ART

 

Lamorinda Arts Alliance is proud to announce a new show at the Piedmont Center for the Arts, “Art to Soothe the Soul,” running through June 11. Join the artists of the Lamorinda Arts Alliance for this soulful exhibition and help yourself feel good. For more information and directions, visit the Alliance’s website at www.laa4art.org.

 

The Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery is pleased to present the exhibition Misch Kohn and Betty Friedman: A Legacy in Printmaking from June 2 through July 2. The artists’ reception takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. on June 2. The Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery is located at 3620 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette. www.jenniferperlmuttergallery.com

 

Moraga Art Gallery announces its new show opening June 7 and running through Aug. 12. The show’s title, Experiments and Explorations, suggests adventurous efforts by artists who take risks and follow less-traveled creative roads. The public is invited to a free opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 10. Come to meet the artists and enjoy light snacks, a glass of wine, and live music. For more information, go to www.moragaartgallery.com, or call (925) 376-5407.

 

DRAMA

 

Town Hall Theatre presents “An Ideal Husband” by Oscar Wilde June 1-24 on stage at 3535 School St. in Lafayette. Enjoy one of Oscar Wilde’s most beloved and funniest plays. Tickets and show times available at townhalltheatre.com or at the box office. See story page B1.

 

“As You Like It” by William Shakespeare presented by Cal Shakes and directed by Desdemona Chiang runs through June 18 at the Bruns Amphitheater located at 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way in Orinda. Tickets and show times at /www.calshakes.org; or by calling the box office at (510) 548-9666; boxoffice@calshakes.org.

 

Orinda Starlight Village Players present Agatha Christie’s “The Unexpected Guest” from June 2 -July 1 at the outdoor theater in Orinda Community Center Park, 28 Orinda Way. Showtimes and general admission tickets are $20 and are available at the Box Office, call (925) 528-9225 or email info@orsvp.org for reservations. Be aware that this is an outdoor theatre and dress appropriately/bring blankets.

 

MUSIC

 

Don’t miss “Music Down In My Soul” at 7:30 p.m. on June 3 at the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, Lafayette. This 30th Anniversary Concert will feature numerous favorites drawn from the 1,500-plus compositions presented in past seasons — classics, folk songs, jazz, popular, show music and patriotic songs, spirituals, gospel — and the adult and youth singers are on board to celebrate. Ticket Info: $10 student, $20 senior, $25 general. Tickets can be purchased through the church’s website at www.cantareconvivo.org/upcoming-events or through its office at (510) 836-0789.

 

Come hear the Dave Rocha Jazz Trio in concert at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 3 in the Orinda Library Auditorium. Help kick off the library’s Summer Reading Program with a “hot” jazz concert. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Orinda Library.

 

Lafayette Partners in Education’s second annual Party in the Park.  from 3-6 p.m. on Sunday, June 4 at Plaza Park. Music by local bands and singers, activities, games and more.  Admission is free.  Bring a picnic lunch or buy from one of the local eateries.

 

WomenSing presents “Water Is Life” from 8 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, June 7 at Church of Santa Maria, 40 Santa Maria Way, Orinda. WomenSing’s Spring 2017 concert celebrates the life-giving flow of water in our lives, featuring music from Mendelssohn through Paul Simon. Cost: $28 general admission; $10 for students. For more info see www.womensing.org/concerts/current-season or call (925) 798-4875 or email info@womensing.org.

 

Diablo Choral Artists presents a choral journey of Summer Travels, featuring works by Mendelssohn, Elgar, Rossini and Copland. Includes Rossini’s Il Carnevale de Venezia, Mandelssohn’s Sechs Lieder, Op. 48, Elgar’s From the Bavarian Highlands, and more at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 9 at Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church, 55 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 11 at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 1601 Mary Drive, Pleasant Hill. Details and ticket purchase on website: www.dcachorus.org, (925) 680-7089, info@dcachorus.org.

 

It’s free concerts in the parks season! Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda will all offer a full slate of free summer music at local parks. It kicks off at 6:30 p.m. June 2 in Lafayette with San Francisco Airship. For a full list of free concerts in Lamorinda, see story on page B8.

KIDS, PARENTS & TEENS

 

Face Painting with Buki the Clown at noon on Saturday, June 3 at the Orinda Library. Orinda Library welcomes Buki the Clown who will paint your face to kick off the  Summer Reading Program at the Library. Have a snack while you’re there!

 

OTHER

 

ESL Conversation Circle at 1 p.m. every Thursday at the Orinda Library. Practice speaking and listening to English in a casual group guided by trained ESL instructors. No registration required and free of charge.

 

John Muir Land Trust presents an official property dedication and public opening of the newly expanded, 1,185-acre Fernandez Ranch near Hercules. Take a guided tour and explore miles of new multi-use trails from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 2. Kids will be delighted by a variety of bugs, birds, beetles and animal tracks. This remarkably intact natural habitat is a paradise for hikers, dog walkers, bird watchers, and nature lovers of all ages.

 

Summer is just cooler with cats! Community Concern for Cats invites you to meet our laid-back big cats and our fur balls of kitten fun at this weekend’s adoption event from 1 to 4 p.m.  Saturday and Sunday, June 3 and 4 at Pet Food Express in Lafayette and Pleasant Hill, and Petco in Walnut Creek. For more information, see www.communityconcernforcats.org.

 

Saint Mary’s College of California, MFA in Dance Program, presents the first ever Process Dance Festival. MFA Students of the Class of 2017 (Cohort 2) will present their graduate thesis concert-length works in the program’s first-ever dance festival, to be held on the Saint Mary’s campus from noon to 8 p.m on June 17 and 18. Ticket and pricing information atwww.stmarys-ca.edu/process-dance-festival.

 

Alta Bates Summit Comprehensive Cancer Services invites you to their annual Cancer Survivorship Symposium, “A Celebration of Life – Finding Strength Together” from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on June 21 at Samuel Merritt University in the Bechtel Hall, 400 Hawthorne Ave, Oakland. Join Alta Bates staff for an evening of inspirational speakers who will discuss the impact of the cancer experience on families. This is a free, event open to all members of the community.

 

Naturalist and Wildlife expert, James “Doc” Hale will discuss the local Pleistocene Megafauna, their extirpation, and the evolution of the East Bay Area wildlife landscape from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, June 24 at the Lafayette Community Garden, 3932 Mt Diablo Blvd. The classes are free. However, a $5 donation is appreciated.

 

Diablo Ballet presents their second annual PAWS de Tutu dog festival from 9 a.m. to noon on June 24 at the Lafayette Reservoir. The dog costume competition and parade, benefiting Diablo Ballet’s PEEK Outreach programs, will feature costume and trick competitions, K-9 demos, dog adoptions, vendors, snacks and fun. Anyone interested in attending should register online at www.diabloballet.org as participation is limited. Admission is only $5 per person. To enter any or all of the competitions: $20 for adults and $10 for youth (17 and under), which includes the admission fee.

 

SENIORS

 

The Aging Brain: Myths & Facts at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 7 in the Orinda Library Auditorium. Orinda Library welcomes Dr. Patrick Arbore, Founder and Director of the Center for Elderly Suicide Prevention and Grief Related Services (CESP), a program of Institute on Aging in San Francisco. Bringing over 40 years professional experience in the field of aging, he will dispel the myths and share the facts about the aging brain.