Theater Lovers' Group's July Events: Theater Trip and Speaker for Meeting
By Norma Jean Reck, Coordinator, Theater Lovers’ Group
There are just a couple of spaces left on the Theater Lovers' Group (TLG) trip to the Contemporary American Theater Festival that takes place annually during the month of July in nearby Shepherdstown, WV. Join your fellow OLLI theater lovers in attending three exciting premieres, taking a backstage tour, discussing the play with the pros, and indulging in some fine dining.
The trip dates are Thursday, July 27 and Friday, July 28. We drive down on Thursday and come back on Friday. On Thursday, we see Overview Effect at noon and either Spiritus or Redeemed (your choice) Thursday evening. On Friday, we see Your Name Means Dream at 2:00. We will stay at the Clarion Inn Harpers Ferry Thursday night—group rate is $122.07. Our group rate on tickets is $49/per show or three shows for $147.
To sign up for the trip or for more information, email Norma at njreck@cs.com ASAP.
Reminder: Wednesday, July 19, TLG Meeting:
Aubrey Whitlock, Associate Director of Education for the American Shakespeare Center (ASC) in Staunton, VA, will speak via Zoom at our 4:00 meeting on Wednesday, July 19. She will talk about the history of ASC, casting, and staging practices. She can also tell us more about the two shows we will see on October 21—Much Ado about Nothing and Hamlet—when we take an overnight trip to ASC. Be sure to Zoom in for this very informative and exciting program. You don't want to miss it.
By Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch, Co‑Moderators
Continuing our Wednesday Conversations series, Team Bloch (Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch) will moderate a Zoom discussion on July 19 at 4:00. Our chosen topic this week is “The New Business Casual."
We enjoyed dressing comfortably at home during the pandemic. Now that the world has reopened, is it appropriate to wear a T-shirt and shorts to the theater, a fine dining restaurant, or a church service? Jeans to an evening concert at the Kennedy Center? Do dress codes matter anymore? Or should there be dress codes for different venues? Should we all revert (for fun!) to coats and ties for men, white gloves and flowered hats for ladies? When did you last spot a gentleman wearing a homburg? Are you as puzzled as we are? Share your thoughts on current "business casual" trends and dress codes.
Check your daily schedule for the Zoom link on Wednesdays and plan on some social time with Team Bloch.
I can't believe I'm writing an article on “planning,” a good practice that many of us don't always follow. But I have always appreciated the value of good planning, from my military career, my family life (mostly done by my late wife), and now into my changed life as a single person with the responsibilities for ALL planning. I have three calendars—yes, three calendars—that I keep sync'ed and use as guides to keep me on track. And now, in the middle of summer (yikes, in the middle?) with the beautiful Virginia fall just around the corner, planning our summer and fall days becomes very important, lest the days slip by us.
One of the banes to planning for our future is that we let events and activities in our daily lives get in the way. We tend to say, “I'll do it tomorrow when I have time." My military career included a course in time management where we were encouraged to keep a daily log (or calendar) of things to get done and then draw a line through the ones completed. There was an added psychological benefit of accomplishment. I also recall a conversation with a friend who, on completing our business, ended with the usual “let's have lunch sometime.” She immediately said to get out my calendar and we made a luncheon date for six weeks away! But that time came fast, and we had a nice lunch. The Nike slogan “Just do it!” is right on.
It's not too late to make travel and activity plans for the rest of the summer and into the fall. Air fares may be cheaper with longer lead time, hotel rooms still available, dinner guests are available, household tasks can be scheduled, and the selected time has no competition...yet! It's not too early to begin considering the trips that are offered through OLLI. So start taking action now on your “wished-for” plans. You'll find the time comes faster than expected! Remember the old adage: Failing to plan is planning to fail. Plan on, my friends, plan on!
In the artist’s café
time never moves.
The same patrons sit
at the same tables,
consume
the same drinks,
food.
“Why would I try
something different?”
one asks,
on a day like yesterday,
a day the artist approves,
It’s as if the patrons
know their place,
the spot they were put in
when the artist drew them:
the woman in
the humble hat,
nursing her coffee.
Demurely, she waits
for someone to come,
or somewhere to go,
at a time we know
won’t arrive.
And so she sits,
sits,
and the artist presides,
making sure she
doesn’t step out
of character,
into another sketch,
say of a bedroom,
sunlit,
in which a woman poses
naked on a bed.
For tickets for either Center for the Arts Concert Hall (CFA) or Hylton Center, call 1-888-945-2468, buy tickets online through the event calendar (see links below), or visit the venue's box office. For more information, see the CFA ticket pageor the Hylton Center ticket purchase page.
Dr. Linda Apple Monson produces a periodic “Notes from the Director.” This email is full of interesting online performances by the students and faculty of the School of Music. If you would like to receive these bulletins, just sign up at this link to stay in touch. Also, the Center for the Arts has a website,Mason Arts at Home, which has a calendar of online events and access to many past performances.
Prince William Little Theatre and Manassas Symphony Orchestra: Oliver
Fri, Jul 14, 8:00
Sat, Jul 15, 2:00 and 8:00
Sun, Jul 16, 2:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $35, $30, $25.
Please note: Although some physical meetings for clubs and activities are canceled, some may be meeting in person or, in a hybrid mode, both in person and online. OLLI events and activities meeting online bear the identification "Z" in their course or event number (except clubs; you may need to check the OLLI calendar and daily schedule email for location and other event information). Refer to the university's coronavirus website for official university updates.
The following list covering the next two weeks is extracted for your convenience from the master online calendar maintained by the office. The list is accurate as of mid-week but for the most up-to-date information, please view the latest forecast of coming events on our website (News/OLLI Calendar). Note: All OLLI members are welcome at, and encouraged to attend, meetings of the Board of Directors, committees and resource groups, kick-off coffees, etc., bolded below. The OLLI office has sent (or will send) emails with links and meeting passwords to club members; you may also log in at the member portal and click on ZOOM CLASS LINKS.
Sat Jul 15
10:30 am
1:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Personal Computer User Group
Mon Jul 17
10:00 am
Bridge Club
Tue Jul 18
1:00 pm
4:30 pm
Stay Active and Independent for Life
Tai Chi Club
Wed Jul 19
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Mah Jongg Club
Spanish Club
Conversations with Doris & Brenda
Thu Jul 20
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Jul 21
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
1:00 pm
Craft and Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
Homer, etc.
Stay Active and Independent for Life
Sat Jul 22
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Jul 24
10:00 am
Bridge Club
Tue Jul 25
1:00 pm
4:30 pm
Stay Active and Independent for Life
Tai Chi Club
Wed Jul 26
11:00 am
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
Spanish Club
Memoir and More Writing Group
Conversations with Doris & Brenda
Thu Jul 27
4:30 pm
6:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Ethnic Eats Club
Fri Jul 28
9:30 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
1:00 pm
Mah Jongg Club
Craft and Conversation
Homer, etc.
Photography Club
Stay Active and Independent for Life
OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.
Editorial Staff
Chief Editor: Paul Van Hemel
Associate Editor: David Gundry
Weekly Editor Team: David Gundry, John Nash, Sheri Siesseger,Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Tom Appich
Submissions: Members are encouraged to submit letters to the editor, letters to Ms. Ollie Ettakit (on etiquette matters), OLLI-related news items, articles, and photos. Submit material to: ollienewseditor@gmail.com. Deadline: Tuesday, 6:00, for that week's issue (Monday, 6:00, for letters to the editor); early submissions are greatly appreciated. Please limit articles to about 250 words. Note: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News on the DocStore. To search the content of issues, use Search Our Site or put your search term in Google followed by "site:olli.gmu.edu/" without the quotes.
