Calendar

Benefits

"Twelfth Night," a formal dinner-dance and masquerade ball, 7:30 p.m. Sat., Jan. 6, at historic Redwood City Courthouse, 777 Hamilton St., Redwood City. Evelyn Cisneros and Steven Legate, former stars of the San Francisco Ballet, will be guests of honor at this benefit for Western Ballet. Tickets: $225 a couple or $125 single. Call 854-5537.

On Stage

"One Way Ticket," a play about modern Chinese immigrants, performed in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sat., Jan. 6, and 2:30 p.m. Sun., Jan. 7, Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St. Tickets: $15 adults, $12.50 seniors, students, children. Call 903-6000.

Music

Jewish Mizrachi songs performed by MIRA at La Dolce Vita Cafe, 229 California Ave. at Birch, Palo Alto, 7:30 p.m. Sat., Jan. 6. Call 323-0478.

"Princes and Harems." Leonid Grin and the San Jose Symphony play Borodin, Prokofiev, and Rimsky-Korsakofv's "Scheherazade," 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Jan. 5-6. Tickets: $17-47. Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd., San Jose. Also, 8 p.m. Sun., Jan. 7, Flint Center at De Anza College, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino. Call (408) 288-2828.

Schola Cantorum auditions by appointment only noon-4 p.m. Sat., Jan. 6. Places available for singers of all vocal ranges and cultural traditions, 18 years and up; ability to sight-read or self-teach a plus. Call 254-1700 to make an appointment.

Dia de los Reyes Concert Cycle by Instituto Pro Musica de California comes to St. Patrick's Seminary, 320 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, at 8 p.m. Fri., Jan. 12. Tickets: $15 general; $12 seniors and students; children 16 and under free. For information and to charge by phone, call (415) 431-4234.

"Bach or not?" addressed by organist Annette Richards of Cornell University during a chamber concert on the Fisk organ at Pony Tracks Ranch, Portola Valley, 4 p.m. Sun., Jan. 14. Sponsored by California Bach Society. Tickets, $40, must be reserved in advance, and include wine and hors d'oeuvres. Call 299-8616.

Khalil Shaheed and the Oaktown Jazz Ensemble in family concert sponsored by SGI and the Community School of Music and Arts. 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. Sun., Jan. 14, Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St. Free, limited seating on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit www.arts4all.org or call 903-6000.

Helene Wickett, pianist, plays at 4 p.m. Tues., Jan. 16, in Hanson Hall, The Sequoias, 501 Portola Valley Road. Free. Call 851-1501.

Families & Kids

"Alternative Medicine for the Family" discussed by Dr. Iforma Ikensia, M.D. and homeopath, offers ideas for improving family health with natural methods. PTA meeting, 7 p.m. Weds., Jan. 10, Woodside Elementary School, 3195 Woodside Road. Free and open to the public. Call 851-1571 x291.

Dr. Marsha Rosenbaum on "Safety First: a Reality-based Approach to Teens and Drugs," 7:30 p.m. Tues., Jan. 9, in Bldg. J, Menlo-Atherton High School, 555 Middlefield Road. Free. Call 369-1411 x2317.

"Green Gables" auditions. Peninsula Youth Theatre invites youths ages 8-14 to audition for the musical "Anne of Green Gables," 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. Sat., Jan. 6, or 2 or 6 p.m. Sun., Jan. 7, at PYT's rehearsal studios, 2500 Old Middlefield Way, Mountain View. Prepare a short prose monologue and a song; come dressed to dance. No experience necessary; all who audition will be cast. Registration fee: $115. Performances will be Feb. 23-Mar. 4, at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. Visit www.pytnet.org or call 988-8798.

"Animal Tales for Toddlers," favorite animal stories of staff and instructors, some with animal visits, 2:30 p.m. Tues., Jan. 9-Fri., Jan. 19. Museum hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.; closed Mon. Admission: $1-$3, or free during book drive with donation of a new or used children's book. Coyote Point Museum, 1651 Coyote Point Dr., San Mateo, just off 101. Call 342-7755.

Holiday hours at the Exploratorium. Hours: open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Weds. to 9 p.m. The museum will be open Mon., Jan. 15, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Adult admission $5-$9; children $2.50-$5. The Exploratorium, inside the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco's Marina District, 3601 Lyon St. Call (415)EXP-LORE.

Storytimes at Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St. 10:15 a.m. Weds. for toddlers, 2-3 years; 11:15 a.m. Weds. for babies up to 23 months; Pajama Storytime 7 p.m. Weds. for all ages; 11:15 a.m. Thurs. for preschoolers, 3-5 years. Free. Call 858-3464.

The Outlet program at the YWCA of the Mid-Peninsula, 4161 Alma St., Palo Alto, provides a support group and other services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth 13-18. Meets every Mon., 7-9 p.m. at the Y. Call 494-0972 x301.

Seniors

Write your life class to help seniors write about their lives, record family stories, and share insights from their experiences; meets weekly on Thursday mornings at Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St. Free, call instructor Sheila Dunec at 324-9937 to sign up. First meeting is 10 a.m.-noon Thurs., Jan. 11.

Challenge Camp for seniors, sponsored by Fifty Plus Fitness, runs Sat., Jan. 6-Sat., Feb. 17, at Stanford University. Choice of three sessions, all 8:30-9:30 a.m.: Mon., Weds., Sat.; or Tues., Thurs., Sat.; or Sat. only. Call 323-6160 for fees, and to register.

"Organizing tips for the New Year" presented by Jane Clarkson and Ginger Franey, both of Palo Alto's Out of Chaos and members of the National Association of Professional Organizers, 11:15-11:45 a.m. Weds., Jan. 10, during weekly Senior Friendship Day, free at Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. La Comida provides $1.75 hot lunch for seniors who sign up by 10:30 a.m. Call 856-7750.

Computer classes at Little House include Mac, PC, Windows, Word, Works, Excel, Internet, and more advanced classes. Registration Weds., Jan. 3; classes run on various weekdays, Mon., Jan. 8-Fri., Mar. 16, at Little House, 800 Middle Ave., Menlo Park. Call 326-2025 for class schedules, fees.

Sing with the Silverstrands, line dance, make jewelry or discuss current events with ongoing classes at Little House, 800 Middle Ave., Menlo Park. Call 326-2025 for class list, schedules, and fees.

Notary public may be consulted, by appointment, 1-4 p.m. any Weds.-Fri., at Little House, 800 Middle Ave., Menlo Park. Call 326-2025.

Tai Chi class for older adults at Veterans Memorial Senior Center Annex, Sequoia Room, 1455 Madison Ave., Redwood City. Standing massage included. Cost: $37 for a consecutive 7-week series, or $7/session drop-in. Call (408) 295-9439 with questions.

Books & Authors

Waverley Writers open reading 7:30-10 p.m. Fri., Jan. 5. Sign up before reading. Listeners and newcomers always welcome. Free at Friends Meeting House, 957 Colorado, Palo Alto. Call 424-9877.

Menlo Park Library Saturday Showcase presents "The Promise of Sleep" with William Dement, M.D., Ph.D., 11 a.m. Sat., Jan. 6. Call 858-3461 for information on this talk about sleep disorders and research. Book Discussion Group reviews "Bee Season" by Myla Goldberg, 7 p.m. Weds., Jan 9. Free at Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St. Call 858-3468.

Artist and author Charlotte Huntley will share slides of her paintings over the last decade, and offer insights from her new book, "Painting a QUEST toward Xtraordinary," co-authored with Judi Betts, at the Menlo Art League meeting, 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Jan. 11, Menlo Recreation Center, 700 Alma St. Free. Call 322-0148.

Writers and readers at Kepler's. Evan Hunter and Ed McBain on their new collaboration, "Candyland," 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Jan. 4: John Dunning on his new mystery set in 1942 radio broadcasting, "Two O'Clock, Eastern Wartime," 7:30 p.m. Fri., Jan. 5: science fiction author Orson Scott Card reads from "Shadow of the Hegemon," 3 p.m. Sun., Jan. 7. Monthly open mike night at Sunday Night Poets, sign-up begins 6:45 p.m. Sun., Jan. 7, readings at 7 p.m. Fiction Book Group meets 7:30 p.m. Mon., Jan. 8, to discuss "Motherless Brooklyn" by Jonathan Lethem. All free. Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Call 324-4321.

Authors at Printers Inc. Open Mike Poetry Reading, 7 p.m. Thurs., Jan. 4. Free at Printers Inc., 310 California Ave., Palo Alto. Call 327-6500.

Classes

"Grant Seeking and Proposal Writing" explained for leaders of community-based organizations and public agencies in a free two-hour seminar, 9-11 a.m. Thurs., Jan. 4. Peninsula Nonprofit Center, 1700 S. El Camino Real, Room 201, San Mateo. Free: reservations not required. Call 358-9392 for information.

Build your own house. Learn about proportions and elements of home design while building a scale model, 10 a.m.-noon Sat., Jan. 6 and 13. Museum of American Heritage, 351 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto. Class for all ages: $15 MOAH members, $25 non-members. Call 321-1004.

UCSC Extension offers free "Seminar for Prospective Instructors" of business and management skills to adults, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Mon., Jan. 8, at 10420 Bubb Road, Cupertino. Resume or bio needed: call (408) 861-3802.

"The Modern Curse of Perfectionism," a one-day workshop led by Don Bisson, FMS, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Weds., Jan. 10, at Assembly Hall, Woodside Priory, 302 Portola Road, Portola Valley. Fee: $40 includes lunch, scholarships available. Mail check by Sat., Jan. 6, to Fran Dempsey, 1300 Westridge Dr., Portola Valley. Call 851-0876.

Life among the Ohlone Indians revealed at two workshops. Theodore W. Bonillas, Rumsien Ohlone, discusses "Ohlone Plant Use" 7-9 p.m. Weds., Jan. 10. Michael Bonillas, Rumsien/Mutson Ohlone, teaches "Fire and Clapper Stick Making," 7-9 p.m. Weds., Jan. 17. Fee for both workshops together, $30. San Mateo County Historical Museum, 777 Hamilton, Redwood City. Call 299-0104.

Woodside Community Recreation classes include Yoga for Everyone, Low Impact Dance Aerobics, Joyflex Bodytoning, and Kindermusik. Call 269-0943 for schedules, fees, and to register.

New Little House classes beginning the first week in January include: Taiji/Qi Gong at 7-8:30 p.m Mon., and 7:30-8:40 p.m. Tues. and Weds.; Intermediate French at 9:30-11:30 a.m. and Advanced French at 1:30-3:30 p.m., both on Weds. Ongoing classes in crafts, fitness, music and dance at Little House, 800 Middle Ave., Menlo Park. Call 326-2025 for fees and other information.

Sequoia YMCA has new classes starting in Jan., including Pilates mat work exercises at varying levels on Weds. and Sat., and Tai Chi Chih on Tues. a.m. 1445 Hudson, Redwood City. Call 368-4168.

Lectures

Outsider Art slide presentation, 2-3 p.m. Sun., Jan. 7, followed by closing reception for "Drawing the Inner Terrain: Self-Taught Artists," 3:30-5 p.m. Fee: $6.50, members $5. Also, Nicholas Kahn of "Kahn/Selesnick: The Royal Excavation Corps, Past/Future" exhibit through Jan. 7, offers an artist-in-residence workshop 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., Jan. 6, on "Concept, Computer, and the Cyanotype Process," for intermediate-advanced masters of Photoshop. Fee $80. Both slide presentation and artist's workshop at Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road. Call 329-2366.

"France's Identity Crisis, Economic and Social Policy in the Age of Globalization," discussed by Prof. Jonah Levy of UC Berkeley, at Room 180, Stanford Law School, Stanford campus. Reception at 7:30 p.m., program at 8 p.m. Tues., Jan. 9. Talk sponsored by World Affairs Council of Northern California, Stanford Center on Conflict and Negotiation, and Neighbors Abroad of Palo Alto. Members $5; non-members $7; students with ID free. Call (415) 293-4600 for reservations.

"Animatronics & Hi-Tech Toys," 7:30 p.m. Weds., Jan. 10, at the Museum of American Heritage, 351 Homer Ave., Palo Alto. Stan and Marianne Hanel discuss why some toys succeeded and others failed. Admission: Free MOAH members, $5 non-members. Accompanying exhibit on "The Mechanics of Dolls" runs through Sun., Jan. 14. Museum hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Fri.-Sun.; museum admission free. Call 321-1004.

Dione Smith, daughter of former patient and a San Carlos teacher, will speak at the Mission Hospice Board of Directors' Annual Meeting, 7 p.m. Tues., Jan. 16. The meeting is free and open to the public, at the Mission Hospice office, 151 W. 20th Ave., San Mateo. Call 554-1000.

Health & Fitness

50 Plus Fitness Association sponsors free monthly "adventures" in our area. Coming up: Sat., Jan. 13, Windy Hill hike meets at 7:45 a.m., intersection of Alpine and Willowbrook Roads. Sun., Jan. 14, meet 8:45 a.m., Alpine Beer Garden on Alpine Road, to either bike or walk/run the Arastradero Preserve. Call 323-6160 for details.

Fitness discussion group addresses "Successful Aging," 7 p.m. Thurs., Jan. 12, at YMCA, 755 Page Mill Road, Bldg. B, Palo Alto. Free, sponsored by 50-Plus Fitness Association. Call 323-6160.

Open space hikes. Parents bring babies under 12 months for an easy "Farm Babies" walk at Deer Hollow Farm, 1-3:30 p.m. Weds., Jan. 3. Children are also welcome at an easy "Earthquake Walk," starting at Los Trancos Open Space Preserve on the right side of Page Mill Road, 7 miles west of I-280., 2 p.m. Sun., Jan. 7. Walks are free. Wear appropriate shoes and hat; bring water, a snack, sun protection and insect repellent. Visit www.openspace.org or call 691-1200.

Gardens

"Crazy About Orchids!" Peninsula Orchid Society's show and sale, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun., Jan. 6-7, Community Activities Building, 1400 Roosevelt Ave. at Valota Road, Redwood City. Admission: $5 general; $3 seniors, disabled and children 12-18. Visit www.geocities.com/~orchidsoc or call 365-1765.

Mushroom walks on the grounds of the Filoli estate, 86 Canada Road, Woodside, 10 a.m. Sat., Jan. 6, Jan. 27 and Feb. 3. Tickets: $10 for adults; not suitable for children. Call 364-8300 x508.

Rose pruning and care taught by Carole Kraft, 10:30 a.m.-noon Sat., Jan. 6, at Common Ground Organic Garden Supply and Education Center, 2225 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. Stop by or mail in class fee of $15 to register. Call 328-6752 for more information.

Creating water gardens, including slide presentation on water lilies and aquatic plants, presented by Bill Uber, president of Van Ness Water Gardens of Upland, Calif., 7:30 p.m. Weds., Jan. 10. Western Horticultural Society meeting, Loyola School, 770 Berry Ave., Los Altos, near Berry and Springer. Visitors are welcome; no charge. Call 327-9522.