Welcome to Heist! -- the fully improvised high-stakes crime show about a plot to steal something of great value, in which a crew will be assembled, plans made, and mighty risks undertaken. Complications will arise. Relationships may be tested. And who are these people anyway? Who does this when it’s so much easier to just get a job?

Don’t miss this thrilling evening of live comedy and zany dramatic wit! Live, improvised music provided by Winn Meyerson and guest.

Tickets are $20 GA, $15 for OCA members. OCA is wheelchair accessible. Fine refreshments for sale, gallery open during intermission. Doors open at 6:30 PM.

Pre-sales have ended - tickets will be available at the door.

"Words + Music": A Unique Blend of Folk Music Brilliance

Some might call it a song circle, but when Laurie Lewis, Don Henry, Claudia Russell, and Nina Gerber share the stage, it becomes much more than that. These four exceptionally talented folk musicians create a pop-up band experience that is nothing short of magical. They're back for their fifth annual OCA performance that is guaranteed to leave you enchanted.

Tickets are $30 GA, $25 for OCA members. Limited space - get tickets early!

Laurie Lewis: A name well-known to Bay Area audiences and beyond, Laurie is a world-renowned singer, songwriter, fiddler, guitarist, producer, and educator. Her voice, described by Linda Ronstadt as "a rare combination of grit and grace," has earned her two International Bluegrass Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year awards. With nearly 20 albums to her name, Laurie has garnered multiple Grammy nominations and won for her contribution to "True Life Blues: the Songs of Bill Monroe." Here in Words+Music, Laurie’s songwriting truly shines.

Don Henry: Don is a songwriter's songwriter, infusing humor, depth, and profound humanity into his songs. Artists like Miranda Lambert, Ray Charles, and Patti Page have recorded his works. Don's Grammy-winning song "Where've You Been" (recorded by Kathy Mattea) is a testament to his songwriting prowess. His music, often compared to Randy Newman's, delves into thought-provoking themes, making every performance an engaging experience. Don’s “day job” is playing and singing backup on tour with folk legend Tom Paxton.

Claudia Russell: The brainchild of Words+Music, Claudia’s heartfelt and humorous songs have won her accolades on both sides of the Atlantic. According to Britain’s Country Music People UK, “Few singers can construct a song as well as Claudia Russell, and her sharp, well-observed lyrics have an engaging, timeless feel.” American Songwriter hailed her 2013 CD, “All Our Luck Is Changing,” as “a masterpiece,” and Sing Out magazine called her “an outstanding talent in the crowded field of singer/songwriters.” Boston’s WUMB-FM named Russell Artist of the Year, and the East Bay Express selected her as Best Musician.

Nina Gerber: Adding her virtuoso guitar skills to the mix, Nina Gerber is one of the West Coast's most sought-after guitarists. Her intuitive style and ability to blend seamlessly with a range of artists have made her a favorite collaborator. She's played with a wealth of renowned artists, including Chris Webster, Karla Bonoff, Nanci Griffith, Dave Alvin, Kate Wolf, and many others. Her album "Good Music with Good People" showcases her exceptional talent alongside Jackson Browne, Eliza Gilkyson, Bruce Cockburn, and more.

This extra-special evening promises savvy songwriting, superior singing, and beautiful accompaniment. Don't miss your chance to witness the enchanting collaboration of Laurie Lewis, Don Henry, Claudia Russell, and Nina Gerber. Join us on January 21 for an unforgettable Words + Music experience.

Sonoma County Poet Laureate offers a second opportunity to participate in her Being Brave Project Workshop!

As Poet Laureate, Elizabeth offers this workshop to foster the writing of being brave poems where people who may never have written a poem before can find words for what being brave means in their lives. The workshop will include conversation about what our poems tell us of what it means to live courageously. Registration is $15, $10 for OCA members. Pre-registration is required.

Elizabeth’s recent poetry collections available for sale at the workshop.

OCA’s facilities are accessible to people with disabilities.

West County Fiddle Workshop
(every 3rd Tuesday from 7-9 PM)

• In this 2-hour workshop, we'll dive into a new fiddle tune every month. American traditional fiddle music is vast, with deep Celtic roots and a fascinating multi-cultural history that gave birth to old-time music, and later to bluegrass. Each month, we'll work on a new tune from one of these three genres. After learning the basic melody, we'll explore the nuances that make each tune & style come alive.

• All stringed instruments and levels are welcome, but students should be comfortable enough on their instruments that they can learn bite-sized phrases of a melody by ear.

• David Pascoe is a singer and multi-instrumentalist based in Occidental, CA. In addition to being a passionate music educator and the co-founder of Every Folk (a 3-day camp for adults to explore traditional music and culture), he performs with multiple groups up and down the West Coast on fiddle, mandolin, and guitar. He lives for the moment when music comes alive in the people around him.

Workshop fee is $25, $20 for OCA members.

Guy Biederman Returns!

Micro/Flash Fiction All Day Workshop

Sunday January 14th, 2024 10AM-4PM

This workshop is being rescheduled.
Please contact us to receive an
announcement for the new date.

Calling all writers or would be writers! This is your opportunity to break out! Explore new ways of writing, micro or flash fiction! As Guy says, “It’s all true! Especially the fiction!”

From Guy: ‘Strive for sinewy sentences and stories that charge the moment. We’ll practice the art of expressing more with less as we explore flash and micro fiction. Using writing seeds, time limits, and story samples, we’ll pursue the creativity of limitation, the pleasure of discovery, and the earnest work of craft.’

Guy Biederman is the author of six collections of short work. His fiction and poetry have won a Publisher’s Choice Award, an Editor’s Choice Award, been nominated for Best of the Net, and won 3rd place in New Zealand’s National Flash Fiction contest. Born in the Chihuahuan desert, raised on a stingray in Ventura, Biederman learned to write in a goat herd’s shack during the civil war in Guatemala. He lives on a houseboat with his wife and salty cat and walks planks daily.

Guy has been leading workshops for many years on the power of flash and micro fiction.

‘His love for writing, his unabashed belief in its ordinary magnificence, infects, while his stories punch with equanimity, humor, and devastation……’                                  Kate Vernor

Cost: $60 Non-OCA Members/$50 OCA Members

Lunch Options: Bring your own or walk to near-by restaurants in Occidental

As part of the workshop, Guy will include copies of Translated From The Original, one-inch punch fiction, his new book for each participant.

This book will provide samples of the genre for writers to check out, and as a classroom guide for readers/writers to be inspired and practice the craft.

Thank you for your support - this event is completely sold out. Don’t miss out on future events - Join our email list today!

Daniel Ziblatt, Harvard Professor of Government returns to his hometown of Occidental discusses his recently published and
widely-acclaimed book Tyranny of the Minority, co-authored with fellow Harvard professor Steven Levitsky.

Professors Ziblatt and Levistsky are two of America’s very best comparative political scientists, with expertise that makes them uniquely well-equipped for the subject they’re examining. From global best-seller How Democracies Die, Ziblatt and Levitsky now “write with terrifying clarity how the forces of the right have co-opted the enshrined rules to exert their tyranny,” (Washington Post) and how we can fight to save our democracy. This searing, unsettling, new book is essential for everyone interested in understanding why, and how, democracy has come under assault and what should be done about it.

Ziblatt will be joined in discussion with his former Harvard student and Occidental native Tobias Snyder.

Join us in celebrating community member Kit Mariah’s 70th birthday! Friends from near and far will share songs and honor Kit’s dedication to live music and 20 years of hosting open mic night.

Free event, donations suggested. Hosted by Darcy Reinier.

Kit Mariah enthusiastically supports live music and has inspired many local performers to pursue and share their musical talents. She has championed West County Open Mic nights for over twenty years, including many years at Main Street Station in Guerneville. She is one of the founders of KGGV radio, where she hosted a live music broadcast show, created KGGV’s 15 Fridays of Summer Free Concert Series, and was coordinator for KGGV’s Strawberry Festival.Kit has written and directed children’s shows and Christmas pageants and produced shows for non-profits including Curtain Call Theater. Kit sings blues and jazz and has a degree in music from Sonoma State.

OCA hosts First Friday Family Fun nights!

Join us for family dance with DJ Teacher Jes, art activities, Lego tent & more! 
*Fresh fired Pizza & beverages will be available for purchase*
First Fridays beginning Nov 3rd , 5:30-7:30pm 
Jammies welcome! 

$5 adults/$3 kids 12 and under

FREE for OCA Members

Beer, wine, refreshments, pizza for sale