Cal Performances' biennial Berkeley Edge Fest is dedicated to presenting works of contemporary music and performance. Starting this Thursday (June 7) and running through Sunday June 10 at Zellerbach Hall, the Edge Fest seems to be pushing an anti-Bush theme this year. Oh, they're just giving the people of Berkeley exactly what they want to hear!

This year, the Edge Fest is featuring a musical theater piece by Paul Dresher called The Tyrant, based on a short story by Italo Calvino, about a king that clings to power for fear of losing his throne. They are also featuring performances and conversation with anti-war composer and pianist Frederic Rzewski, whose most famous work is entitled "The People United Will Never Be Defeated." Rzewski will also be performing the new pieces he's written in opposition to the Iraq war (one of which is entitled "Bring 'Em Home," and another of which is entitled, "The Fall of the Empire Part 6: Sacrifices." This program actually sounds like a lot of fun!

Here's the schedule (and video clips are here):
Thurs. June 7: The Tyrant, 8 p.m., $36. Zellerbach layhouse.
Fri. June 8: Piano pieces by Rzewski, 8 p.m., $32. Hertz Hall.
Sat. June 9: The Tyrant, 8 p.m., $36. Zellerbach Playhouse.
Sun. June 10: The Rzewski anti-war pieces, 3 p.m., $32. Hertz Hall.

Picture of The Tyrant.