GOINGS ON SANTA BARBARA : Talk Is in the Air : A variety of events in the coming week will delve into the psyches of both males and females.

April, Easter, daylight-saving time . . . spring is in the air. With springtime comes romance. And with romance comes misunderstanding.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that there will be a variety of events this coming week in Santa Barbara that delve into the psyches of both males and females.

“Shakespeare understood all about women. That is obvious,” said Claire Bloom, who is probably best known in America for her role as Lady Marchmain in the TV adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s “Brideshead Revisited.”

In her one-woman act, “Then Let Men Know--A Portrait of Shakespeare’s Women,” Bloom will read excerpts from six Shakespearean plays, focusing on the female characters she most admires. Bloom chose to play Juliet for the magnificence of her resolve and Viola in “Twelfth Night” for her self-mocking humor, among others.

Born in London, Bloom made her first stage appearance with the Oxford Repertory Company at the age of 16. After her debut as Juliet at 21, she was called back for 16 curtain calls at London’s Old Vic Theatre.

The 8 p.m. Tuesday show will be at the Lobero Theatre. Tickets are $19 and $17. Call 963-0761.

Dr. Warren Farrell, author of “Why Men Are the Way They Are,” will talk about “The Myth of Male Power” at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Lobero Theatre. No charge. Call 687-0812.

Farrell said men, whose life span is seven years less than women’s and whose suicide rate is 420% higher, do not have the power they seem to have. Americans, he said, seem to think that it’s more progressive to “care about saving whales than saving males.”

Farrell is the only man who has been elected three times to the board of directors of the National Organization for Women.

Probably the most serious form of misunderstanding between the sexes is when a woman says “no” but the man thinks that her eyes say “yes.” According to studies, one in 12 college men admit to committing what is legally considered to be sexual assault, although most of these men would not define their behavior as such.

Joseph Weinberg, an educational consultant, will give a free lecture, “Pop Culture/Rape Culture: Violence and Sexism in Language and Imagery,” at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the UC Santa Barbara Main Theatre. Call 893-3535.

Using slides of common advertisements, rock ‘n’ roll album covers and videos to illustrate the kinds of images surrounding people, Weinberg will explain how they propagate the belief that rape and violence are normal behavior. Weinberg said that since 97% of all reported sexual assaults are committed by men, rape is a men’s issue and their behavior and socialization must change.

A better understanding of Middle Eastern women has been made possible through the writing and filmmaking of Elizabeth Warnock Fernea. Her free lecture, “New Heroines: Women in Modern Arabic Literature in Translation,” will be held at the UCSB MultiCultural Center at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Call 893-8411.

For an interesting view of Christian doctrine and sexual decadence, “The Rapture” will be screened at UCSB’s Campbell Hall at 8 p.m. today. Admission is $5. Call 893-3535.

Director and writer Michael Tolkin will introduce his film and answer questions. Tolkin also wrote the screenplay for “The Player,” directed by Robert Altman, which opened in theaters last week.

“The Rapture” is about a bored telephone operator (Mimi Rogers) who, while looking for spiritual awakening, engages in sexual adventures with strangers.

In a more traditional blend of religion and decadence, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden will hold its third annual Spring Egg Hunt, which will include plenty of chocolate for all. Children are invited to bring their baskets and collect the many hidden eggs, listen to lively music and sing songs of nature and spring. Saturday 1 to 2:30 p.m. Cost is $16. Call 563-2521.

Wim Wenders’ movie, “Until the End of the World,” will play at the Victoria Street Theatre on Friday through April 23.

Set in 1999, it’s a road movie starring William Hurt that covers more than half the planet and examines the problems of trying to communicate in the information age. Admission is $7. Call 965-1886.

Ukrainian music will be performed by Andrew Kytasty at UCSB MultiCultural Center at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Free. Call 893-8411. Kytasty is one of the foremost players of the bandura, the Ukrainian national instrument.

Also at the MultiCultural Center, Dwight Reynolds, professor of Arabic language and literature in the department of religious studies, will discuss the creation of “1001 Nights.” Today at 4 p.m. Free. 893-8411.