Arts And Entertainment

Arts Calendar

Thursday June 19, 2008
MONDAY, JUNE 23 -more-

Frida Kahlo: A Life in Art

By Peter Selz-Special to the Planet
Thursday June 19, 2008
Frida Kahlo’s The Broken Column.
In recent years, thanks to feminism and a renewed interest in Surrealism and in the art of Latin America, Frida Kahlo has moved to the forefront of attention. She has achieved a status unimaginable during her lifetime and we have seen a “Fridamania” cult. -more-

Ed Reed Plays Freight & Salvage

By Ken Bullock, Special to The Plane
Thursday June 19, 2008
Ed Reed, the East Bay’s jazz balladeer, will perform in an unusual matinee at Freight & Salvage this Saturday, from 10 a.m.-noon, that will enable listeners to either catch him live on stage—or on West Coast Live, which will broadcast the show live on KALW (91.7) locally, on many national public broadcasting affiliates, or streamed over the web at KALW.org. -more-

The Noodle Factory: A Place for Artists in West Oakland

By Ken Bullock, Special to The Planet
Thursday June 19, 2008
Oakland, which saw its only remaining resident theater company, TheatreFirst, compelled to leave its Old Town storefront stage a year ago, last week witnessed introductory tours led by the Northern California Land Trust for a dual-purpose project, live-work studios and performing arts venue. -more-

Moving Pictures: Tracing Family Ties to the Slave Trade

By Justin DeFreitas
Thursday June 19, 2008
Four descendents of Rhode Island’s DeWolf family, proprieters of the most successful slave trading operation in history, visit Ghana, the source of their family’s dubious dynasty, in Katrina Browne’s documentary Traces of the Trade.
Growing up in Bristol, Rhode Island, Katrina Browne was steeped in the traditions and lore of her family, the DeWolfs. The DeWolf family was an integral part of the town’s identity, somewhere between founding fathers and royalty. The stained-glass windows in the family church were paid for by her ancestors and bore their names; the town’s signature mansion, now a museum, was built by a DeWolf and the home remained in the family until the late 1980s. -more-

Moving Pictures: Joan Blondell at PFA

By Justin DeFreitas
Thursday June 19, 2008
Joan Blondell
It’s hard to believe, but Joan Blondell never had a starring role. Hard to believe not only because it seems like a gross oversight, but also because she so often provided her films with their most memorable character. -more-

Moving Pictures: Dissipation and Despair in Louis Malle's 'The Fire Within'

By Justin DeFreitas
Thursday June 19, 2008
July 23: the date looms. It is written on the mirror of Alain Leroy's disheveled room. He has chosen his day, he has chosen his method, and he has decided what he must do in the meantime. It is perhaps the first time he has set a goal for himself, the first time he has followed through on a plan. -more-