Coupled with those of his father, the late Sgt. Berry, Mick Berry has a lot of war stories to tell. Berry's new solo performance Dad Fought Hitler, the Bottle, and Me, about his relationship to his veteran dad, opens Jan. 9 and runs through Feb. 1 at Venue 9 in San Francisco. Berry's father is described as a "flamboyant , hard-drinking, womanizing World War II Veteran" who spent one year as a POW in Nazi captivity. The monologue spans 50 years of father-son dialogue, includes Sgt. Berry's writings, and ends in an ultimately profound understanding between the two men.

Dad Fought Hitler was commissioned by the Motherlode Stage Company in Loomis, CA, where it opened last year to rave reviews. Berry's last solo piece, What's My Mantra? about his involvement with the Transcendental Meditation movement, ran for seven months in San Francisco.

The monologue is directed by Pam McDaniel, managing partner of The 450 Geary, where she has directed many shows.

Dad Fought Hitler, the Bottle and Me runs Thu-Sat, Jan. 9-Feb. 1, at Venue 9 in San Francisco. Tickets are $10, and are available by calling (415) 626-2169.

--By Blair Glaser