stage

Stage listings are compiled by Cheryl Eddy. Performance times may change; call venues to confirm. Reviewers are Robert Avila, Rita Felciano, Lara Shalson, and Chloe Veltman. See 8 Days a Week for information on how to submit items to the listings.

theater

Opening

Blood Poet Lorca! Actors Theatre of San Francisco, 533 Sutter; 273-5164. $15-20. Previews Thurs/2-Sat/4, 8pm. Opens Oct 10, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sun, 8pm. Through Oct 26. Luis Oropeza presents his solo show about the slain Spanish writer.

A Bright Room Called Day Exit on Taylor, 277 Taylor; 721-9682. $20. Opens Fri/3, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sat and Oct 27, 8pm. Through Nov 8. La Luna Theatre Collective performs Tony Kushner's play set in Berlin during the rise of Hitler's fascist party.

Out at Sea and The Party Next Stage Theater, 1620 Gough; 1-866-GOT-FURY, www.foolsfury.org. $12-20 (pay what you can, previews and Thurs). Previews Thurs/2-Fri/3, 8pm. Opens Sat/4, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sun, 8pm (no shows Sun/5, Oct 19). Through Oct 26. FoolsFURY performs two absurdist one-acts by Slawomir Mrozek.

Thursday Thick House, 1695 18th St; 821-4849. $15-20. Previews Fri/3-Sat/4, 8pm; Sun/5, 5pm. Opens Mon/6, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 5pm. Through Nov 2. Encore Theatre Company presents the world premiere of this tale about a former child star who moves back to his hometown, the latest from Adam Bock (Five Flights).

Bay Area

Pageant Glenview Performing Arts Center, 1318 Glenfield, Oakl; (510) 531-0511. $20. Opens Fri/3, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Oct 11, 18, 3pm); Sun, 3pm. Through Oct 19. PM Productions presents a musical spoof on beauty pageants, performed by an all-male cast with "judges" pulled from the audience.

The Trial of God Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway, Oakl; (510) 653-6737, www.magicalacts.org. $13-26 (Oct 12 benefit for the Familial Dysautonomia Hope Foundation, $50-85). Opens Fri/3, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through Oct 19. Magical Acts Ritual Theater performs Elie Wiesel's allegorical drama.

Ongoing

And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $5-10. Wed/1-Fri/3, 10:15am (also Thurs/2, 11:45am); Sat/4, 8pm; Sun/5, 2pm. New Conservatory Theatre Center's YouthAware Program presents its third Holocaust memorial production of the James Still play. Survivor and former Anne Frank neighbor Eva Schloss answers questions after each performance.

Are We Almost There? Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 345-7575. $20-22. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Open-ended. Travel is the theme of this musical comedy revue.

'Comedy on the Square' Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 522-8900. $15. Performances include "A Celebration of Silliness!," with Fred Anderson (Sun, 3 and 7pm, through Oct 26); True Fiction Magazine improv troupe (Sun, 8:30, Oct 5-26).

The Dog Problem Actors Theatre of San Francisco, 533 Sutter; 296-9179, www.actorstheatresf.com. $20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 5pm. Through Oct 25. David Rabe's play, presented by the Actors Theatre, is part testosterone fest (complete with mobsters, random acts of violence, and onstage pissing and puking), and part meditation on questions of fate, karma, faith, and the ability to know who your friends are. The piece fluctuates somewhat uncomfortably between depth and frivolity, terror and hilarity (the combination showing up in the actors' inability to conceal their mirth during the mobster scenes on opening night). However, strong performances by the principle cast members (often taking their caricatured characters to extremes) are a real source of pleasure in this production. (Shalson)

From Tel Aviv to Ramallah Spanganga, 3376 19th St; 821-1102, www.spanganga.com. $8-15. Fri/3-Sun/5, Oct 9-12, and 16-19, 8pm. Through Oct 19. Yuri Lane performs his political hip-hop theater piece.

Kilt New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972, www.nctcsf.org. $18-38. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through Oct 12. Jonathan Wilson's romantic comedy reconciles a mother and son through their mutual acceptance of the past. Esther (Cheryl Smith), a stern Scottish dance instructor and Canadian immigrant, drags her culturally Canadian son, Tom (Colin Stuart), away from his job as a kilt-clad table dancer at a gay nightclub, to the Glasgow funeral of his grandfather, a war hero he never knew. There are few real surprises under Kilt's colorful but predictable patterns. Moreover, the relationships don't always feel credible, and the second act sprawls a bit. But director Stephen Rupsch gets a lot from the snappy dialogue thanks to five sharp, sympathetic performances, especially Smith's proud but well-meaning Esther. (Avila)

The King of Kinds and Rain Check Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $15 (Thurs, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 7:30pm. Through Oct 12. Expression Theatre performs a world premiere work about a carnivorous man who clashes with his vegetarian wife (The King of Kinds) and a second one-act about erotic desires (Rain Check).

Les liaisons dangereuses Geary Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. $11-68. Wed/1-Sat/4 and Oct 7-11, 8pm (also Sat/4, Oct 8, and 11, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through Oct 12. Giles Havergal's ACT-commissioned adaptation of Les liaisons dangereuses, which keeps the missive central to development of character and action, seems immediately plausible. The occasional cell phone communiqué only heightens a playful sense of communion with the decadent world of the Marquise de Merteuil (Lise Bruneau) and the Vicomte de Valmont (Marco Barricelli), who launch a mutual "campaign" to ruin the honor of young virgin Cécile (Elizabeth Raetz) and the pious Madame de Tourvel (Libby West). Propelled by two wry, charismatic performances from Barricelli and Bruneau, only some cluttered staging and a surprisingly perfunctory climax diminish this worthwhile foray into the politics and psychology of sex. (Avila)

My Gypsy Throckmorton Theatre, 142 Throckmorton, Mill Valley. $20-25. Opens Fri/3, 2:30 and 8pm. Runs Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through Oct 12. Continues at various Bay Area venues through Oct 26. A young Roma woman struggles with accepting her upcoming arranged marriage.

Nickel and Dimed New venue: Brava Theater Center, 2789 24th St; 647-2822. $18-32. Previews Oct 8-10, 8pm. Opens Oct 11, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through Nov 9. TheatreWorks and Brava! For Women in the Arts copresent the northern California premiere of Bay Area playwright Joan Holden's stage adaptation of Barbara Ehrenreich's 2001 best-selling exposé of low-wage work in America. An ambitious, kinetic if flawed production, it centers on a fiftysomething left-wing journalist named Barbara (a charming Sharon Lockwood), who at the behest of her editor (Darren Bridgett) takes a succession of minimum- and low-wage jobs to see firsthand how people get by on the strange planet of the working class. Holden – for three decades principal playwright for the San Francisco Mime Troupe – adds a good deal of dialogue and characterization to Ehrenreich's first-person narration, and the play, like the book, infuses this bleak but marvelously peopled landscape with lots of humor and some stimulating insights. But the desire to entertain and the urge to earnestly confront sometimes feel at cross purposes; certain concessions to the stage come at the expense of the book's fundamentally serious concerns. (Avila)

Othello Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason, Ste 601; (510) 420-0813, www.womanswill.org. $12-25. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through Oct 18. Continues at Bay Area venues through Oct 26. Shakespeare's classic tragedy has been most popularly revived during times of war. Its wartime setting, treatment of fear of ethnic and racial "others," and insistence that sometimes the real enemy is the person claiming to act in your best interest all give it continuing relevance. In this vein, Women's Will performs the original text in (mostly) contemporary dress, with soldiers outfitted in U.S. Army uniforms. But despite politically oriented program notes that encourage us to relate this play to our contemporary situation, this production, while succeeding in drawing us into its well-executed drama, doesn't manage to raise too many questions. Iago's treachery (despite a skillful performance by Lizzie Calogero), is too straightforward and easy for us to judge. Othello's character is treated with more nuance, though director Carla Spindt's unfortunate decision to close the play with a military salute to Othello's dead body conjures too many melodramatic Hollywood war movies and left a bad taste in this reviewer's mouth. (Shalson)

Salam Shalom ... a Tale of Passion New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972, www.nctcsf.org. $18-38. Previews Wed/1-Fri/3, 8pm. Opens Sat/4, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm (no show Oct 12); Oct 14, 21, 7:30pm (benefits for SF LGBT Community Center). Through Oct 26. The New Conservatory Theatre Center performs Saleem's play about two men, a Palestinian and an Israeli, who become roommates and fall in love.

*Sleeping with Straight Men Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $20-30. Extended run: Wed/1-Sat/4, 8pm. Playwright-director Ronnie Larsen's intelligent, sexy, funny, disquieting, and all-American romp through the transformative power of daytime television bases itself on the infamous Jenny Jones case, involving an openly gay guest on the "secret crush" episode (Octavio Saez De Ibarra) later murdered by the heterosexual man (Jeffrey Lippold) lured onto national TV to meet who he assumed would be a woman. This time, however, we the studio audience, in order to inform ourselves of this less-than-perfect union, watch the back story as well as the aftermath. Returning to the Rhino's main stage after a stint in New York, the show runs like a well-oiled machine – and in at least once one highly erotic tableau, even looks like it. Borne along by a contagious current of confident energy by an altogether fine cast, including deft comic performances from Allison Smith as the Jenny Jones stand-in, and Patricia Rose and Dan Renzi as her irrepressible production assistants. (Avila)

Strange Travel Suggestions Marsh, 1062 Valencia; 826-5750. $12-22. Thurs/2-Sat/4, 8pm. Jeff Greenwald performs a series of monologues drawn from 25 years' worth of travel.

Uroboros Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; 621-7978, www.asylum-theatre.org. $15-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Oct 18. Asylum Theatre performs Katrina Jankowski's drama about a mysterious woman investigating her past.

Wonder of the World and [sic] Eureka Theatre Company, 215 Jackson; (510) 568-4118. $15-20. Wonder: Thurs/2, Sat/4, Oct 8, 10, 16, 18, 8pm; Oct 12, 3pm. Through Oct 18. [sic]: Wed/1, Fri/3, Oct 9, 11, 15, 17, 8pm; Sun/5, 19, 3pm. Through Oct 19. Eastenders Repertory Company performs two offbeat seriocomedies (by David Lindsay Abaire and Melissa James Gibson, respectively) in rotating repertory. Bay Area

Love's Labour's Lost Duck Pond Meadow, Lakeside Park, Lake Merritt, Oakl; www.sfshakes.org. Free. Sat/4-Sun/5, 4pm. Love's Labour's Lost isn't Shakespeare's wittiest or most intriguing work. Its "battle of the sexes" framework feels tired and doesn't translate well for a contemporary audience, and director Kenneth Kelleher's decision to transport the work to 1960s Italy doesn't help. One can only feel perplexed during the opening scene as to why this group of men in expensive suits (16th-century nobility turned 20th-century Mafia?) would give up drinking, food, and sex in order to devote themselves to scholarship. With many pelvic thrusts to accentuate suggestive lines, this production certainly goes for the easy laughs, but the cast succeeds in winning our affection, and for what it is, it's an enjoyable enough afternoon in the park. (Shalson)

Me and My Girl Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller, Mill Valley; (415) 388-5208. $28-45. Wed/1, 7:30pm; Thurs/2-Sat/4, 8pm (also Sat/4, 2pm); Sun/5, 2 and 7pm. Marin Theatre Company and Allegro Theatre Company perform the musical about a Cockney lad who unexpectedly becomes an earl.

The Miser Shakespeare at Stinson, Hwy One at Calle del Mar, Stinson Beach; (415) 868-1115, www.shakespeareatstinson.org. $16-23. Fri, 7pm; Sat-Sun, 6pm. Through Oct 12. Shakespeare at Stinson performs an outdoor version of Molière's farce.

Much Ado about Nothing Bruns Memorial Amphitheater, off Hwy 24 at Shakespeare Festival Wy/Gateway Exit, Orinda; (510) 548-9666, www.calshakes.org. $13-49. Wed/1-Thurs/2, 7:30pm; Fri/3-Sat/4, 8pm (also Sat/4, 2pm); Sun/5, 4pm. Cal Shakes winds up an impressive season with the Bard's darkly romantic comedy of love during wartime. Fresh from battle, Don Pedro (James Carpenter), accompanied by bastard brother Don John (Andy Murray) and officers Count Claudio (Joaquín Torres) and Benedick (Charles Shaw Robinson), rest and recreate at the home of Leonato (L. Peter Callender). Claudio woos Leonato's daughter Hero (Myla Balugay), and Benedick again takes up his long-standing adversarial relationship with Leonato's ward Beatrice (Julie Eccles). But no happy ending before much mayhem, and love becomes a tawdry enterprise, reflected in Robert Pyzocha's garish set design and Meg Neville's playfully tacky costumes. Director Peter Dubois's competent cast hits the right notes but rarely rises to exceptional heights in this somewhat listless treatment. (Avila)

Noises Off San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose; (408) 367-7255. $18-52. Wed/1-Sat/4, 8pm (also Wed/1, noon and Sat/4, 3pm); Sun/5, 2pm. See "Time Machine."

The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org. $10-55. Tues, Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Sat/27 and Oct 11, 2pm); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2pm). Through Oct 19. Playwright-director Mary Zimmerman's stage adaptation of excerpts from Leonardo da Vinci's 5,000 pages of notebooks seeks to integrate the ultimate Renaissance man's wide-ranging investigations in the realm of nature, science, and art – categories whose boundaries had little significance for his seemingly limitless curiosity and astonishing acumen. Each actor in the lithesome eight-member ensemble takes turns channeling da Vinci's observations, memories, and musings as the others demonstrate, or otherwise act out, the subject under discussion with a combination of gymnastics, pantomime, physical comedy, dance, and song. Playful and visually arresting, the play's humor can also feel heavy-handed at times – and Notebooks' essentially episodic nature leaves our appreciation more at the cerebral than the emotional level. (Avila)

The Old Neighborhood Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison, Berk; (510) 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. $28-40. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through Oct 19. See "Time Machine."

The Water Principle Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St, Berk; (510) 704-8210. $12-20. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through Oct 19. Shotgun Players present playwright Eliza Anderson's darkly humorous fable of exploitation. In a setting of Beckett-like desolation and purity, a half-starved woman named Addie (Kate Sheehan) lives a hard but fiercely independent life on a plot of desert land coveted by an unctuous neighbor named Weed (John Thomas), a businessman and self-proclaimed "man of action" with Faustian dreams of development under the heading "Weed's Wonderland." Weed will naturally stop at nothing to get the land (whose true value only Addie knows), trying the usual routes of patriarchal and class advantage to that end (marriage, sex, food, lies, guns) without immediate success. Enter archetype number three: a wandering moocher named Skimmer (Ian Petroni) whose more ordinary predatory instincts become an easy tool for a capitalist like Weed, the keeper of the beans. What starts out maybe a little too reminiscent of Samuel Beckett ends a little more like Sam Peckinpah, with dialogue that at its best has a bite to it but often belabors its own significance. The strength of the production lies in a committed cast, who, with director John Warren, do a nice job straddling the decidedly fuzzy line between absurdist nihilism and the moralism of melodrama. (Avila) dance

'Bodies in Motion 2003: Freedom to Move' ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $20-22. Performers who are "significantly larger than the dance-world norm" highlight this concert, with world premieres by the Big Moves modern ensemble, a performance by FatChanceBellyDance, and a solo by guest artist Lawrence Goldhuber.

'Dancing Poetry Festival' Florence Gould Theater, Palace of the Legion of Honor, 100 34th Ave; 681-0618, www.dancingpoetry.com. Sat, noon-4pm. $15. "Dance fused with poetry" is the focus of this daylong fest, which features performances by 15 dance groups, soloists, and poets from the around the globe.

Flyaway Productions ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834, www.ticketweb.com. Mon, 7pm. $12-25. The apparatus-based dance company performs at the second annual "10 Women Campaign Award and Celebration," an evening honoring women who have affected great social change in the community.

Na Lei Huli I Ka Wekiu Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon; 392-4400, www.cityboxoffice.com. Sat/4, Oct 10-11, 8pm; Sun/5, 2pm; Oct 12, 4pm. $25-30 (gala benefit Oct 11, $100). The company performs the all-new "Hula Show 2003," including world premieres by artistic director Patrick Makuakane.

Sara Shelton Mann's Contraband Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, 700 Howard; 978-ARTS, www.yerbabuenaarts.org. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. $16-25. See Critic's Choice.

Bay Area

Anima Mundi Dance Company Yoshi's, Jack London Square, Oakl; (510) 233-5550. Sat, 2pm. $10-15. Kathryn Roszak's dance company performs a preview of Mountains and Rivers Without End, based on Gary Snyder's poem.

Kirov Ballet and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre Zellerbach Hall, Bancroft at Telegraph, UC Berkeley, Berk; (510) 642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. Oct 7-11, 8pm (also Oct 11, 2pm); Sun, 3pm. $42-110. The world-renowned classical ballet company performs two programs: Mikhail Fokine's Chopiniana, The Firebird, and Scheherazade (Oct 7-9) and Balanchine's Jewels (Oct 10-12). performance

BATS Improv Bayfront Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; www.batsimprov.com. $8-12. This week: "Lemonade Fund Benefit" featuring BATS Improv and ImprovWorks' Flash Family (Fri, 8pm); "Improv and a Movie" (Sat, 8pm); "Late Night Special Guest: Eat the Apple," all-female improv (Sat, 10:30pm); "Sunday Players: Theatresports" (Sun, 8pm).

'Black Box Breakout' Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 289-2000, www.venue9.com. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $10-20. This performance series benefits Venue 9's impending move to a new, larger space. This week: "Music and Dance Night," with experimental, folk, and rock musicians, plus dance ensemble Courage Group (Fri); "Talk Dirty Night," with erotica readings, comedy, burlesque dance, and improv theater (Sat).

'Fray Day 7' Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th St; fray.com/events/7sf. Sat, 7:30pm. $5-10. Armistead Maupin headlines the annual true-life storytelling celebration, which also features an open mic.

'Living Word Festival' Various venues; 255-9035, www.youthspeaks.org. Wed-Sun. See 8 Days a Week.

Lucky Dog Theatre Shotwell Studio, 19th St at Shotwell; 564-4115. Sat, 8pm. $12. The improv theater company performs.

'Pleasure Friction of Intimacy' Build, 483 Guerrero; (510) 526-7858, www.eroplay.com. Performance artist Frank Moore presents his latest work.

'Science on Stage' Exploratorium, 3601 Lyon; EXP-LORE. Wed, 7pm. Free with Exploratorium admission ($8-12). This week's show in the series of script-in-hand performances of plays about science and technology is Crystal Skillman's Flow.

'Smegma!' Club Eros, 2051 Market; kirkread@earthlink.net. Thurs, 8pm. $5-10 (no one turned away for lack of funds). The new erotic performance series kicks off with a variety show featuring spoken word, hip-hop, poetry, music, and more.

Bay Area

Geoff Hoyle Dance Palace, Fifth at B Sts, Point Reyes Station; (415) 454-5238. Fri, 8pm. $13-15. San Francisco Live Arts presents a performance by the actor and physical comedian.

'James Joyce Is Dead and So Is Paris: The Lucia Joyce Cabaret' Nitery, 514 Lasken Mall, Bldg 590, Stanford University, Palo Alto; (650) 725-5838. Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Fri, 10pm). $5-10. Pig Iron Theatre Company makes its first West Coast visit with this "indie-pop installation" about Joyce's daughter.

comedy

Bazaar Cafe 5927 California; 831-5620. Tues, 8pm: "Doug Ferrari and Friends," stand-up comedy, free.

BrainWash Café 1122 Folsom; 861-3663. Thurs, 8pm: Comedy open mic hosted by Tony Sparks, free.

Java Beach 1396 La Playa; 665-5282. Wed, 8pm: "Doug Ferrari and Friends," stand-up comedy, free.

Java Source 343 Clement; 387-8025. Fri, 10:30pm, and Sat, 10pm: Comedy open mic hosted by Tony Sparks, free.

Last Day Saloon 406 Clement; 387-6343. Thurs, 9pm: "Last Day Comedy Night," hosted by Alex Koll, $6.

Luggage Store Gallery 1007 Market; 255-5971. Tues, 8pm: Comedy workshop with Tony Sparks, $3.

Mock Cafe 1074 Valencia; 826-5750. Fri, 9pm: "No Y Chromosome Comedy Showcase." Sat, 9pm: Stand-up comedy open mic; 10pm: "The Mock All-Star Comedian Showcase." All shows $7.

Palace of Fine Arts Outside lawn, North Point at Baker; www.blueblanketimprov.com. Sun, 1pm: Blue Blanket Improv presents a free workshop and improv show.

'Those Improv Guys' Call or e-mail for location info: (415) 455-5848, jerry@thoseimprovguys.com. Sat, 8pm: "Those Improv Guys" perform, $15.

Uptown 200 Capp; 861-8231. Wed, 8:30pm: "Comedy Open Mic," hosted by Eric Peterson, free.

Bay Area

Cafe Eclectica 1309F Solano, Albany; (510) 964-0571, www.eastbayimprov.com. Sat, 8pm: "East Bay Improv Presents a Night of Improvised Comedy," $5.

Rooster T. Feathers Comedy Club 157 W. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale; (408) 736-0921. Wed, 8pm: "Muy Mucho Funny," stand-up comedy "for Latinos and the Latino Curious," $7.

spoken word

Open mics take place almost every night in cafés throughout the Bay Area. If you want to perform, show up about half an hour before start time to put your name on the list. A day-by-day guide to spoken word events and featured readers:

Wednesday: Unitarian Center 1187 Franklin, S.F.; www.sfsu.edu/~poetry. Alan Bernheimer and Merrill Gilfillan read, 7:30pm, $5. BrainWash Café 1122 Folsom, S.F.; (415) 440-5530. "Spoken Word Salon," with host Diamond Dave Whitaker, 8pm, free. Canvas Cafe 1200 Ninth Ave, S.F.; (415) 504-0060, mike@westcoastvideo.net. "Open Mic Talent Showcase," 7:30pm, free. Savoy Tivoli 1434 Grant, S.F.; 905-8837. "Savoy Tivoli Reading Series," with featured reader Todd Anthony D'Anna, 8pm, free.

Thursday: Coppa D'Oro Cafe 3166 24th St, S.F.; (415) 826-8003. "Poetry on the Patio," spoken word and acoustic music open mic with host Charlie Getter, 6:30pm, free. Mediterranean Cafe 2475 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 549-1128. "Word Beat Reading Series," with featured readers Clara Hsu and Don Brennan, 7pm, free. Oakland Box Theater 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 451-1932, www.oaklandbox.com, www.oaklandpoetry.net. "Oakland Poetry Slam and Verbal Kre-â'shen," open mic and featured readers, plus slam competition, 8pm, $10. Berkeley Public Library Central Community Rm, 2090 Kittredge, Berk; (510) 981-6100. "Poetry Is Not a Luxury," reading with Jewelle Gomez, Forrest Hamer, Sharon Doubiago, and Sjui Kwock Kim, 7pm, free. Morrison Library Doe Library, UC Berkeley, Berk; (510) 642-0137, lunchpoems.berkeley.edu. "Lunch Poems Reading Series," with Robert Thomas, 12:10pm, free. Albany Library Edith Stone Rm, 1247 Marin, Albany; (510) 526-3720. "Albany Library Prose Night," featuring Jan Steckel, plus open mic, 7pm, free.

Saturday: Caffe Sempione 641 Vallejo, S.F.; (415) 362-6317. "Caffe Sempione Reading Series," with featured reader John Clarke, followed by open mic, 7pm, free. Make-Out Room 3225 22nd St, S.F.; (415) 647-2888. "Writers with Drinks," spoken word "variety show" with Julia Query, Sweet Pam, Marilyn Wann, and more, 7pm, $3-5. See 8 Days a Week. Pond 324 14th St, S.F.; (415) 437-9151. Poetry reading with Jeff Clark and Cedar Sigo, 8pm, $2 (no one turned away for lack of funds).

Sunday: Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. John Brandi and David Meltzer read poetry, 7:30pm, $2. Peralta Community Garden Peralta between Hopkins and Gilman, Berk; (510) 231-5912. "In the Balance: Poetry and Jazz," the Word-Music Continuum and the Real Band perform, 2pm, free.

Monday: Priya Restaurant 2072 San Pablo, Berk; berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com. "Poetry Express," open mic hosted by Mark States with featured reader Claudette Sigg, 7pm, free. Canessa Park Gallery 708 Montgomery, S.F.; (415) 788-7142, ext 18. Italian poet Elio Pagliarani reads, 7pm, free (call to RSVP).