Arts & Events

Ah yes, the days do indeed grow short when you reach September. Hopefully, many of you took in some of the exciting musical and theatrical events occurring this week, such as the wonderful Cal Performances "Free for All," this past Sunday. People lined up for hours in the hot sun to attend free performances at Zellerbach, Hertz Hall and Lower Sproul Hall. (Which accounts for my sunburn!) 

Another upcoming event not to be missed is the always delightful Women's Faculty Club reception on Thursday, September 30, 3:00 - 5:00 in the Stebbins Lounge, featuring soprano Angela Arnold and pianist Michael Seth Orland, playing music by Mozart, Debussy, Bach and others. A dessert buffet will follow in the dining room. 

Not to be overlooked is the very popular Wednesday Noon concert series at Hertz Hall, 12:15 to 1 p.m. These concerts have been the delight of Bay Area audiences for years. 

Theatre devotees have been treated to superb plays at Berkeley Rep and Aurora Theatre this month. Mandy Patinkin, well known actor, gives an inspired performance in "Compulsion", the Berkeley Rep play, as a writer obsessed with the determination to obtain rights for a stage version of the Anne Frank diary. Adding to the powerful mood of the play is the highly effective use of puppets lowered to the stage. Both Anne Frank and her father, Otto Frank, are shown as puppets. 

Another moving play is the Aurora Theatre production of "Trouble in Mind" by black playwright and actress, Alice Childress, in a civil-rights comedy drama. 

Thanks should be showered on our great Berkeley Public Library for offering so many stimulating and imaginative programs -- due largely to Debbie Carton, Music and History Librarian, whose Wednesday series, "Playreading for Adults" attracts an ever-growing audience. It meets from 12 - 1 p.m. in the Fourth Floor Reading Room. On Thursday, October 21st, the Berkeley West Edge Opera will preview highlights of its upcoming production, Handel's "Xerxes" in the Fifth Floor Art and Music Room. 

If comedy is your thing, you might try Saturday Night Comedy at the Marsh, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley for an all-female lineup with Ann Randolph, Emily Levine and Betsy Salkin. Tickets for the October 2nd 8 p.m. show are priced $15 to $35. 

The Alta Bates Summit Foundation will sponsor its 19th Annual Celebrity Tennis Classic and Casino Royale with Martina Navratilove and Gigi Fernandez at the Berkeley Tennis Club and Claremont Resort, with proceeds supporting the lifesaving work of Thunder Road Adolescent Treatment Center. The program runs Saturday, Oct. 2nd, 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. Cost of admission is $20 - $175. (Remember, this is a worthy cause.) 

Always an enjoyable affair is the Montclair Village Fine Arts and Crafts Fall Festival, with 90 professional artists participating. This show, at Mountain Blvd. and LaSalle, takes place October 2 and 3, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

For a purely social event, the Hillside Club at 2286 Cedar Street, Berkeley, hosts an afternoon tea party with light refreshments and a chance to read, play cards, or simply socialize on Tuesdays at 3 p.m. Donations requested. 

No doubt I've missed a whole raft of outstanding events taking place in our Bay Area, but I trust I've mentioned the really good ones.