KORNBLUTH’S BRAIN Performer, writer and multimedia creator Josh Kornbluth is also a fellow for the Global Brain Health Institute. His latest play, Citizen Brain, staged by Shotgun Players and directed by Casey Stangl, emerges from his study of brain disease, raising the question of whether our society is suffering from political dementia. Kornbluth thinks there just might be a cure found in the brain’s empathy circuit. In his signature storytelling style, Kornbluth, a self-professed science flunky, attempts to spark a science-backed empathy revolution. Open your brain and get ready for a captivating and timely story. Live-streamed shows run from Oct. 16-Nov. 8 at various times with post-show speakers. $8-$40.
STYLISH SENIORS Watch out, East Bay! Here come Chinatown’s most stylish seniors. Writer Valerie Lee and photographer Andria Lo’s latest book, Chinatown Pretty, features gorgeous portraits and riveting stories from seniors across six Chinatowns in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City and Vancouver. The book is a continuation of a blog and Instagram project that the duo has been managing since 2014. A Chinatown Pretty book talk is being hosted by Eastwind Books of Berkeley in partnership with the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and moderated by Oakland native Janie Chen. Witness the fabulous lives of chic seniors across West Coast Chinatowns. Oct. 17. 1 p.m. PST. Free. Broadcast on Zoom and YouTube Live.
LIVE MAGIC If you and your kids have been missing the wild wonders of live magic during the pandemic, you might get your fix at the San Francisco Magic Studio show. During the hour-long Zoom program, magician and juggler Frisco Fred will dazzle your sights and transfix your minds. You’ll be treated to classical magic, juggling, escape artistry, stunts, mentalism, mind reading — and maybe even a pirate. Frisco Fred will also welcome two or three of the Bay Area’s best entertainers to join him on the show. You can even make it a group event as each ticket you buy gets you two house tickets, meaning you can invite two friends from anywhere in the world to enjoy the show with you. Grab some candy, popcorn, and drinks and enter the world of magical possibility. Every Sunday. Next up on Oct. 18. 7-8 p.m. $45.
WE HAVE TEETH TOO What does it mean to be human? We Have Teeth Too, a contemporary art show hosted by the Berkeley Art Center, comments on identity and privilege by touching on human rights violations across North America, especially against women and BIPOC. Works by artists Natalie Ball, Jordan Ann Craig, Emma Robbins, and Amanda Roy will inspire a powerful call to action. Curator Natani Notah writes, “We Have Teeth Too reminds everyone that BIPOC are fully human, and despite both past and present circumstances, we possess the right to smile when we are victorious and bite back when our future depends on it.” See the show, be inspired, take action. Show runs Oct. 10-Dec. 19. Admission is free. Make a reservation to visit the gallery.
PRINT FAIR A beautiful print can make anyone’s day. The IFPDA Fine Art Print Fair is the world’s largest international printmaking fair that features works from the 15th century to today. This year, we have one of Berkeley’s own participating in the fair: Paulson Fontaine Press. In its digital fair booth, you can see both stoic and playful pieces. In Thornton Dial’s 1990 print, a cartoonish woman is being carried away on the back of a tiger with undulating legs. In contrast, Essie Bendolph Pettway’s “Equal Justice” forms a geometrical matrix of purple, blue, and white stripes. Peruse some prints and support your community. IFPDA Print Fair. Oct. 7-Nov. 1.
