"Bygone Berkeley: Exploring History" (12/12)

Liam O'Donoghue (KPFA.org); Dhr. Seven, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The sign says "Berkeley" but when here, we are in the Republic of Berzerkeley. Love it.

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Join KPFA FM (Berkeley's Pacifica Free Speech Radio station) at The Shotgun Players Playhouse in Berkeley on Tuesday, Dec. 12th at 7:00 pm.

Liam O’Donoghue brings his unique and engaging take on the past to the stage, when he presents "Bygone Berkeley: Exploring History."

This live and in-person performance is certain to delight not only fans of East Bay Yesterday, but history buffs of all stripes. It's a sweeping collection of characters and topics.

Town vs. Gown: The campus is NOT the city.

It ranges from Dorothea Lange and Byron Rumford to the Berkeley Pier and Telegraph Avenue.

Berkeley has long prided itself as a hub of American creativity and culture. But how did this relatively small city earn its globally recognized reputation as a center of influential experimentation?

Who are the people and events that imbued Berkeley with such symbolic power?

Since 2016, Liam O’Donoghue has been exploring these types of questions through his KPFA program "East Bay Yesterday."

• WHEN: Dec. 12, 2023 @ 7:00 pm
• WHERE: Shotgun Players at the Ashby Stage
• 1901 Ashby Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94703

Berkeley In the Sixties (Mark Mitchell)

From the founding of the University of California at Berkeley (Cal Berkeley) to the formation of Tilden Park, O’Donoghue has sought to make the most exciting and interesting chapters of local history relevant to contemporary listeners, to use the past as a lens for understanding the current landscape of the Bay Area.

"Bygone Berkeley" is a survey of these observations — a collection of some of the proudest achievements and most shameful chapters assembled as a narrative that attempts to make sense of Berkeley’s chaotic (anti-war, anti-government) history.

This special presentation is hosted by KPFA and The Shotgun Players and will bring tales of these communities to life with humor, pathos, and charm.

ABOUT: Liam O’Donoghue is the host and producer of the KPFA radio show (and podcast) "East Bay Yesterday" and co-creator of the Long Lost Oakland map.

His journalism has appeared in outlets such as SF Gate, Berkeleyside, Oaklandside, Mother Jones, Salon, East Bay Express, The Kitchen Sisters, and the syndicated NPR program Snap Judgement.

Where else do we hear Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz?

In 2018, he was honored by the East Bay Express as “the best journalist-turned-historian” and presented with a “Partners in Preservation Award” from the Oakland Heritage Alliance.

O’Donoghue has given many presentations on local history at libraries, schools and bookstores, and throughout the Bay Area, as well as at institutions such as The California Historical Society, Oakland Museum of California, and Berkeley City Club.

DETAILS:

• Liam O’Donoghue presents "Bygone Berkeley"
• Date: Tuesday, Dec. 12th at 7:00 pm
• Location: Shotgun Players at the Ashby Stage
• 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley, CA 94703
• Get tickets here
• (Choose "Bygone Berkeley" when donating to KPFA)