HENRY IV PART 1 AT JOHN HINKEL PARK Berkeley’s beautiful amphitheater at John Hinkel Park plays host to The Free Theater for four weekends, starting on Sat., July 11. The company is putting on a spartan, feisty production of Shakespeare’s play Henry IV Part 1. Just like when Shotgun mounted productions at the open-air amphitheater, it will be “pass the hat” after the show with sausages on the grill. Music will be played, swords will be clashed, and impassioned text will take hold of the space. The fledgling company is mentored by Shotgun Players as part of its Make a Difference program. Henry IV Part 1 runs through Sunday Aug. 2. Watch a video about the production, and get full details, on The Free Theater’s website.
PYRAMID SUMMER MOVIE SERIES Sunday July 12 will see the first of three movie showings at Pyramid Alehouse to benefit Berkeley Humane. Pyramid Alehouse will be playing Jumanji at 6 p.m., with food, popcorn and drinks available for purchase. The event is BYOF (“Bring Your Own Furniture”) so grab blankets, lawn chairs or other furniture to get comfortable. Jumanji is a family-friendly movie about a fantasy board game that comes to life. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. at Pyramid Alehouse, located at 901 Gilman St. General admission is $5, kids six and under are free. Visit the event’s Facebook page for details.
LAVA THOMAS OPENING RECEPTION Catch the opening reception of West Coast artist Lava Thomas’ site-specific installation “Looking Back and Seeing Now.” Thomas transforms a gallery in the Berkeley Art Center into a “unique site of reflection” with rotating mirrors and a centerpiece of over 100 tambourines suspended from the ceiling and affixed with eyes. The Berkeley Art Center is at 1275 Walnut St. The reception runs from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday with free admission.
WOMEN’S POETRY POTLUCK READING On Sunday, July 12, the Bay Area Writing Project presents a reading by poets of the Women’s Poetry Potluck and Salon as part of the reading series Writing Teachers Write. The reading will feature poets Carol Dorf, Lucille Lang Day, Grace Marie Grafton and more. The event will take place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Expressions Gallery, which is located at 2035 Ashby Ave.
LINDY LAFONTAINE & ALEX JIMENEZ Listen to Lindy LaFontaine and Alex Jimenez at The Monkey House on Saturday. They will play solo sets on guitar and keyboard and then join in harmony for the end of the performance.LaFontaine is a Berkeley-based singer, andJimenez sings and plays a blend of pop and blues on the guitar. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Admission with a sliding scale donation $10-20. Reserve tickets by emailing reservations@themonkeyhouse.org or visiting www.monkeyhousetheater.com. The Monkey House is located at 1638 University Ave.
Don’t miss these other events featured on Berkeleyside:
The singing oncologist: Natalie Marshall in Berkeley
‘Cartel Land’ explores world of drug cartels, vigilantes
For more events in and around Berkeley, check out Berkeleyside’s Events Calendar. And submit your own events there — the calendar is free and self-serve.
-By Francesca Paris
