Coming Up

TWO NEW SHORT STORIES BY GREG SARRIS The Word for Word Theater Company presents performances of author, screenwriter and playwright Greg Sarris' original works "Ancestor", and "When Tom Smith Caused the 1906 Earthquake" followed by an interview with Sarris.  In "When Tom Smith Caused the 1906 Earthquake," Sarris tells the story of two rival medicine men battling each other to see who is more powerful, one eventually causing an earthquake in his efforts to win. "Ancestor" follows 15-year-old R.D. after the death of his grandmother in his quest to find guidance from his ancestors. Both short stories reflect the importance of Native American influence on his life and the modern world. 2 p.m., Saturday, May 3. Warren Auditorium, Ives Hall. Admission free.  4-2382.

SHAKESPEARE'S ITALY: ROMEO AND JULIET IN CONTEXT A pre-show talk by William Babula, professor of English and Dean, School of Arts and Humanities, focuses on Romeo and Juliet but also takes listeners through the various plays set in Italy and explores the artistic and political reasons why Shakespeare chose a country he probably never visited as the setting for plays as diverse as Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. 1 p.m., Saturday, May 3. Evert B. Person Theatre. Matinee performance of Romeo and Juliet follows at 2 p.m.

CELEBRATING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BERLIN AIRLIFT Members of the top classical youth orchestra in Germany, the German National Youth Orchestra (Junge Deutsche Philharmonie) will present a special concert to commemorate and celebrate the 60th anniversary of the famous Berlin Airlift. The concert program features: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, String Quartett in B Major "Jagdquartett"; Kurt Weil, from String Quartett b Minor, "4. Durchweg lustig und nicht zu schnell"; Charles Argersinger, Quintett for Trumpet and String Quartett; Johannes Brahms, String Quartett in B Major. 8 p.m., Monday, May 5. Warren Auditorium, Ives Hall. Also on Monday, May 5, Karsten Tietz, German Consul for Cultural Affairs, will also offer a film screening and discussion on the Berlin Airlift at 10 a.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Student Union and at 1 p.m. in the Cooperage. (707) 664-2637.

THE WORLD WITHOUT US: AN EVENING WITH ALAN WEISMAN - In a lecture discussing the premise of his best selling work of the same title, "The World Without Us", Alan Weisman offers an original approach to questions of humanity's impact on the planet: he asks the audience to envision Earth, without humans. "The World Without Us" reached #6 on the New York Times Best sellers list and #1 for Time and Entertainment Weekly Magazines. The book and lecture reveal how, just days after humans disappear, floods in New York's subways would start eroding the city's foundations, and how, as the world's cities crumble, asphalt jungles give way to real ones. It describes the distinct ways that organic and chemically-treated farms would revert to wild, how billions more birds would flourish, and how even cockroaches in unheated cities would perish without people. 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 7. Cooperage. Free to SSU Students, Staff, and Faculty, $10 for Lifelong Learning Students, and $15 general admission. (707) 664-2382.

AN AMERICAN CHORAL LANDSCAPE The Sonoma County Choral Society presents "An American Choral Landscape." The SSU Chorus, directed by Jenny Bent, offers an eclectic concert of American choral music by such composers as Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland and Moses Hogan. General Admission $12; SSU faculty, alumni, and staff $10; students/seniors $8. 8 p.m., Friday, May 9; 8 p.m., Saturday, May 10. Holy Family Episcopal Church, 1500 E Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park. 4-2353 (M-F, 12-5).

THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AS PROTOTYPE Richard Hovannisian, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, presents a lecture on the Armenian Genocide. "The Armenian Genocide is in many respects the prototype of premeditated mass killing and ethnic cleansing from the early part of the twentieth century to the present," says Hovannisian. He has published 15 books and articles on the subject of Armenia and the Armenian genocide and has received many honors for his scholarship, civic activities and advancement of Armenian Studies. 25th annual Holocaust Lecture Series. 4 p.m., Tuesday, May 6. Warren Auditorium, 4-4296.

MASAMI TERAOKA CONVERSATION AND BOOKSIGNING Teraoka, an artist originally from Japan whose work pays homage to, and critiques, the traditions of both Japanese and European art, will not only discuss the works in his book, Ascending Chaos, but will discuss how his work evolved from Ukiyo-e narrative, providing both a social and personal context, and will discuss what inspired him to arrive at the imagery in his current work. Q&A period follows, along with a light reception. 2 p.m., Saturday, May 10. University Commons. 4-2295.