachronism, Wilde’s sexist slip showing, to shake up a few metaphors. And so the audience gasps, or hisses. 

But Wilde is a dramatist, and a humorist. Every meticulous detail, much less an important turn, can only be seen through his eyes examining his characters in society, finding that “sense of the opposite.”  

“It is always worthwhile to ask a question, though it is not always worthwhile to answer one.” Wilde was more the pagan philosopher than the activist—or maybe a kind of time bomb. He exposed Anglo-Saxon society in a way it couldn’t challenge or ignore, not in a witty puppet show where the author winks at the audience, twitting it and begging its indulgence. 

Like his surrogate, Lord Goring, Wilde did nothing, “and it is a comfort,” not cynical but playfully serious. Like Gore Vidal, Wilde might have said, “I have nothing to say—only to add.” 

AN IDEAL HUSBAND 

Through July 27 at Bruns Amphitheater, 

100 Gateway Blvd., Orinda. 

548-9666, www.calshakes.org.

Three gods descend to earth but can’t find anyone to put them up. The future of the race might depend on them finding that one good person to prove hard times haven’t turned mankind sour.  

Finally, a waterseller refers them to a prostitute, who gives them shelter. The gods reveal themselves and reward her—in part to test whether success will spoil her. Immediately, everyone, rich and poor, seems to want a piece of “the Angel of the Slums,” the woman “who can’t say no” to someone in need, until in desperation she poses as a hard-nosed male cousin to get the others off her back. Her fortunes continue to prosper, until the “cousin” is accused of doing away with the absent good samaritan and put on trial ... 

Told like that, Bertolt Brecht’s The Good Person of Szechuan sounds almost like a shaggy dog story. Brecht’s late plays, after he returned from a desultory turn as emigré Hollywood screenwriter to postwar Germany to lead the Berliner Ensemble in East Berlin, were often cast in the form of theatrical parables, and Woman’s Will is staging The Good Person outdoors, for free, in John Hinkel Park (through this weekend at 1 p.m., then on and off in other East Bay Parks) in a broad fashion as a kind of fairytale for adults. 

As is Woman’s Will’s mission, whether playing Shakespeare in the park, or—say—Oscar Wilde, site-specific in Victorian mansions, all the performers are female, close to 20 in number, directed by founder Erin Merritt, who has staged Brecht before, Happy End as cabaret at Luka’s Taproom in Oakland. El Beh, a graduate of UC’s Performance Studies, stands out in her portrayal of the kind and harried Shen Te and her “tough cop” pretend cousin, Shui Ta, as does her fellow UC alumna, Holly Chou, as Wang, the steadfast waterseller.  

“A hand held out to the hungry will be ripped away.” Brecht couched hard truths in the form of aphorisms and maxims that pepper the texts of his plays. “Why bother philosophizing when the milk’s already spilt?”  

This play of his is quietly ambitious, for it fulfills perhaps his greatest contribution to the stage in both theory and practice—the Social Gesture—by identifying it with the primal theatrical act: in order to overcome oppression, a too-sympathetic woman pretends to be an aggressive man—the duplicity of the stage, with a vengeance, both politically and theatrically transparent to the audience. 

Brecht performed alfresco makes a great deal of sense. He wanted his audiences to be relaxed, enjoying what they saw and interested in what it portrayed, but not manipulated by vicarious identification with the characters or the suspense that leads up to an already decided fate.  

In fact, his praise of classical poetry was not of its venerable antiquity, the admiration of past ages, but its freshness. Virgil and Ovid, he said, should be read outdoors, in the sunlight and open air. 

THE GOOD PERSON OF SZECHUAN 

Presented by Woman’s Will (www.womanswill.org). The following performances are free, donations accepted. 

July 19, 1 p.m., John Hinkel Park, Berkeley 

July 20, 1 p.m., John Hinkel Park, Berkeley 

July 25, 6 p.m., Hillside Clubhouse Lawn, Rossmoor (Walnut Creek) 

July 26, 1 p.m., Mosswood Park, Oakland 

July 27, 1 p.m., Dimond Park, Oakland 

Aug. 2, 1 p.m., San Felipe Park, Hayward 

Aug. 2, 6 p.m., Centennial Park, Pleasanton 

Aug. 3, 1 p.m., Rengstorff House, Mountain View 

Aug. 9, 1 p.m., Dolores Park, San Francisco 

Aug. 10, 1 p.m., Dolores Park, San Francisco 

Aug. 15, 6 p.m., Yerba Buena Children’s Garden, San Francisco 

Aug. 16, 4 p.m., Yerba Buena Children's Garden, San Francisco 

Aug. 17, 1 p.m., Dolores Park, San Francisco 

Saturday the Berkeley Opera opened its production of Puccini’s Tosca as the final opera of its 2008 season. Unlike most of last year’s productions, this Tosca makes no attempt to update the story for a contemporary audience. Both the opera and the company are better served by this decision.  

Tosca, premiered in Rome in 1900, is often referred to as a potboiler, with emotional extremes, clear delineation of good and evil and music that is melodically lovely, harmonically engaging and thoroughly accessible. But that is a misnomer for an opera that required four years to write the libretto and compose the score.  

There are moments, though, that transcend the sentimentality suggested by the work, and most of those are found in the dynamic between Tosca, the singer whose unruly passions make her both victim and savior, and Scarpia, the unscrupulous and sadistic officer who lusts after her.  

Soprano Jillian Khuner plays Floria Tosca and, though she lacks burning intensity, her singing is accomplished and lovely, and she gives the role an unmistakable sweetness. Her second act “Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore” was beautiful—well phrased, solidly consistent in the midrange and clear in the upper tones.  

The aria deserves its celebrity, not simply because of its lyric grace but also because it reveals an aspect of the artist’s function: that of healer, beneficent and generous: “I lived for my art, I lived for love,/ I never did harm to a living soul!/… I gave my song to the stars, to heaven, which smiled with more beauty/ In the hour of grief.” 

The evil Scarpia is sung by John Minagro, who provides a sophisticated and somewhat contemplative villain, adding to his wickedness and aligning well with Khuner’s softer and more innocent Tosca. The ending of the first act, during which the music rises and falls with the ominous regularity of a death knell as Scarpia plots—“Va’ Tosca, nel tuo cuor s’annida Scarpia” (“Go, Tosca, Scarpia nests in your heart”)—then moves inexorably into Scarpia’s closing aria “A doppia mira tendo” (“At two goals I aim’) interlaced with the chorus singing “Adiutorium nostrum” (“My help is in God’s name”), was especially well done.  

Members of the Piedmont choruses, directed by Robert Geary, and the Berkeley Opera chorus, directed by Susan Swerdlow, combined to provide an admirable choral foil.  

Scarpia’s darkness resides not only in his lust but also in his religious hypocrisy. He is not simply a Don Juan; his schemes are more perverse, more sadistic, revealed in the second act scene when Tosca must listen to her lover being tortured while deciding whether or not to succumb to Scarpia’s sexual demands in order to save him. 

Tenor Kevin Courtemanche sings the part of Mario Cavaradossi, the painter who is Tosca’s lover. He has a bright powerful voice and he gives generously of it, giving the role a forceful energy. His singing lofted him above his unprepossessing physical stage presence, giving the character substance and vibrance. He rightly earned the audience’s most enthusiastic bravos. 

Basses Steven Hoffmann (Angelotti), John Bischoff (Sacristan), Nicholas Aliaga (Sciarrone) and Michael Crozier (Jailer), and tenor Jose Hernandez (Spoletta) added to the production’s overall excellent singing. 

This was an excellent and engaging production, modest but well sung and enjoyable. 

TOSCA 

Presented by Berkeley Opera at 8 p.m. Friday, and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave.