Virtual Job Fair for Recent Grads Next Thursday —Â “Participants will be able to browse companies in the lobby, enter their booths, view open positions specifically curated for recent grads, and chat with HR representatives in real-time.” [Brazen Connect]
First Child Case in Va. of Syndrome Tied to COVID-19 — “The Fairfax Health District has confirmed a case of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19. This is the first case of MIS-C reported in Virginia.” [Inside NoVa]
N. Va.’s Reopening Date TBD —Â “Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Wednesday he has not decided whether Northern Virginia can enter Phase One of reopening on May 29…Â Northam said he is in daily communication with Northern Virginia government leaders and has set no timeline for making a decision.” [Inside NoVa]
Helen Hayes Awards Delayed to August — D.C.-area theater companies will have to wait until late August for the awards ceremony that will determine the winners. Tysons’ 1st Stage Theatre received 18 nominations this year. [Broadway World, Tysons Reporter]
84 Falls Church Businesses Win Grant Funding — “The City of Falls Church Economic Development Authority (EDA) is proud to announce the winners of the EDAÂ Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Grant Program. Each business will receive $2,000 to help with urgent expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.” [City of Falls Church]
Summer Camps Canceled — “The Fairfax County Park Authority and the county’s Department of Neighborhood and Community Services have canceled 2020 summer camp programs due to the COVID-19 crisis.” [Tysons Reporter]
Updated 6/1/2020 — Corrects dates for second set of live performances.Â
COVID-19 precautions are affecting live performances, but The Alden in McLean has found a way to bring shows to people that is similar to drive-in movies.
“Drive-Thru Drama” is set to run for two weekends in July (July 3-5 and July 10-12) with shows from 6-8 p.m., according to a press release.
The theater, which is a part of the McLean Community Center, plans to hold auditions via Instagram submissions.
“Priority will be given to actors who live, go to school or work in the MCC tax district,” the press release said. “There are no age or gender requirements in the script, but all actors must be 14 years old or older.”
More from the press release:
“Drive-Thru Drama” is the brainchild of The Alden’s Director of Youth Theatre Programs Danielle Van Hook. “Like so many, I was missing live performance and knew there had to be a way to safely produce a non-virtual show,” said Van Hook. “Nothing replaces the feeling of sitting with your neighbors in The Alden, but I hope this helps bring a little respite away from the screens and returns a level of normalcy to people’s lives.”
The show will be the debut performance of “Small Change,” a play written and directed by Andrew Scott Zimmer. Commissioned by The Alden, “Small Change” follows the travels of a $1 bill as it journeys through time and space, interacting with different people’s lives and leaving its mark on the world. Actors will perform one, cohesive story through short monologues at various stations in the center’s parking lot. Audience members will be directed to drive the route from actor to actor…
The Alden is placing several safety precautions into place to adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions’ COVID-19 guidelines such as requiring the actors to wear personal protective equipment and setting up the route so that actors are positioned six feet away from the cars and passengers.
People should note that performance dates could change based on Gov. Ralph Northam’s orders. A limited number of tickets for the shows will be available online two weeks before the opening.
Only a few months after finding a permanent home in Tysons Corner Center, Traveling Players, a kids’ theater company in Tysons, is adapting to social distancing mandates caused by COVID-19.
Instead of temporarily shutting down its programming, the theater decided to go digital, according to a press release.
Though the upcoming shows, which included “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” have been postponed, the theater group is still hosting community activities.
“But just because performances have been postponed, it doesn’t mean that the fun has slowed down at Traveling Players Ensemble,” a press release said. “In keeping with the organization’s roots in the outdoors, they quickly began hosting weekly ‘campfire’ parties on Zoom to allow students, staffers and alumni to connect from all over the country.”
More information about the campfire parties can be found on Facebook.
Kids also have the opportunity to try out for the next set of productions put on by Traveling Players and take part in a virtual improv class.
The May Madness Improv program will take place every Wednesday in May, inviting kids along with their family members to create imaginary scenes, characters and storylines, the event page said. Registration is $60 for kids and $120 for a kid-parent pair.
“Students in grades 4-6 can play as a team with a parent or grandparent for some family fun, or kids in grades 6-12 can practice the fundamentals of short- and long-form improvisation,” the press release said.
For kids hoping to take part in future productions, auditions will take place on Saturday, May 2, through Zoom, the press release said. Parents can sign their kids up for a time slot online.
Along with the virtual get-togethers and tryouts, the organization previously hosted a digital spring break “acting intensive” from April 6-10 after hearing that kids were getting bored at home, according to the press release.
“Students in grades 6-12 met via Zoom for five hours a day over the course of a week,” the press release said.”In a lot of ways, Zoom class looked just like a studio class. The students would log on and get a chance to chat with their friends before classes started.”
As a non-profit, Traveling Players offers scholarships for families in need of assistance, its website said.
Photo via Traveling Players/Facebook
Tysons’ 1st Stage Theatre is starting a series for virtual meet and greets with the staff and performers, along with a peek at the creative process.
The theater announced the new series yesterday (Monday). Called “Community Conversations,” the series kicks off on Saturday, May 9.
Since the coronavirus pandemic prompted show cancellations, the theater has taken to social media to share videos of short performances.
The line-up for the series includes:
- May 9: Meet the Staff
- May 16: Artistic Directors in Conversation
- May 23: Performers in Quarantine
- May 30: How 1st Stage Develops New Work
- June 6: The Life of a Solo Artist
- June 13: Cultural Tysons
All of the conversations will take place at 2 p.m. EST on Zoom and will be posted on social media afterwards for people who couldn’t attend live, according to the theater.
People interested in joining, can register online for each conversation.
After suspending its upcoming shows due to the coronavirus, 1st Stage Theatre now has new plans for how the show(s) will go on.
The theater announced on Thursday (April 9) that “A New Brain,” which was set to run March 26-April 19, will be the theater’s next production. New show dates have not been announced yet.
Meanwhile, “The Waverly Gallery,” which was originally going to be produced this spring, will now join the lineup for the 2020-2021 season.
“1st Stage will remain closed in compliance with federal, state, and local guidelines until it is safe to welcome audiences back to the theatre,” the press release said.
Later this year, audiences can expect the new season to kick off with “Mlima’s Tale” in September and then “The Rainmaker” in December.
In 2021, “The Waverly Gallery” will hit the stage in February, followed by “The Nance” in April and “The Phlebotomist” in May.
The theater is cancelling its Logan Festival of Solo Performance for this July, but said it plans for the festival to take place in 2021.
“We are very grateful to the Logan family for their continued friendship. They have pledged to continue their support for the festival and 1st Stage, and we are so appreciative,” Artistic Director Alex Levy said in the announcement.
Movie theaters and performing arts venues in the Tysons area have shut down the coronavirus pandemic continues.
The temporary closures come on the heels of the White House recommending that gatherings with 10 people or more be avoided.
Yesterday (Tuesday), Gov. Ralph Northam issued an order “that allows law enforcement to enforce a ban that prohibits more than 10 patrons in places such as restaurants, fitness centers and theaters,” Inside NoVa reported.
The newly opened Showplace Icon (1667 Silver Hill Drive) in The Boro is now “temporarily closed until further notice,” according to its website.
Over at Tysons Corner Center, which is open with reduced hours, AMC Tysons Corner 16 “is temporarily closed in accordance with local, state and federal guidelines,” according to the AMC website.
“It will re-open when those guidelines allow,” the site said. “Please continue to check back here for updates.”
Yesterday, the Angelika Film Center in the Mosaic District announced a temporary closure.
“The health and well-being of our guests and our theater teams is our top priority, and we believe that this step will be the most effective way to both retain that priority and mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” says a note on the theater’s website.
The theater did not say when it plans to reopen.
Tickets bought in advance –either from Angelika or from a third-party vendor — for movie showtimes that won’t play due to the closure can be refunded.
Performing arts-goers will have to wait to watch their next play or concert in the Tysons area.
Tysons’ 1st Stage Theatre announced yesterday that it’s suspending upcoming productions.
Plans for the theater’s upcoming production of “A New Brain,” which was set to run March 26-April 19, are uncertain at this point.
The Alden Theatre at the McLean Community Center is closed until April 12.
Wolf Trap is postponing all of its performances, classes and events between March 13-31.
“We are working with the artists to reschedule their performances for future dates and will share that information as it becomes available,” according to Wolf Trap’s website. “All current tickets will be honored for the rescheduled performances.”
All of the public shows between now and April 3 are postponed at The State Theatre in Falls Church.
The Studio Movie Grill at Founders Row in Falls Church will likely become more colorful with the installation of a new mural project.
Proposed themes include a collage of the universe, diverse individuals and storytelling images like film, according to the city documents, which added the dimensions will be roughly 128 by 38 feet.
“Rooted in the inclusive spirit of the community and history of Falls Church, the design’s whimsical vignettes illustrate the process of artistic ideation, creation, and interaction,” the city documents said about the art.
The mixed-use development, which is currently under construction at the corner of W. Broad and N. West streets, will include luxury apartments, retail space, the 4,693-square-foot movie theater and a 9,476-square-foot City Works Eatery and Pour House.
Though in the early stages, the proposed mural is tentatively scheduled to come back to the Planning Commission for a public hearing in June.
It is unclear when the mural will be completed.
Rendering via JBG Smith, images (2) via City of Falls Church
Tysons’ 1st Stage Theatre is suspending its upcoming productions due to concerns about spreading the coronavirus.
“In response to new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and local and state governments, 1st Stage is pausing all productions and closing the theatre to the public effective immediately,” the theater said in an announcement today.
“The safety and well-being of our community is our highest priority,” Artistic Director Alex Levy said in the statement.
Plans for the theater’s upcoming production of “A New Brain,” which was set to run March 26-April 19, are uncertain at this point.
“At this point, it is our hope to open ‘A New Brain’ and continue our season once the health crisis has passed. Given the current situation, we are unsure when that will happen,” the statement said.
The statement said that the theater will compensate the production personnel “most impacted by this sudden closure” and that the performers, designers and technicians for the show will be paid their full contract salary.
The theater is encouraging people who bought tickets or are season subscribers to exchange their tickets for a performance at a later date or to turn them into donations.
Updated 3:35 p.m. — The theater announced today (Tuesday) that it will close and postpone shows due to concerns about spreading the coronavirus.Â
Theater-goers now know what will be on the stage later this year and early 2021 at 1st Stage Theatre.
The theater announced its 2020-2021 season on Sunday (March 15).
The new season will kick off with “Mlima’s Tale” on Sept. 10.
Written by Lynn Nottage and directed by José Carrasquillo, the play follows the journey of ivory tusks poached from an elderly elephant in a protected reserve in Kenya. The play will run through Oct. 11.
From Dec. 3 to Jan. 3, 2021, “The Rainmaker” will tell the story of a spinster, whose father and brothers find a suitor — a con man — for her. Written by N. Richard Nash, the show will be directed by Deidra LaWan Starnes.
In February, people can see the sci-fi play “The Phlebotomist” — written by Ella Road and directed by Alex Levy, the theater’s artistic director.
Then in April, theatergoers can watch a musical and comedy about a gay burlesque performer. “The Nance” is written by Douglas Carter Beane and will be directed by Nick Olcott.
Alex Levy will also direct “The Last Match,” an Anna Ziegler play about a tension-filled tennis match. The show will run from May to June.
The season will end with the fifth annual Logan Festival, which will feature solo performers for two weeks.
Updated 3/10/2020 — The NoVa TEEN Book Festival was canceled Tuesday (March 10) due to the recent spread of the coronavirus in the D.C. area.Â
The NoVa TEEN Book Festival Committee said in a statement the festival will come to Marshall High School on March 20, 2021.Â
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Tuesday (March 10)
- Fairfax County’s Chronic Pain Self-Management Program — 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Falls Church Senior Center (223 Little Falls Street) — At this workshop, people will learn how to manage pain, get better sleep, relieve stress and improve their lifestyles. This program is free and open to the public.
Wednesday (March 11)
- Haycock Heritage Night 2020 — 6 to 8 p.m. Haycock Elementary School (6616 Haycock Road) — This event allows kids and their families to celebrate heritage with traditional clothing, dance, tell stories and eat favorite cuisine. This event will feature programming throughout the evening.
- Food Truck Fundraiser — 6:45 to 8 p.m. at McLean High School (1633 Davidson Road) — The McLean High School Crew Team is raising funds for its team. The Rocklands Food Truck will be located near rower drop off, according to the event page.
Friday (March 13)
- 5th and 6th Grader Glow Party — 7 to 9 p.m. at Old Firehouse Center (1440 Chain Bridge Road) — Kids can join for a glow stick party featuring a DJ, drinks and food. Tickets are $35 each or $25 McLean Community Center district residents.
Saturday (March 14)
- Stuff the Truck — 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Giant (1454 Chain Bridge Road) — The New Dominion Women’s Club is calling for volunteers to assist with its donation center collecting food and clothing for people in the 22101 and 22102 zip codes.
NoVA Teen Book Festival — 9 a.m. until 5 p.m at George C. Marshall High School (7731 Leesburg Pike)Â — For the 7th year, this festival invites teens to read, interact with authors and hear from keynote speakers. Admission is free and all are welcome.
Sunday (March 15)
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream — 7 p.m. at Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Road) — This production by the Traveling Players will tell the story of young lovers who escape into the forest, according to the event description. Tickets are $10.
- 2020 Nowruz Festival — 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. at Tysons Corner Center (8100 Tysons Corner Center) — This event celebrates the Persian New Year and will feature live performances all-day and booths selling traditional food and drink. Entry to this event is free.
Photo courtesy New Dominion Women’s Club/Lee’s PhotographyÂ