With a tactile, immersive exhibit, improv performances, the screening of a film about artists and gentrification, a library branch milestone and an outdoor salsa dancing event, there is something for everyone in this week’s roundup. 

Have an event you’d like to see included here? We do our best to stay on top of what’s happening in our community, but we love a tip. Send us a note at azucena@oaklandside.org. You can also use the self-submission form on our events page to add it to our calendar for free.

Hot Ticket in The Town this week: Shaun Landry and Hans Summers improv nights

The Pan Theater has been teaching improv in Oakland since 2002. This weekend, the theater welcomes Shaun Landry and Hans Summers for two performances. The duo has been performing together since 1986 and founded the Oui Be Negroes, a predominantly Black improv and sketch comedy ensemble. Landry has performed with Woody Harrelson,  Danny Glover and the late Robin Williams, and co-starred with Sean Penn in the biopic “Milk.” She will  offer her award-winning workshop, The Art of the Improvised Monologue, at the theater on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 18 and Saturday, Sept. 19, 8 p.m., $20 cash at the door, 120 Frank Ogawa Plaza

‘Stereo Dynamic’ exhibit at Creative Growth

The newest exhibit by the artists of Creative Growth celebrates work inspired by the world of music, and includes a special exhibition tour designed for low-vision and blind artgoers. The work includes handcrafted instruments, hand-painted vinyl records, and an intricately embroidered portrait series featuring Gladys Knight and the Pips. The exhibit also features a rotation of artist-curated playlists.
Opening Friday, Sept. 18, 5 to 8 p.m., free, Creative Growth, 355 24th St.

Rockridge Branch 30th Anniversary Party

This branch of the Oakland Public Library first opened its doors in 1919 at the corner of College and Miles avenues. It moved to Birch Court in 1987 and finally to its current location in 1996. To celebrate this milestone, the volunteer organization Friends of the Rockridge Library is hosting a party to celebrate the occasion. There will be cake, supplies for attendees to design a tote bag, a bouncy house for kids, historical photos, and remarks by Mitchell Schwarzer, author of the book “Hella Town: Oakland’s History of Development and Disruption.”
Saturday, Sept. 19, 12 to 2 p.m., free, 5366 College Ave.

Oakland Ballet dancer Jazmine Quezada as Luna “Luna Mexicana.” Credit: courtesy of John Hefti

Screening of ‘Alice Street’ at OMCA

This weekend, the museum’s Spotlight Sundays series offers a screening of the 2021 documentary “Alice Street.” The film by Spencer Wilkinson explores the saga of a mural at the corner of 14th and Alice streets that was obscured in 2016 when an apartment tower was built, ultimately exploring how artists and residents grapple with gentrification in their neighborhoods. The screening, hosted by Oakland Chinatown organizer Lailan Sandra Huen, includes Chinese subtitles. Oakland arts organizations featured in the film, associated with the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, will open and close the program, with a drum offering by Bantaba Drum Call to call in ancestors and a performance by Dimensions Dance Theater.
Sunday, Sept. 20, 1 to 3 p.m., $10, OMCA, 1000 Oak St. 

Montclair Village’s Picnic on the Plaza presents: Salsa & Sangria

Picnic on the Plaza is a new series designed to bring people out in the Montclair Village neighborhood. This weekend, DJ Dímelo will be behind the turntables for an afternoon of salsa dancing. Don’t worry if you’re not a salsa dancer pro; there will be beginner-friendly lessons courtesy of the Oakland Salsa Club. Or just grab drinks and food from the many restaurants nearby and eat at one of the community tables set up throughout the plaza.
Sunday, Sept. 20, 12 to 4 p.m., free, Village Plaza at Antioch Court, 2066 Antioch Ct. 

Coming soon to The Town: ‘Luna Mexicana’

The Oakland Ballet’s “Luna Mexicana,” which tells the story of a girl named Luna who is visited by her ancestors while she is setting up her Day of the Dead altar, celebrates its 10th anniversary with two presentations, and a collaboration with Esteban Hernández, principal dancer at San Francisco Ballet. Attendees can buy separate tickets for an encore celebration after the Saturday performance on the Paramount’s mezzanine, featuring food and a conversation with the ballet’s artistic director, Graham Lustig. Tickets for the celebration support the ballet’s educational programs.
Friday, Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 1, 2:30 p.m., $35.55+, Paramount Theatre, 2055 Broadway

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