For your information - a user's guide
Administrative offices
Cal Shakes’ administrative offices, shops, and rehearsal space are located at 701 Heinz Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710. Call 510.548.3422 to reach our staff, or click here to contact a staff member via e-mail.
Box office
Cal Shakes’ main box office is located at 701 Heinz Ave in Berkeley. Phone 510.548.9666. Fax 510.843.9921. In-season hours (June 1–October 16): Monday–Friday, 10am–6pm, and Saturday 10am–2pm. Off-season: 10am–12pm and 1–5pm. The Bruns Amphitheater Box Office, which sells same-day tickets only, is located at the main entrance to the Bruns grounds and opens two hours prior to curtain time.
Special offers
30 and Under? Tickets are just $20. Tickets are available Tuesday–Friday to patrons 30 years old and younger and may be purchased online, by phone, or in person. Valid ID is required when picking up your tickets. Half-price Student/Senior Rush tickets can be purchased 30 minutes prior to curtain time at the Bruns Amphitheater box office, subject to availability. Valid ID is required; limit one ticket per ID.
Group Rates (up to 30% off regular price) are available for groups as small as ten and groups of 15 or more get a free organizer ticket. Call 510.809.3290 or visit the groups page for more information.
Ticket exchange & replacement
Subscribers and FlexPass holders may exchange tickets at no cost by mail, in person, or by fax. Single ticket buyers may now exchange tickets for a $10 fee. We cannot exchange tickets by phone or at the Theater. Tickets for exchange must be received up to 24 hours in advance of the time and date of their scheduled performance. If you exchange to a more expensive performance, you will be charged the difference; we do not give refunds or credit when you exchange to a less expensive performance. If you lose or misplace your tickets, the box office can arrange for replacements at no extra charge.
BART shuttle
Cal Shakes provides free shuttle service between the Orinda BART Station and the Theater beginning 90 minutes prior to and at the conclusion of each performance.
Get a ride up the hill
Our shuttle stops at the entrance to the Bruns grounds to pick up passengers who would like to avoid the hike. If you have guests with mobility problems, you may drive them to the lobby yourself, but you must return your car to the parking lot after dropping them off.
Audio enhancement devices for the hearing impaired
Devices are available from the blanket kiosk—located to the right, just outside the amphitheater entrance—for any performance on a first-come basis.
Restrooms
Restrooms, including handicapped accessible facilities, are located in the Sharon Simpson Center; additional restrooms are located in the Upper Grove.
Café fare and catering for groups
Classic Catering’s on-site café—located in the Sharon Simpson Center—offers delicious and affordable gourmet meals, beer, wine, Peet's Coffee & Tea, hot cocoa, and desserts. The Café is open two hours prior to curtain time and at intermission. Click here to view the menu. Catering is also available for groups. Click here to view the groups menu.
Recycling
Please use recycling bins to discard your glass bottles, aluminum cans, plastic bottles and containers, and paper. Our Waste Diversion Program, in partnership with Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority, reduces the amount of waste going to local landfills and reduces our waste collection costs dramatically. Please do your part to keep the Bruns green.
Lost & Found
If you think you’ve left or lost an item at our Theater, please call the house office at 925.254.2395. If you think you’ve left or lost something at our Berkeley offices, please call 510.548.3422 and press “0” for the front desk.
Smoking
Smoking is prohibited in the Amphitheater at all times, except on stage as part of the productions. Electronic cigarettes are allowed in the groves, plaza, and anywhere on the grounds with the exception of the Amphitheater. Otherwise smoking is restricted to our designated smoking area, located where the entrance path meets the central plaza, across from the café.
About the yellowjackets
We are making every effort to reduce the yellowjacket population on our grounds. However, as the theater is surrounded by acres of wooded watershed, little critters will continue to be a part of the experience. Keep food covered, whenever possible, and promptly dispose of your trash and recyclables. If you do get stung, please contact House Management at once for assistance.
The P’S and Q’S
ARRIVE ON TIME. Latecomers will be seated at an appropriate interval at the House Manager’s discretion.
SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONE, pager, personal organizer, or alarm watch before the performance begins
KEEP THE AISLES CLEAR during the performance.
DO NOT TAKE PHOTOS of the performance. The use of any type of camera, video or audio recorder is strictly prohibited in the amphitheater. Such devices may be confiscated at the House Manager's discretion.
OBSERVE ALL “NO SMOKING” and other directional signage on the grounds. They are posted for your safety.
BE SENSITIVE TO OTHERS. Perfumes or scented lotions may cause discomfort to other patrons and may attract yellow jackets. We ask that you keep use of such products to a minimum. Likewise, be mindful of noise—please unwrap all picnic items before the performance begins or at intermission.
RAIN
Our performances are rarely cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. Please arrive at the Theater for the scheduled performance time and dress accordingly. Patrons who choose not to attend a performance that goes on despite weather conditions will not be eligible for ticket refunds or credit. See “Performance Cancellation” below for more information.
PERFORMANCE CANCELLATION
If a performance is cancelled for any reason prior to intermission, ticket holders will be entitled to attend another performance within the same price class. Performances canceled after intermission are considered complete. Retain your ticket stubs and contact the Box Office as soon as possible (and no longer than within one week) to reschedule.
ABOUT THE BRUNS AMPHITHEATER
Siesta Valley (the home of the Bruns Amphitheater) is one of the original land-holdings of the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). In agreeing to lease to the Theater, EBMUD seeks to serve the public with a community facility while preserving the watershed with minimal disruption to the pastoral surroundings. This land may be open to the public for performances and private events, but remains restricted private property at all other times.
RENTALS
The Bruns Amphitheater, the Berkeley rehearsal hall and shops, as well as props and costumes are all available for rental. Call 510.548.3422 x101 for our Berkeley facilities; x111 for costumes; x117 for props; or x110 to reserve the Bruns Amphitheater and picnic grounds. .
For official ticketing and amphitheater policies, including children and pets, click here.