Reminder: Computer Club 3rd Saturday meeting, 1:00, March 18 (tomorrow), in person in TA-1 at Tallwood and via Zoom (Zoom session usually begins about 12:45).
Spring term registration continues throughout the term; spring term is March 27 through May 19.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, March 24; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, March 21, at 6:00.
Reminder: Mason Jazz Camp will be held on the Mason Fairfax campus June 19-23. For registration and camp details, click here.
By Michele Romano, Board Member and Healthcare Advisory Workgroup Chair
COVID-19 and the winter viruses are winding down just in time for OLLI spring term in-person classes and activities. Severe illness and death from COVID in Northern Virginia remains very low for our age group.
The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency will officially end 5/11/2023. After that, the cost of vaccines, tests, and treatments (within certain parameters) will be covered by commercial insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid, rather than by the Federal Government. You may be subject to copays and deductibles depending on your health insurance coverage. Click on the following link for further details: The End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Details on Health Coverage and Access | KFF.
Warmer weather also brings with it an increase in Lyme Disease. Lyme Disease is caused by deer ticks which are very small, difficult to spot, and may look like a speck of dirt that won’t brush off. They are found in grassy and wooded areas throughout Northern Virginia. Lyme Disease can cause severe illness. So, what should you do? If you are going to be working in the yard or hiking in the woods, wear socks, long pants, and long sleeves. Use a good tick repellent. Throw your clothes in the washer and take a shower as soon as you’re done. Do a thorough skin check. Ticks love to hide in dark, damp places (e.g., groins, axillary areas, toes, ears). Click on the following link for more details: Preventing tick bites | Ticks | CDC. Check out the Mayo Clinic website for a good review of signs and symptoms: Lyme disease - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic.
Marymount University Center for Optimal Aging (MCOA) is conducting a study on balance exercise for older adults. We welcome OLLI members to join our home-based balance exercise research study. By participating in the research, you are helping to advance the field of study, in this case, health and wellness of people living with mild cognitive impairment/dementia.
We are looking for people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia & their care partners who would like to participate in a weekly small group VIRTUAL exercise class. The researchers will come to your home to enroll you in the study and set you up for success. You will use your computer or tablet to connect with your exercise class. The exercises are focused on improving balance and making your legs stronger.
Assessment sessions before & after the study will be in your home! To learn more about the study & see if it might be right for you, click this link, or, for detailed text description, click here. Contact me for more information (email: jries@marymount.edu; phone: 703-284-5983).
Celebrate Women's History Month and April Fool's Day with the Theater Lovers' Group
By Norma Jean Reck, Theater Lovers’ Group Coordinator
Silent Sky
On Sunday, March 19 at 2:00, join fellow theater lovers for a trip back to 1900 to meet Henrietta Leavit, a real-life astronomer ahead of her time. Harvard University hires her to record the starry finds of the male astronomers, but does not allow her to continue pursuing her own discoveries. You will want to find out how her dedication to the stars and a women's touch leads to impactful discoveries that makes life under the starry sky beautiful and timeless.
The Providence Players will perform Silent Sky at The James Lee Community Center, 2855 Annandale Road in Falls Church (Route 50 and Annandale Road). Senior tickets are $18 and can be purchased online by clicking here ASAP – they sell out fast. Email me at njreck@cs.com to let me know that you have purchased your ticket. As always, guests are welcome to join us. There is plenty of free parking.
We will go to dinner at a nearby restaurant after the show (optional). If you need to carpool, let me know.
Pacific Overtures Calling all Sondheim lovers! On Saturday, April 1, Signature Theater on Campbell Avenue in Arlington is holding ten tickets for us to see the 2:00 matinee of this rarely performed musical. This time, we take a trip back to Japan, mid-1800s, to look at the life-changing impact a naval event had on the Japanese who had been isolated from the rest of the world for about 200 years. Hear how the various segments of Japanese society were impacted by these Westerners who insisted on opening up Japan for trade.
Group rate on tickets is about $71 and tickets are selling fast. Please email (njreck@cs.com) me ASAP if interested, so we can keep our tickets. We carpool and will go to dinner after the show at a nearby restaurant (optional). Guests are always welcome to join us; plenty of free parking.
Happy 85th!
Thanks to Mary Mudd for taking these photos of Theater Lovers' Group celebrating George Dixon's 85th birthday at Sakura Restaurant on Sunday, March 5 after seeing How the Light Gets In at 1st Stage. Our chef was quite entertaining, the food was great, and the company was fantastic, as usual. A good time was had by all.
Come to beautiful Lake Anne in Reston on April 5 at noon. Have lunch on the lake at Café Montmartre, a few steps away from the Reston Museum. The museum will have a special exhibit on the old brewery that was here before Reston was built. Lunch is on your own; the museum is free.
Start Off the Spring Term With Coffee and Great Food!
By Toni Acton, Member Services Committee Chair
The spring term is about to begin and what better way to start it off than by joining your friends at the OLLI Kick Off Coffee on Thursday, March 23 at 10:00 at Tallwood. And for our new members, what a wonderful opportunity to get to know other OLLI members, both continuing and new. Plus, there will be great food provided by our Hospitality Committee.
There will be an opportunity to learn about any changes at OLLI presented by our executive director and Board president, with plenty of time for questions. Trips to California and Iceland—what’s that all about? Do you want more information about the many social events coming up this term? And what’s Walk & Talk—one of our most popular clubs this year? We’ll even have a tour of the Tallwood facilities for our new members, including the infamous “Potty Barn.”
Please join us on Thursday, March 23. Register for event 1203 via the member portalor contact the registrar at ollireg@gmu.edu. Hope to see you on Thursday!
By Marilyn Harriman, OLLI Walk & Talk Club Co-Chair
OLLI Walk & Talk Club members enjoyed three outings this month, including a brisk morning walk at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly on March 7.
Our final trail walk for the month will be on Wednesday, March 29, at Mason District Park trail, starting at 2:00, with club member and guide Michael Nephew. An optional after-walk meet-up will be at Café V in Annandale. The following Friday, April 7, at 10:00, club members will explore the Riverbend Park trail with bluebells in bloom in Great Falls with lead Carol Esteki. Afterward, walkers will gather (optional) at the Old Irish Brogue Pub and Restaurant in Great Falls for lunch. On Thursday, April 20, at 2:00, Lila Goldstein will be the trail guide at Long Branch Stream Valley Trail in Annandale. An after-walk gathering will take place at Fairfax Simply Social Coffee in Fairfax.
If any of these outings sound appealing to you, and you’ve not yet registered with the OLLI Walk & Talk Club, Bob Heyer, co-chair, and I invite you to do so for spring 2023. It’s easy! Just sign into your member portal on the OLLI website. Once there, type “OLLI Walk Talk Spring 2023” in the Advance Search block, upper right-hand corner, and the club should appear. Be sure to click on the club so it goes into your cart and then “check out” so your club registration is completed.
Once registered, you will receive updates about upcoming walks, including directions to the trail location and maps.
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 March 22 at 4:00. Our chosen topic this week is “Who Is Colleen Hoover?”
Colleen Hoover is the author of four novels on the current best seller List. What do we know about her and her writings? Any one a fan?
Check your daily schedule email for the Zoom link on Wednesdays and plan on some social time with Team Bloch.
By Bernie Oppel, History Program Planning Group Co-Chair
The next History Program Planning Group session will be held via Zoom at 1:00 on March 21. The session will focus on classes for fall term 2023 and winter term 2024, as well as potential offerings for future OLLI terms. Zoom access information will be provided in the OLLI daily schedule email message for March 21.
The recent history planning article in OLLI E-News (February 10) outlined new areas of interest for future OLLI history classes, as well as a request for instructors to prepare and teach the classes. We invite all OLLI members to participate in the March 21 planning session with your ideas, course proposals, and instructor suggestions!
Do You Live in Mantua, Ravensworth, or Little Rocky Run?
By Debby Mossburg, Outreach Committee Chair
. . . or any other neighborhood with a print and/or online community newsletter? We’d love to let your neighbors know about the benefits of being a member of OLLI Mason. Would you be willing to contact your neighborhood association’s newsletter editors to see if they’ll run a short article about OLLI? Doing so can help OLLI to expand membership to keep us financially healthy and make a great program greater. We already have a short piece that tells about the OLLI program that has been approved and run in other neighborhood newsletters at no cost and with good success. All it takes is a phone call or email from a community member to have that same piece run in your neighborhood newsletter.
If you can help, we'll send you a PDF of the article with George Mason and OLLI logos. To follow up or for any questions you may have, please contact Jim Dann at jimandsue70@gmail.com (phone: 703-690-7982), or Debby Mossburg at debby.mossburg@verizon.net (phone: 703-973-8080).
You’ve got the power to make a real difference! Thank you.
Join the Mason Jazz Ensemble (director Jim Carroll), the Jazz Workshop (director, John Kocur), and special guests, Georgetown University Jazz Band (Paul Bratcher) for an evening that celebrates the hot sounds and swinging beats of the Big Band era!
By Linda H. Harber, OLLI Member and Friends of Music at Mason President
Please join us at this special Friends of Music at Mason (FOMM) program with the Mason Healing Arts Ensemble on Wednesday, March 22, at 5:00. You can join the group at the Linda Apple Monson Tier 3 at Mason Center for the Arts or livestreamed via YouTube.
Last fall, Rita Gigliotti, Director of Mason’s Healing Arts Ensemble, did a music and well-being presentation for OLLI. Even if you missed it, now you will have the opportunity to experience the wonderful music of the Healing Arts Ensemble and get in on the Good Vibrations. There will be small percussion instruments for those in attendance to join in the fun. It promises to be an hour of good vibrations that will show you how to harness music to make you feel better!
Please reply to Rachel Ingel at ringel@gmu.edu or 703-993-3927 to hold your place at this special free FOMM program. Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday, March 22!
The March 2023 Photo of the Month theme was Choosing a Color or Two. We selected George Bradshaw's's photo "Green Heron," which may also be viewed at this page this page (yes, it's a green blue heron). To view other photos by members of the Photography Club, visit the club's photo website. -- By John Olsen, Photography Club Coordinator
The tooth fairy lived far away in a fabulous fern forest,
with her fluffy, frizzy fox, Ferdinand, and her father dearest.
After finishing Tooth Fairy School, she played her flute—
Fanfares, fantasias, fandangos, and folk songs to boot.
Franny had quite a freaky collection of teeth from kids
She fearlessly gathered in a flower purse that she hid.
Later she planted them in mounds, stacks, and heaps:
Molar mountains, incisor hills, and canine peaks.
Devoted OLLI member, 1997-2018, Julie McNamara passed away on February 23. She and her husband Mike resided at Greenspring in Virginia; they both enjoyed classes during their many years at OLLI. Known for her optimism and staunch support for her OLLI friends, Julie was a source of artistic inspiration for the Poetry Workshop; members of the OLLI poetry community were saddened when learning of her passing. She also loved language classes. Friends will remember her warmth and kindness to all.
A memorial service celebrating her accomplished life will be held at a later time. Further information is available at this link.
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 page or the Hylton Center ticket purchase page.
Current vaccination policy for the Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center is summarized as follows:
Audience members are not currently required to show proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test result for most events except when required by the event organizer or artist. If proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result is required for a specific event, it will be indicated on the webpage with event details.
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. Information can also be found at CFA ticket purchase page, Center for the Arts YouTube Channel, or the Hylton ticket purchase page.
KODO
Sat, Mar 18 at 8:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Admission: $60, $51, $36.
The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon
Sun, Mar 26 at 1:00 and 4:00
Concert Hall
Join us before the performance for family-friendly craft activities in the lobby.
Admission: $15.
Cirque FLIP Fabrique
Fri, Mar 31 at 8:00
Sat, Apr 1 at 2:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Admission: $50, $43, $30.
Daniel Hope and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra: America
Sun, Apr 2 at 2:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Admission: $55, $47, $33.
Mason Student and Faculty Performances (see music.gmu.edu for additional student recitals
Healing Arts Ensemble
Wed, Mar 22 at 5:00
Center for the Arts, Monson Grand Tier III
Admission: Free.
Mason Dance Company Gala Concert
Fri, Mar 24 at 8:00
Sat, Mar 25 at 8:00
Concert Hall
Admission: $28 Adult, $15 senior.
Jazz Big Band Showdown 2023
Mon, Mar 27 at 8:00
Concert Hall
Admission: $12 Adult, $8 senior.
Percussion Ensemble Concert
Wed, Mar 29 at 8:00
deLaski Performing Arts Building, 3001
Admission: Free.
School of Theater: The Hunchback of Seville
Thu, Mar 30 and Fri, Mar 31 at 8:00
Sat, Apr 1 at 2:00 and 8:00
Wed, Apr 5 through Fri, Apr 7 at 8:00
Sat, Apr 8 at 2:00 and 8:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: $30 Adult, $15 senior.
Eric Garner: Multiple Repeat Mistakes
Through Apr 15
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
Admission: Free.
Prince William Little Theatre: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Fri, Mar 17 at 8:00
Sat, Mar 18 at 2:00 and 8:00
Sun, Mar 19 at 2:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $25 Adult, $20 senior.
Manassas Chorale: With One Voice
Sat, Mar 18 at 7:30
Merchant Hall
Admission: $25, $23.
Dervish
Sun, Mar 19 at 4:00
Merchant Hall
A pre-performance discussion begins one hour prior to the performance.
Admission: $48, $41, $29.
Ordway Ballet: Game On
Sat, Mar 25 at 6:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $28-$22 Adult, $26-$20 senior.
Faculty Artists Series: Dr. Anna Balakerskaia and Friends
Sun, Apr 2 at 7:00
Hylton Performing Arts Center Recital Hall
Admission: Free.
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. 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 Mar 18
10:30 am
1:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Personal Computer User Group
Mon Mar 20
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Mah Jongg Club
Poetry Reading Club
Tue Mar 21
9:30 am
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Annex Art
Spanish Club
Tai Chi Club
Wed Mar 22
10:00 am
10:30 am
1:00 pm
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
Bridge Club
Investment Forum
Outreach Committee
Memoir and More Writing Group
Mah Jongg Club
Thu Mar 23
11:50 am
4:30 pm
All the News
Tai Chi Club
Fri Mar 24
9:30 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
Craft and Conversation
Homer, etc.
Photography Club
Sat Mar 25
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Mar 27
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Mar 28
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Wed Mar 29
1:45 pm
Bridge Club
Thu Mar 30
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Reston Book Club
Tai Chi Club
Fri Mar 31
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
Craft and Conversation
Walk and Talk Club
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
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, Linda Randall, Tom Appich, Jane Hassell
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. Search E-News: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News at ENews Archives. To search the content within issues, use Search or enter your search term(s) in Google followed by “site:olli.gmu.edu/” without the quotes.
From the Desk of the Executive Director:
Tell a Friend
By Jennifer Disano, Executive Director
Recently, OLLI Mason Outreach Committee Chair Debby Mossburg asked you in her article “It’s in Your Hands” for your assistance to spread the word about OLLI in your neighborhood newsletter. This week, we ask you to get personal and “Tell a Friend” about OLLI Mason. Here are some tips to get you started:
Highlight the Benefits: Explain to your friend the benefits of lifelong learning, such as improved cognitive function, increased social interaction, and opportunities for personal growth and fulfillment.
Share Your Experience: Share your personal experience with your friend. Let them know what you gained from the experience of being an OLLI member and how it positively impacted your life.
Provide Resources: Share information about OLLI Mason, such as the website, class schedule, and contact information. This will make it easier for your friend to learn more and get involved.
Plan an Activity: Plan an activity around the OLLI lifelong learning program, such as attending a class or lecture together. This will give your friend a firsthand experience of what the program has to offer and may make them more likely to get involved.
Follow Up: After your friend attends a class or becomes involved in the program, follow up with them to see how they enjoyed it and if they plan to continue. This will help them feel supported and may encourage them to continue with their learning journey.
By taking part in the OLLI Mason "Tell a Friend" campaign, you can encourage your friends to stay engaged and fulfilled in their later years through membership at OLLI Mason. Remember to highlight the benefits, share your experience, provide resources, plan an activity, and follow up to support your friend's journey.
The Board of Directors met at Tallwood on February 17. President Lillian Brooks reported that OLLI executives had held preliminary meetings with representatives from travel agencies to begin explorations of arranging trips for OLLI members. Representatives of two travel companies that specialize in travel for our demographic attended the February 17 meeting. OLLI is very excited about the possibilities of developing a travel program for our members. The travel company representatives at the Board meeting presented information about their programs for both domestic and overseas travel. Stay tuned for more information as we find the best companies to work with and plan exciting trips for all of us.
1105 Reston Spring Fling Lunch & Museum Tour
Wednesday, 12:00- 3:00, April 5 Celebrate the beginning of spring on April 5 in Reston with your hostess OLLI Reston Program Planning Group Chair Anita Lasansky. Enjoy lunch at Montmartre Restaurant, followed by a tour of the Reston Museum, steps from the restaurant.
The cost of lunch is on your own. Parking is free. The restaurant is at 1625 Washington Plaza N, Reston, in the lake Anne Plaza.
Registration is limited to 25 and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that this is a new Special Event, not in the spring catalog. Attendees must register through the member portal.
Special Session: Watercolor Painting–Beginners and Beyond Course
By Christine Narbut, Art and Music Program Planning Group Co‑Chair
Registration has opened for the spring term and both Watercolor Painting and Dabbling Artists are available as options to continue your exploration into applied arts. Drawing and painting have many benefits beyond the finished picture. Entering your own little world of creativity and forgetting outside stressors for a little while is like a mini-vacation for your mind.
This spring, Watercolor Painting-Beginners and Beyond will feature a special session on Snowy Trees April 25 at 2:00, presented by Marni Maree, one of the resident artists at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton.
Marni is originally from Philadelphia, where she went to Moore College of Art and Design. She is mainly a watercolor artist who also paints with oils and mixed media. She has a studio at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton as well as one in her home in Springfield. Marni has earned numerous awards for her watercolors and is a member of the Potomac Valley Watercolorists, Springfield Art Guild, and Virginia Watercolor Society. She teaches many online classes, live workshops, and international travel workshops.
In the Snowy Trees session, you will learn many playful, yet useful, watercolor techniques as you paint colorful, imaginative, beautiful trees. Please register for the Watercolor Painting – Beginners and Beyond to participate in this special presentation. Looking forward to spring and seeing art blooming before our eyes.
OLLI writers—beginners and experienced—take note: OLLI Ink is accepting submissions, including poems, fiction, personal essays, and memoirs, for its 2023 edition.
Now moving into its 13th year, OLLI Ink is a well‑established publication whose contributors come from a wide spectrum of members, including—but not limited to—those enrolled in writing workshops.
How to Submit: Please send your entries and/or any questions to Caroline McNeil at caromcneil@gmail.com.
Guidelines:
entries either as an email attachment or pasted in the body of the email to Caroline McNeil (at caromcneil@gmail.com).
Please limit number of lines to 30.
Please limit number of words to 2,500.
Contributions are welcome through March 15.
Publication: It is expected that OLLI Ink 2023 will be published online again this year, and that hard copies will be mailed to contributors.
The Computer Club (OLLI Personal Computer User Group, or OPCUG) will meet with its partner, the Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society (PATACS), on Saturday, March 18, in person and via Zoom. Coffee, soda, and individual snack packages will be available. Program activities begin at 1:00; the Zoom session usually opens at 12:45.
Bananas at $0.63/lb., the Speed of Light, and Quantum Mechanics – Presented by Lorrin Garson
As of November 16, 2018, all seven of the international basic units have been defined in terms of unchanging, fundamental physical constants. The kilogram (kg), the unit of mass, is the last basic unit to be so defined. The kilogram is now expressed in terms of (1) a specific atomic transition frequency (ΔνCs) that defines the second (s), (2) the speed of light (c), and (3) the Planck constant (h). Huh, you’re thinking? You’ve got to be kidding! The chunk of Pt/Ir metal standard is dead; long live the new kilogram!
Lorrin Garson had a long career in technical publishing of chemical information. His presentations to our computer groups are famous for their thorough research and clarity in explaining topics such as cryptography, encryption of personal data, cloud storage, and the origins of personal computers.
Learn in 30: 2022 Invisible Apps – Presented by John Krout
When you stop using an app on a smart phone or tablet, that app remains in RAM on the device even though you cannot see it. This is true in Apple devices even if you shut down and start up the device later. These can accumulate over time. The result of allowing many apps to remain running in RAM can be a slowdown of the device as well as overuse of the device battery, so the device heats up. This presentation will show you how to identify invisible apps in device RAM, and how to shut down the apps to avoid device speed and heating issues.
John Krout is a frequent presenter at our meetings on a wide range of computer, technology, and photography topics, and author of many articles for the PATACS Posts newsletter.
See full details on this meeting by clicking here. For information on the Computer Club, see the OPCUG Website. OPCUG dues are $5 for 2023—see http://olligmu.org/opcug/comm.html for details on making payment.
To attend via Zoom’s cloud meeting service, beginning at 12:45, please click this link to join the meeting and use passcode 569804 (Note: enter passcode with NO spaces) or enter meeting ID 823 4185 2232 in the Zoom app and use the above passcode (preferred method) or dial in – 301-715-8592.
Great Theater at a Group Rate with Theater Lovers’ Group
By Norma Jean Reck, Theater Lovers' Group Coordinator
CORRECTION: The Theater Lovers' Group (TLG) will attend the 2:00 matinee of How the Light Gets In on Sunday, March 5, at 1st Stage Tysons. The group rate is $40/person. Optional Hibachi-style dinner at nearby Sakura after the show. For details, please email Norma at njreck@cs.com. Free parking.
NEW! On Sunday, March 19, TLG members will attend the 2:00 matinee performance of Silent Sky at Providence Players, located at Route 50 and Annandale Road in Falls Church. Senior tickets are $18. Silent Sky is an inspiring true story about Henrietta Leavit, an astronomer ahead of her time. In 1900, she was hired by Harvard University to map stars but received no scientific credit, which was only attributed to men at the time. She went on to make scientific discoveries that have had a lasting impact on the field of astronomy. Optional dinner after the show at a nearby restaurant. Join us to celebrate women in the month of March. Free parking.
RESCHEDULED: Pacific Overtures at Signature Theatre has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 1, for the 2:00 matinee. Tickets are going fast for this seldom-performed Sondheim musical. Group rate will be about $71/person. The play is based on a true historical event of 1853 when the Americans sent an expeditionary force to open up "The Floating Kingdom" to trade, ending its 200 years of isolation. Sondheim tells the story of Western influence on sailors, samurai, and Japanese society from the Japanese point of view. Optional dinner after the show at a nearby restaurant. Free parking.
All OLLI members and guests are invited to join TLG members on our theatrical outings. Remember Nicole's challenge: Try a new theater this year! If you haven't already done so, then choose one of the above TLG theater outings and join us for a very pleasant afternoon with fellow theater lovers. We carpool, too.
By Marilyn Harriman, OLLI Walk & Talk Club Co-Chair
Valentine’s Day was full of sun and balmy temperatures, and the Walk & Talk Club took advantage at Huntsman Lake Trail in West Springfield. Afterward, most of the group of 23 gathered for a hot beverage and dessert at Chloez Café in Fairfax Station. It was an excellent way to enjoy OLLI friends on the holiday of hearts. On February 24, Vince Modugno led 13 walkers on some interesting trails at Nottoway Park in Vienna.
As the weather turns warmer, the club is planning several one-hour outings in March:
Tuesday, March 7, Dick Crawford will lead a walk at Eleanor C Lawrence Park Trail in Chantilly starting at 10:00.
Monday, March 13, Debby Mossburg will lead walkers on a new stretch of the Gerry Connolly Cross Country Trail at 2:00. We’ll start from Valestra Circle in Oakton.
Tuesday, March 21, under the guidance of Averi Fischer, club members will join other OLLI members on a walking tour of the main campus of George Mason University, beginning at the Visitor Center (registration through the OLLI catalog is required for this walk).
Friday, March 31, walkers will explore more of Mason District Park Trail starting at 9:00 with club member and guide Michael Nephew.
If any of these outings appeal to you, and you’ve not yet registered with the OLLI Walk and Talk Club, Bob Heyer, co-chair, and I invite you to do so for spring 2023. It’s easy! Just sign into your member portal on the OLLI website. Once there, type “OLLI Walk Talk Spring 2023” in the “advanced search options” field, upper right-hand corner, and the club should appear when you click on the GO> button to the right of the field. Be sure to click on the club, so it goes into your cart and then “check out” so your club registration is completed.
Once registered, you will receive updates about upcoming walks, including directions to the trail location and maps. Join us in the fun of walking!
Mason Research Opportunity: StrongerMemory Program
(Phase II)
By Hyun Kang, Ph.D., Mason Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Social Work
Experiences of Older Adults and Caregivers in an Intervention Program for Cognitive Impairment
George Mason University gerontology team invites people aged 60 and over who have cognitive or memory concerns to participate in the StrongerMemory program. This program encourages participants to spend just 20 to 30 minutes a day reading aloud, writing, and quickly completing simple math problems. Our research team will ask you about how the StrongerMemory program has affected your cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning. Participation in this study will involve completing questionnaires before and after the 12-week StrongerMemory program and completing weekly check-in sheets. Upon completion of the post-interview, we will provide a gift card ($75) as compensation for your time and effort.
If you are interested in participating in this study, please complete the questionnaire (use link or QR code below). It is a very brief survey designed to assess your recent experience with cognitive decline. You will be contacted via email if you are eligible to participate.
Thank you for your interest. If you have any questions about the study, please contact Dr. Hyun Kang (hkang31@gmu.edu), Dr. Emily Ihara (eihara@gmu.edu) and/or Dr. Cathy Tompkins (ctompkin@gmu.edu).
By Linda H. Harber, OLLI Member and Friends of Music at Mason President
Please plan to come to George Mason University next week to see two fabulous concerts. First, on Sunday, March 5, at 4:00, in Mason’s Harris Theatre, you can attend the University Singers Concert. Then, on Monday, March 6, at 8:00, at the Center for the Arts, come to the Mason Symphony Orchestra & student concerto soloists in concert.
Please read what the conductor, Dr. Lisa Billingham says about her upcoming March 5 program:
The University Chamber Singers will present Women in Song on March 5, at 4:00 in the Harris Theatre on the Fairfax campus. Please join us for a series of works by female composers. The choir has been working on a work by Vivan Fung based on a Balinese dance called the Kecuk. The students are studying the movement of the Kecuk with a professional dancer, and two guest dancers will be featured as a part of the concert, with thanks to the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, DC, for their support.
Now read what conductor, Dr. Soo Han tells us about his upcoming March 6 program:
The concert opens with Arirang Fantasy by Korean composer Sunghwan Choi. Arirang is without a doubt the most important folk tune in the Korean culture. The most popular work centers around evocations of longing for home, loved ones, and hope for the future. The concert will also feature Dvorak Symphony No. 9 in D minor. As one of the most popular Dvorak symphonies, it has many themes and melodies that the audience will recognize. Finally, the concert will feature one of our Mason Symphony concerto competition winners, Stephen Sim, who will be performing Concertino da Camera for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra by Jacque Ibert. Stephen is one of our four concerto competition winners (three others will be featured in our May concert). He is a brilliant artist and plays with incredible maturity and technical mastery that is beyond impressive – everyone will love seeing and hearing him perform.
Also, please let me (lharber@gmu.edu) know if you want to be on the Friends of Music at Mason (FOMM) email list. You will receive our wonderful Friday FOMM Music Moments and our monthly FOMM News. Please mark your calendar now and come to George Mason University to enjoy the music!
Ars Poetica II
Words like snowflakes fall
through my cold hostile world,
blizzards of words I examine
as if under a microscope.
Emotions embrace my shivering self
some like fiery anger,
others nurturing love.
I compact them with pebbles inside.
From this storm a poem. Carolyn F. Wyatt
Current vaccination policy for the Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center is summarized as follows:
Audience members are not currently required to show proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test result for most events except when required by the event organizer or artist. If proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result is required for a specific event, it will be indicated on the webpage with event details.
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. Information can also be found at CFA ticket purchase page, Center for the Arts YouTube Channel, or the Hylton ticket purchase page.
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra: Jason Vieaux, guitar and Aaron Clay, double bass
Sat, Mar 11 at 8:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: $65, $50, $40.
Virginia Opera: La Traviata
Sat, Mar 11 at 8:00
Sun, Mar 12 at 2:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion featuring Virginia Opera Resident Scholar, Joshua Borths, will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Admission: $ 110, $70, $40.
KODO
Sat, Mar 18 at 8:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Admission: $60, $51, $36.
The Night Knights
Fri, Mar 3 at 8:00
Sat, Mar 4 at 11:00 and 2:00
deLaski Performing Arts Building, A105, TheaterSpace
ASL Interpreted Performance and Talkback on Mar 3 at 8:00
Admission: $10.
University Singers Concert
Sun, Mar 5 at 4:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: $12 Adult, $8 senior.
Composer's Week Recital
Sun, Mar 5 at 6:00
deLaski Performing Arts Building, 3001
Admission: Free.
Symphony Orchestra Concert
Mon, Mar 6 at 8:00
Concert Hall
Admission: $15 Adult, $10 senior.
Feb 21 –Apr 15
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
Admission: Free.
Manassas Symphony Orchestra: Inspirations
Sat, Mar 4 at 7:30
Merchant Hall
Admission: $25.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: Songs We Love
Sun, Mar 5 at 4:00
Merchant Hall
A pre-performance discussion begins one hour prior to the performance.
Admission: $48, $41, $29.
Manassas Ballet Theatre: La Boutique Fantasque & More!
Fri, Mar 10 at 7:30
Sat, Mar 11 at 7:30
Sun, Mar 12 at 3:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $ 65, $55, $45, $35, $25.
Prince William Little Theatre: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Fri, Mar 10 at 8:00
Sat, Mar 11 at 2:00 and 8:00
Sun, Mar 12 at 2:00
Fri, Mar 17 at 8:00
Sat, Mar 18 at 2:00 and 8:00
Sun, Mar 19 at 2:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $25 Adult, $20 senior.
Manassas Chorale: With One Voice
Sat, Mar 18 at 7:30
Merchant Hall
Admission: $25, $23.
Dervish
Sun, Mar 19 at 4:00
Merchant Hall
A pre-performance discussion begins one hour prior to the performance.
Admission: $48, $41, $29.
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 Mar 4
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Mar 6
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Mah Jongg Club
Poetry Reading Club
Tue Mar 7
9:30 am
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Annex Art
Spanish Club
Tai Chi Club
Wed Mar 8
10:00 am
10:30 am
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
6:00 pm
Bridge Club
Investment Forum
Memoir and More Writing Group
Mah Jongg Club
Ethnic Eats Club
Thu Mar 9
11:50 am
12:15 pm
4:30 pm
All the News
Excursion Committee
Tai Chi Club
Fri Mar 10
9:30 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
2:30 pm
Photography Club
Craft and Conversation
Homer, etc.
Cooking Club
Tallwood Book Club
Sat Mar 11
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Mar 13
9:30 am
11:00 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Poetry Writing Club
Tue Mar 14
9:30 am
4:30 pm
Annex Art
Tai Chi Club
Wed Mar 15
10:00 am
10:30 am
Bridge Club
Investment Forum
Thu Mar 16
11:50 am
4:30 pm
All the News
Tai Chi Club
Fri Mar 17
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
Craft and Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
Homer, etc.
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, Linda Randall, Tom Appich, Jane Hassell
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. Search E-News: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News at ENews Archives. To search the content within issues, use Search or enter your search term(s) in Google followed by “site:olli.gmu.edu/” without the quotes. An Amazon Smile Link appears here. When you shop using the Smile link designating OLLI as your charitable choice, we'll receive a 0.5 % donation, based on the value of your purchase.
On February 1, Dr. Robert Erlich, Former Mason Physics Professor,
Discussed How to End the Risk of Nuclear War
February 17, 2023
Editor of the Week: John Nash
Table of Contents
Alerts & Notices
Reminder: Meeting of the Computer Club, Saturday, February 18 (tomorrow), at 1:00, via Zoom. For details click this link; the Zoom link will also appear in the OLLI daily schedule email.
Reminder: Mason Jazz Festival, Saturday, February 18, all day, in Mason’s Harris Theatre, free and open to the public. See article below.
Spring-term registration begins February 21 at 9:00 and continues throughout the term; spring term is March 27 through May 19.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, March 3; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, February 28, at 6:00.
Nominating Committee Seeks
Board of Directors Candidates
By Marilyn Harriman, Board Member and Nominating Committee Chair
As five OLLI Board of Directors members end their three-year terms of office in May, the Nominating Committee is seeking candidates for the spring general election to fill their positions.
To be considered as a director candidate, qualifications include the member having the willingness to contribute energy, ideas, and time in support of OLLI and a desire to assume an active role in the governance of our organization.
Being a Board member is a great way to play an active role in OLLI’s transition to our future “new normal.” It’s also a great way to learn more about the inner workings of OLLI and meet other members.
Currently, Board members are working to increase membership and energize members in Northern Virginia to attend more in-person classes and events. Board members are also planning ways to optimize our Zoom program planning. There is also a need in the areas of marketing, finance, and fundraising.
If you are interested in being a Board member, want to help OLLI reach its goals, desire further information, or would like to nominate another OLLI Board member, please get in touch with the Nominating Committee chair, Marilyn Harriman, at mlwharriman74@gmail.com.
It’s in Your Hands!
By Debby Mossburg, Outreach Committee Chair
Did you know that YOU can help OLLI to expand membership to keep us financially healthy and make a great program greater? A short piece that advertises the OLLI program has been approved and run in neighborhood newsletters at no cost and with good success. Would you be willing to make a phone call or send an email to have that same piece run in your neighborhood newsletter?
If you can help, we'll send you a PDF of the article with George Mason and OLLI logos. To follow up, or for any questions you may have, please contact Jim Dann at jimandsue70@gmail.com (phone: 703-690-7982), or Debby Mossburg at debby.mossburg@verizon.net (phone: 703-973-8080).
You’ve got the power to make a real difference! Thanks.
Editor’s Note: This article appears on a semi-regular basis to encourage your support of OLLI’s outreach program help recruit new members. Thank you.
Jazz Events Reminder By Darden Purcell, D.M.A., Mason Director of Jazz Studies,Jazz Voice
The Mason Jazz Festival is coming up on Saturday, February 18 (tomorrow), from 10:00 in the morning until 10:00 in the evening in the Harris Theatre on the Mason campus. It is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.
Also, later this month, the Mason Jazz Faculty return to Washington’s historic Blues Alley, in shows at 7:00 and 9:00 on Monday, February 27. For tickets, click this link.
Arriving with the summer, the Mason Jazz Camp will be held June 19-23. For registration and camp details, click here.
Help Bring More Music and Art to OLLI
By Marianne Metz, Music and Art Program Planning Group Co-Chair
As winter term 2023 ends, OLLI program planners are busy planning classes for fall 2023 and winter 2024. Our Art and Music Program Planning Group will meet on Tuesday, February 28. We need your help!
Is there a topic in music, dance, film, architecture, painting, photography, or other visual arts that particularly interests you? Why not take the plunge and turn that interest into an OLLI class? If you’re not sure of the steps to take, start by joining the February 28 meeting to talk about it.
Or perhaps you have a family member or friend whose special passion could fuel an OLLI class. Or maybe you’d simply like an inside look into the process that creates our wonderful panoply of classes. (It’s much prettier than sausage-making.) In any case, you’ll enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded arts enthusiasts. We welcome new ideas and new people and would love to meet you.
The planning meeting will be held via Zoom at 10:00 on February 28. Zoom information will appear in that day’s daily-schedule email. In the meantime, if you have questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to contact any of the Art and Music Program Planning Co-Chairs:
There is a corrected course description for spring OLLI class F405Z: Contemporary Italian Novels and Memoirs (English), eight sessions scheduled for Thursdays, 2:15 to 3:40. Some of the books to be reviewed have changed from those published in the spring catalog.
In this course, participants will read and discuss a group of Italian works to better understand the culture, history, and politics of Italy. These works will include: Natalia Ginzburg's memoir, The Family Lexicon (1963), which takes place in Turin and Rome before, during, and after WWII; Carlo Levi’s Christ Stopped at Eboli, a memoir of his time in exile in WWII (1947); Primo Levi's Periodic Table (1984), a memoir of his using the periodic tables wittily; Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend, the first of the Neapolitan Quartet books (2012); a non-fiction essay on life writing by Iris Origo and poetry by Elsa Morante (both sent via attachment). The course will have as subthemes Italian-Jewish writing, WWII, women’s and life-writing.
George Mason School of Theater Proudly Presents The Night Knights
By Ruth Yamamoto, Production Manager/Adjunct Faculty Mason School of Theater
Looking for a play to enjoy with your grandchildren? Follow The Night Knights on their quest to put the kingdom to bed. What story will the princess want to hear tonight? Will the dragon need a glass of water? This order of knights is prepared for any bedtime demand. But will they ever get to go to sleep?
Designed for younger audiences, this whimsical, family-friendly play brings the battle for bedtime to silly, exuberant life. Created by Mimsi Janis and devised by The Mason Players from favorite fairy tales and bedtime stories, don’t miss this world premiere, with a sensory-friendly performance on March 4 at 11:00.
Directed by Mimsi Janis
March 3* at 8:00 in TheaterSpace (deLaski Building)
March 4 at 11:00** and 2:00***
Tickets $10: Click here
*ASL interpreted and talkback to follow
** Sensory friendly
*** Audio described
Join the Theater Lovers' Group for an Outing at a Group Rate
By Norma Jean Reck, Coordinator, Theater Lovers’ Group
On Sunday, March 5, you and your guests are invited to join members of the Theater Lovers’ Group to attend the 2:00 matinee performance of How the Light Gets In at 1st Stage Tysons. The play, set in a peaceful Japanese garden and told as a Japanese fairytale, tells how four disparate people find a way to build a community of healing and hope. The theater is located at 1524 Spring Hill Road, Tysons. Plenty of free parking.
As we go to press, the tickets are $40/person, the group rate for ten attendees. If we have a group of 15 people, the cost will be $37/person.
In keeping with the Japanese theme, we will enjoy a Hibachi-style dinner at Sakura Restaurant, not far from 1st Stage Theater. Dinner (cooked in front of you) is optional.
If interested, please email Norma at njreck@cs.com ASAP, as reservations for tickets and dinner are being made now.
Thanks to Mary Mudd for taking this photo of Theater Lovers and their guests enjoying lively conversation and a yummy lunch at the Ornery Beer Co. before attending a wonderful musical performance of the Mason Cabaret at Harriman Theater on the Mason campus, February 4. A very fun afternoon was had by all!
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 February 22 at 4:00. Our chosen topic this week is “Who Was Louise Weiss?”
Are you familiar with Louise Weiss and her contributions to 20th century European culture? (Doris had never heard of her until a few months ago, so if you haven’t either, you are not alone.) She was an amazing woman, particularly for her time. Depending on our participants and their knowledge of Ms. Weiss, we will either host a mini-history presentation to explain what she did OR we will discuss her and perhaps other women who never gained longterm recognition. Your contributions are always welcome.
Check your daily schedule email for the Zoom link on Wednesdays and plan on some social time with Team Bloch.
OLLI depends on its volunteers! If you enjoy meeting people and
want to learn more about what makes OLLI “tick,” this is the job
for you.
As we start in-person and hybrid classes again this spring,
volunteers are needed to help in the OLLI office. This is a great
volunteer activity for both members who have been around for
years and “newbies” who want to get involved.
Greeting visitors, answering the phone, mailing out catalogs, and
just helping staff where needed; there is no time commitment –
we work around your schedule of classes. Once/month,
once/week – it can be whatever works for you!
If you think that this might be of interest and you would like
more information, contact Toni Acton, Chair, Member Services
Committee at jacton1@cox.net or 703-250-0404. Thanks!
The February 2023 Photo of the Month theme was Life at Home in Your Neighborhood. We selected Rosemary Lubinski's photo "First Thanksgiving" which may also be viewed at this page this page. To view other photos by members of the Photography Club, visit the club's photo website.
-- By John Olsen and Ed Marion, Photography Club Coordinators
While you drag the wheels of your chariot across the creaky floor in the otherwise silent midnight hour, I envy your willingness to keep moving in spite of the advance of time and the inevitability of death.
I admire your dogged
persistence and your all too rare ability to believe you are alone in the world.
How I wish I could forget the tiresome judgements of others and live out the rest of my days in a state of blissful ignorance.
Current vaccination policy for the Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center is summarized as follows:
Audience members are not currently required to show proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test result for most events except when required by the event organizer or artist. If proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result is required for a specific event, it will be indicated on the webpage with event details.
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. Information can also be found at CFA ticket purchase page, Center for the Arts YouTube Channel, or the Hylton ticket purchase page.
Mason Jazz Festival 2023
Sat, Feb 18, 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
The Ben Patterson "Way of the Groove,” 1:00
United States Navy Band Commodores, 7:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: Free.
Doug Varone and Dancers: Somewhere; Aperture/Short Story; Double Octet
Sat, Feb 18, 8:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
After the performance, Doug Varone will participate in a post-performance discussion from the stage.
Admission: $48, $41, $29.
Voctave: The Corner of Broadway and Main Street
Sun, Feb 19, 4:00
Concert Hall
After the performance, Doug Varone will participate in a post-performance discussion from the stage.
Admission: $50, $43, $30.
Chloé Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies LIVE! Sat, Feb 25, 8:00 Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
After the performance the artists will participate in a post-performance discussion from the stage.
Admission: $48, $41, $29.
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel: Musical Valentines Sun, Feb 26, 7:00 Concert Hall A pre-performance “Young Artist Musicale,” featuring piano students of Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association members, will take place from 6:00-6:30 in the main lobby. Admission: $50, $43, $29.
11th Annual Prince William County Public Schools Student Exhibition
Through Feb 18
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
Admission: Free.
Eric Garner: Multiple Repeat Mistakes Feb 21–Apr 15 Hylton Performing Arts Center, Buchanan Partners Art Gallery Admission: Free.
Virginia National Ballet: Aladdin Sun, Feb 19, 3:00 Merchant Hall Admission: $45, $40, $35.
Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience Sat, Feb 25, 5:30 and 8:00 Gregory Family Theater Admission: $30.
L.A. Theater Works: Lucy Loves Desi, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Sitcom Sun, Feb 26, 4:00 Merchant Hall A pre-performance discussion begins one hour prior to the performance. Admission: $46, $39, $28.
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. 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 Feb 18
10:30 am
1:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Personal Computer User Group
Mon Feb 20
9:30 am
11:00 am
Presidents' Day: OLLI Office Closed
What’s in the Daily News?
Poetry Reading Club
Tue Feb 21
9:30 am
4:30 pm
Annex Art
Tai Chi Club
Wed Feb 22
10:00 am
10:30 am
2:00 pm
Mah Jongg Club
Investment Forum
Memoir and More Writing Group
Thu Feb 23
11:50 am
4:30 pm
All the News
Tai Chi Club
Fri Feb 24
9:30 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
Craft and Conversation
Homer, etc.
Photography Club
Sat Feb 25
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Feb 27
9:30 am
11:00 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Poetry Writing Club
Tue Feb 28
9:30 am
4:30 pm
Annex Art
Tai Chi Club
Wed Mar 1
10:00 am
10:00 am
10:30 am
Bridge Club
History Club
Investment Forum
Thu Mar 2
10:00 am
11:50 am
4:30 pm
Diversions Committee Meeting
All the News
Tai Chi Club
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, Linda Randall, Tom Appich, Jane Hassell
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. Search E-News: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News at ENews Archives. To search the content within issues, use Search or enter your search term(s) in Google followed by “site:olli.gmu.edu/” without the quotes. An Amazon Smile Link appears here. When you shop using the Smile link designating OLLI as your charitable choice, we'll receive a 0.5 % donation, based on the value of your purchase.
Dr. Jane Flinn, Associate Professor of Psychology at Mason, Provided a Very Informative Review of the Causes, Consequences, and Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, February 2. Watch for the Recorded Video on the OLLI Website.
Nominations Open for 2023 Board of Directors Election
By Marilyn Harriman, Board Member, and Nominating Committee Chair
The OLLI Board of Directors Nominating Committee is recruiting candidates from our members for the 2023 Board of Directors. This year, five new board members will be elected to replace members whose terms are ending. Board members serve three-year terms of office.
The only prerequisite to becoming a candidate for election to the board is being an OLLI member who wants to contribute ideas and enjoys volunteering.
Being a Board member is a great way to play an active role in OLLI Mason's transition to our future “new normal.” It’s also a great way to learn more about the inner workings of OLLI and meet other members.
The Board meets monthly in person/on Zoom during the year except in December, May (annual membership meeting), and August.
Currently, Board members are working to increase membership and energize members in Northern Virginia to attend more in-person classes and events. Board members are planning ways to optimize our Zoom program planning. There is also a need in the areas of marketing, finance, and fundraising.
If you are interested in being a Board member, want further information, or would like to nominate another OLLI member, please contact the Nominating Chair, Marilyn Harriman, at mlwharriman74@gmail.com.
Friends, Countrymen, Give Us Your Ideas!
By Bernie Oppel, History Program Planning Group Co-Chair
The History Program Planning Group at OLLI has been fortunate over the years to receive many good course suggestions, and to have many excellent volunteer instructors, allowing for an extensive array of history courses offered each OLLI session.
Recent OLLI member surveys indicate strong interest in broadening the scope and depth of our history offerings, proposing courses in areas such as Greece and Rome, China, Japan, Australia, Russia, art history, and the Korean War.
These are great ideas to expand the list of compelling OLLI history courses! Ideas are good; we also need instructors! Do you have a topic that inspires you and that you believe would interest OLLI members? Are you willing to share your interest and knowledge and become a volunteer OLLI instructor? Do you have friends or acquaintances with unique knowledge about a topic who might be willing to be an OLLI instructor? Recruit them! We’re also looking for instructors to teach the topics in the areas listed above. Instructors get technical support from OLLI for both in-person and Zoom classes.
Planning for fall term 2023 and winter term 2024 is now in progress. We’d love your input!
Even better, if you’re willing to volunteer to teach a course, use the Course Proposal Form on the OLLI website.
Or send your suggestions to any of the History Program Planning Group members:
In December 2022, OLLI received three generous contributions from long-time members, of $4,000, $5,000, and $20,000. OLLI regularly receives contributions used to support Mason student scholarships and to support the OLLI budget. These large contributions will help OLLI navigate the changes to programming and delivering courses made necessary by the pandemic. We are grateful for these gifts.
OLLI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and contributions are tax deductible to the donors. Contributions can be made through Qualified Charitable Distributions from retirement accounts, Donor Advised Funds, or in your will. OLLI staff can assist donors using these methods to give. Donors of such gifts made to Osher Lifelong Institute at George Mason University are identified as “Friends of OLLI” (FOLLI).
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 February 15 at 4:00. Our chosen topic this week is “Centenarians.”
The Washington Post (WaPo) recently ran an article about folks who achieved the age of 100 and over. The oldest person in the world, a French nun, recently passed away at age 118, leaving two 115-year-olds as the current record holders. There are 593,000 known centenarians around the world as of 2022, with the largest numbers living in the US and Japan. A professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago plans to launch an online app where people can upload data from a genetic testing service to identify their likelihood of exceptional longevity and plan accordingly. But genes are only about 25% of the picture. What are the pros and cons of such a long life and what is your own opinion on this “trend”? Would you want to know your odds in advance?
Check your daily‑schedule email for the Zoom link on Wednesdays and plan on some social time with Team Bloch.
Shhhh! It’s a Secret! Let’s Change That: A Message from Your OLLI Outreach Committee
By Debby Mossburg, Outreach Committee Chair
The Outreach Committee is currently expanding efforts to increase membership to help address important projected budget considerations.
We hope you'll agree that joining the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University was among the best decisions you made when retired or nearing retirement. Members soon learn that the organization provides both great value and numerous opportunities to stimulate their intellectual curiosity. With this in mind, we are reaching out to request your assistance to tell future and current retirees and other seniors about OLLI.
Can you help us reach out to the organizations you've been a part of? These could be government, professional, military or any other educational or social groups whose members might be interested in learning about OLLI. We have presentations ready to go for your organization and volunteers eager to present them.
Please let us know if you would be willing to connect us with your organization so that we can offer a presentation about OLLI to its members. Email (Subject Line: Outreach Committee) or phone either Debby Mossburg (debby.mossburg@verizon.net/703-973-8080) or Jerry Schrager (schragjerm@aol.com /703-241-4560).
OLLI Walk & Talk Club News Walk & Talk Club Plans Valentine's Day Hike
By Marilyn Harriman, Walk & Talk Club Co‑Chair
The OLLI Walk & Talk Club plans a light hike on the trails around Huntsman Lake, off Dorothy Lane in West Springfield, on February 14 at 2:00. After our 50–60 minute trek, those who would like continued conversation and beverage will meet at Chloez Café, 5622 Ox Road, Unit F, Fairfax Station.
Not in the club, but want to join? It’s easy! Just register through the OLLI member portal. In the search engine, type “OLLI Walk Talk Winter 2023.” Club members receive specific parking and orientation details.
Coffee at Tous Les Jours Café, Annandale
By Bob Heyer, Walk & Talk Club Co‑Chair
On Friday, February 3, the OLLI Walk & Talk Club had planned an excursion led by Michael Nephew along a different trail through Mason District Park, starting at the parking lot near the tennis courts. However, discretion was the better part of valor when we found the weather too cold and windy, so we went straight to the Tous Les Jours Café in Annandale for coffee and conversation. And fun was had by all with a beautiful selection of confections and coffee in the recently opened café. The café was packed with people, and our biggest challenge was corralling fourteen chairs. So, we split into two groups, thanks to some very polite customers around us, and had a wonderful time trading many tales about our past winter ventures when we were young and cold was not part of our vocabulary. (Photos by Marilyn Harriman)
The Computer Club (OLLI Personal Computer User Group, or OPCUG) will meet with its partner, the Potomac Area Technology and Computer Society (PATACS), on Saturday, February 18, via Zoom. Program begins at 1:00; the Zoom session usually opens at 12:45.
Death by a Thousand Clicks: A Backdoor Look at the Mighty Electronic Health Record – Presented by Michele Romano, MD
The technology tsunami continues worldwide, and no more so than in the healthcare field. We have tools for diagnosis, management, prevention, treatment, and communication that would not be possible without today’s computer capabilities. This talk is a deep dive into one aspect which affects the lives of patients and providers alike: the Electronic Health Record (EHR). It not only stores your health information, but it also captures vast amounts of data for public health and socioeconomic issues. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Dr. Michele Romano is a retired family physician and associate clinical professor at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia. She has an undergraduate degree in biology and received her medical degree from VCU. She has over 25 years of experience in family medicine.
Learn in 30: 2022 Presentation Updates – Presented by John Krout
This Learn in 30 will provide useful updates on three of John's 2022 presentations:
Internet Radio on the Road, Safely (April 2022);
Record 4K resolution Video with your Smart Phone (May 2022)
Stream Audio from your Computer (August 2022).
Changes and improvements are available for each of those topics, and John will provide details. If you missed any of these original 2022 presentations, then you will learn how to see the original presentation videos and slide deck PDFs.
John Krout is a frequent presenter at our meetings on a wide range of computer, technology, and photography topics, and author of many articles for the PATACS Posts newsletter.
To attend via Zoom’s cloud meeting service, beginning at 12:45, please click this link to join the meeting and use passcode 085407 (Note: enter passcode with NO spaces) or enter meeting ID 860 4783 3447 in the Zoom app and use the above passcode (preferred method) or dial in – 301-715-8592.
OLLI-Mason welcomes Paulette Rainie who will be teaching 1201Z Gentle Stretch on Wednesday mornings February 22-March 22, 8:30-9:20. Participants should have a mat (or comfortable way to lie down) and a strap (yoga, strap, old tie, or long towel will do). Registration is via the member portal at this link. For questions, contact Bonnie Nelson at bonniebowmannelson@gmail.com. (Photo courtesy of Paulette Rainie).
By Darden Purcell, D.M.A., Mason Director of Jazz Studies, Jazz Voice
Reminder: the Mason Jazz Festival is coming up on Saturday, February 18, 10:00 am – 10:00 pm in the Harris Theatre on the Mason campus. It is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.
Also this month, the Mason jazz faculty return to Washington’s historic Blues Alley. There will be 7:00 and 9:00 shows on Monday, February 27. For tickets, click this link.
The Mason Jazz Camp will be held June 19‑23. For registration and camp details, click here.
Hitchhiking,
I didn’t get to Orrville until 4 pm.
Railroad hoboes were gathered around a fire,
just far enough from the train yard to avoid intervention.
Something in a smoke-scorched tin sat bubbling in the coals.
A brown-bagged bottle of something else was being passed from man to man.
In my beard, long hair, and bellbottoms, I felt uneasy, but joined them.
They greeted me, passed the bottle.
I smiled, passed it on, without drinking.
They didn’t seem to care.
“Anybody know about the train to Portola,” I asked.
One of the men said, “Yeah. Be here around 5.”
“How will I know it?”
I’ll tell you.”
“Thanks.”
“Ever rode before?”
“No. Any tips?”
“Pick a flat car. Ride under the deck, over the wheels. Protect you from the weather.”
“Weather?”
“Yeah. You’ll get some snow going over the mountain.”
“What about a box car?”
“Never know what you’ll find in a box car.”
He turned to talk to someone else.
You never know what you’ll find anywhere, I thought to myself.
Current vaccination policy for the Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center is summarized as follows:
Audience members are not currently required to show proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test result for most events except when required by the event organizer or artist. If proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result is required for a specific event, it will be indicated on the webpage with event details.
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. Information can also be found at CFA ticket purchase page, Center for the Arts YouTube Channel, or the Hylton ticket purchase page.
A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Admission: $70, $60, $45.
Mason Jazz Festival 2023
Sat, Feb 18, 10:00 (am) - 10:00 (pm)
The Ben Patterson "Way of the Groove,” 1:00
United States Navy Band Commodores, 7:00
Harris Theatre
Admission: Free.
Doug Varone and Dancers: Somewhere; Aperture/Short Story; Double Octet
Sat, Feb 18, 8:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
After the performance, Doug Varone will participate in a post-performance discussion from the stage.
Admission: $48, $41, $29.
Voctave: The Corner of Broadway and Main Street Sun, Feb 19, 4:00
Concert Hall
After the performance, Doug Varone will participate in a post-performance discussion from the stage.
11th Annual Prince William County Public Schools Student Exhibition
Through Feb 18
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
Admission: Free.
Mason School of Theater: Mason Cabaret in Concert
Fri, Feb 10, 8:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $30 Adult, $15 senior.
Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble, Pepperland
Sat, Feb 11, 8:00
Merchant Hall
A pre-performance discussion with Company Director Sam Black begins one hour prior to the performance.
A post-performance discussion following Pepperland will be held on Merchant Hall stage with Mark Morris, choreographer and founder of the Mark Morris Dance Group, and with Pepperland composer, Ethan Iverson.
Admission: $55, $47, $33.
Llama Llama Live
Sun, Feb 12, 1:00 and 4:00
Merchant Hall
Wear your favorite pajamas to the performance and be sure to join us for activities from 12:00 to 12:45 and 3:00 to 3:45, including a family story time in the Jacquemin Family Foundation Rehearsal Room! Admission: $15.
Virginia National Ballet: Aladdin
Sun, Feb 19, 3:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $45, $40, $35.
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 Feb 11
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Feb 13
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Feb 14
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Walk & Talk Club
Spanish Club
Tai Chi Club
Wed Feb 15
4:00 pm
Mah Jongg Club
Thu Feb 16
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Feb 17
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
Craft and Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Sat Feb 18
10:30 am
1:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Personal Computer User Group
Mon Feb 20
9:30 am
11:00 am
OLLI Office Closed
What’s in the Daily News?
Poetry Reading Club
Tue Feb 21
9:30 am
4:30 pm
Annex Art
Tai Chi Club
Wed Feb 22
10:00 am
10:30 am
2:00 pm
Mah Jongg Club
Investment Forum
Memoir and More Writing Group
Thu Feb 23
11:50 am
4:30 pm
All the News
Tai Chi Club
Fri Feb 24
9:30 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
Craft and Conversation
Homer, etc.
Photography Club
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, Linda Randall, Tom Appich, Jane Hassell
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. Search E-News: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News at ENews Archives. To search the content within issues, use Search or enter your search term(s) in Google followed by “site:olli.gmu.edu/” without the quotes. An Amazon Smile Link appears here. When you shop using the Smile link designating OLLI as your charitable choice, we'll receive a 0.5 % donation, based on the value of your purchase.
Did you know that YOU can help OLLI to expand membership to keep us financially healthy and make a great program greater? A short piece that advertises the OLLI program has been approved and run in neighborhood newsletters at no cost and with good success. Would you be willing to make a phone call or send an email to have that same piece run in your neighborhood newsletter?
If you can help, we'll send you a PDF of the article with George Mason and OLLI logos. To follow up, or for any questions you may have, please contact Jim Dann at jimandsue70@gmail.com (phone: 703-690-7982), or Debby Mossburg at debby.mossburg@verizon.net (phone: 703-973-8080).
You’ve got the power to make a real difference! Thanks.
OLLI Ink Needs Your Poetry and Prose for its 2023 Edition!
By Caroline McNeil, OLLI Ink Editor
OLLI writers—beginners and experienced—take note: here’s your chance to get your poetry and prose published. OLLI Ink is now accepting submissions, including poems, fiction, personal essays, memoirs, and more for its 2023 edition.
Now moving into its 13th year, OLLI Ink is a well-established publication whose contributors come from a wide spectrum of OLLI members, including, but not limited to, those enrolled in writing workshops.
How to Submit: Please send your entries and/or any questions to Caroline McNeil at caromcneil@gmail.com.
Guidelines:
Poems – limit the number of lines to 30
Prose – limit the number of words to 2,500, single-spaced.
Contributions are welcome through the end of February.
The Tallwood Book Club holds its monthly Zoom meeting on the second Friday of each month from 2:30 to 4:00. The Zoom link appears in the daily schedule email. The February 10 meeting will discuss The Children Act by Ian McEwan.
The March discussion will be on Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks.
On Monday, January 23, as the sun banished the rain, Carol Esteki and Yen Tra led six Walk & Talk Club members into the woods of Fred Crabtree Park in Herndon. The well-marked trail surfaces were still muddy from the rain, and leaf-covered, but manageable.
As we ventured down the first steeper hill, the trail opened onto a beautiful stream flowing swiftly around large river rocks, a peaceful and picturesque scene. As we proceeded down the trail, we found a beautiful forest of Virginia holly trees with various green clubmosses on the ground sprouting up through the fallen leaves. We often stopped along the way to admire the many tall trees. Some fallen trees and stumps provided “holes and havens” for small birds and forest creatures. Although we didn’t see any deer or foxes, it was obvious that they were around. We made a figure 8 in trails and emerged back at the soccer field parking lot after two miles and a little over an hour. (Photo by Bob Heyer January 23, 2023)
Time for coffee and more conversation, so we headed to Le Vingt-Trois Café & Bakery in Herndon. The café was named “23” in French by the owner as it was his lucky number. For us, we were there on January 23, 2023, so it was our “lucky day” as well, being sunny in the middle of winter and comfortable outside. Thanks to our walk leaders Carol and Yen, it was a most enjoyable and beautiful walk through the woods and a great session at the Le Vingt-Trois Café & Bakery with eats, treats, and friendly conversations.
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 February 8 at 4:00. Our chosen topic this week is “Plastics and their Ubiquity.”
Do you know what your life might be without plastics? Very different, for sure. Go back to the 1940s or 1950s and think about it. (And if you weren’t born yet in the 1950s, my apologies.) Cars made of all metal. Cellophane wrappers – oh, wait, isn’t cellophane a plastic material, too? Hair combs made of?? Razors made of?? Glass soda bottles? It boggles the mind.
Did you know that there is a Plastics Historical Society, based in London England? You do now!
Check your OLLI daily schedule for the Zoom link on Wednesdays and plan on some social time with Team Bloch.
Upcoming Mason Jazz Events in February and Spring Term
By Darden Purcell, D.M.A., Mason Director of Jazz Studies, Jazz Voice
Here are some great Mason jazz events coming up, a couple this month and the highly anticipated Mason Jazz Camp in June. Mark your calendars.
MASON JAZZ FESTIVAL
Saturday, February 18
10:00 (am) - 10:00 (pm)
Harris Theatre
Free and Open to the Public
For more information, click here.
The Mason Jazz Festival is an invitational event open to middle school, high school, collegiate, and community Jazz ensembles. This festival will take place Saturday, February 18, 2023, on the George Mason University Fairfax campus. Community members can attend concerts of the high school bands as well as our guest groups, the Ben Patterson Group and US Navy Band Commodores! Special appearance by the Mason Jazz Ensemble, directed by Jim Carroll!
MASON JAZZ FACULTY at BLUES ALLEY
Monday, February 27
7:00 and 9:00 Shows
Tickets: Click this link.
Jazz Faculty from George Mason University return to Washington D.C.'s historic Blues Alley! Our faculty are well-respected performers and dedicated educators, current and former members of the Washington D.C. military bands as well as staples in the DC jazz scene. They have toured nationally and internationally, conducted masterclasses at universities, camps, and workshops nation-wide, and contributed to books and videos about jazz education.
The Mason Jazz faculty are Wade Beach (piano), Graham Breedlove (trumpet), Jim Carroll (saxophone), Aaron Eckert (trombone), John Kocur (saxophone), Kevin McDonald (drums), Xavier Perez (saxophone), Zack Pride (bass), Victor Provost (steel pan), Darden Purcell (voice), Shawn Purcell (guitar) and Rick Whitehead (guitar).
MASON JAZZ CAMP
June 19-23, 2023
Responsible people of all ages are welcome to attend.
For registration and camp details, click here.
The Mason Jazz Camp, held on the George Mason University Fairfax Campus, is an inclusive, intensive program, for musicians (instrumental and vocal) of all levels with a desire to advance their musical artistry and professionalism. The Mason Jazz Camp offers classes in improvisation, jazz theory, ear training, performance practice (big bands and combos), composition, arranging and jazz history. Students have the opportunity to study and participate in master classes and concerts with leading educators and performers in the Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland region.
For tickets for either Center for the Arts Concert Hall (CFA) or HyltonCenter, 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.
Current vaccination policy for the Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center is summarized as follows:
Audience members are not currently required to show proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test result for most events except when required by the event organizer or artist. If proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result is required for a specific event, it will be indicated on the webpage with event details.
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. Information can also be found at CFA ticket purchase page, Center for the Arts YouTube Channel, or the Hylton ticket purchase page.
A pre-performance discussion featuring Virginia Opera Resident Scholar, Joshua Borths, will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
On Feb 4, PEN/Faulkner Award finalist Thomas Mallon, author of the 2007 novel Fellow Travelers, on which this opera is based, will participate in a post-performance discussion from the stage.
On Feb 5, Virginia Opera Resident Scholar Joshua Borths will lead a post-performance discussion with the artists in the Center for the Arts main lobby.
Admission: $110, $70, $40.
Sankofa Danzafro: The City of Others
Sat, Feb 6, 8:00
Admission: $15-$45, Pay-What-You-Wish in $5 increments. This is an on-line presentation. (click here).
11th Annual Prince William County Public Schools Student Exhibition
Through Feb 18
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
Admission: Free.
Machine de Cirque
Sat, Feb 4, 8:00
Sun, Feb 5, 2:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $48, $41, $29.
Mason School of Theater: Mason Cabaret in Concert
Fri, Feb 10, 8:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $30 Adult, $15 senior.
Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble, Pepperland
Sat, Feb 11, 8:00
Merchant Hall
A pre-performance discussion with Company Director Sam Black begins one hour prior to the performance.
A post-performance discussion following Pepperland will be held on Merchant Hall stage with Mark Morris, choreographer and founder of the Mark Morris Dance Group, and with Pepperland composer, Ethan Iverson.
Admission: $55, $47, $33.
Llama Llama Live
Sun, Feb 12, 1:00 and 4:00
Merchant Hall
Wear your favorite pajamas to the performance and be sure to join us for activities from 12:00 to 12:45 and 3:00 to 3:45, including a family story time in the Jacquemin Family Foundation Rehearsal Room! Admission: $15.
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 Feb 4
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Feb 6
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Feb 7
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Wed Feb 8
1:45 pm
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
6:00 pm
Spanish Club
Memoir and More Writing Group
Mah Jongg Club
Ethnic Eats Club
Thu Feb 9
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Feb 10
9:30 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
2:30 pm
Photography Club
Craft and Conversation
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Cooking Club
Tallwood Book Club
Sat Feb 11
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Feb 13
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Feb 14
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Walk & Talk Club
Spanish Club
Tai Chi Club
Wed Feb 15
4:00 pm
Mah Jongg Club
Thu Feb 16
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Feb 17
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
Craft and Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
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, Linda Randall, Tom Appich, Jane Hassell
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. Search E-News: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News at ENews Archives. To search the content within issues, use Search or enter your search term(s) in Google followed by “site:olli.gmu.edu/” without the quotes. An Amazon Smile Link appears here. When you shop using the Smile link designating OLLI as your charitable choice, we'll receive a 0.5 % donation, based on the value of your purchase.
Note: At this time, OLLI staff are no longer checking COVID vaccination cards. For any in-person activities, masks continue to remain optional, but members who wish to wear them are welcome to do so. (Of course, for the 2023 winter term, classes are virtual only.)
Note: The Mason music academy has a program to receive donations of old musical instruments. If you have an instrument to donate that you think might be suitable, click here.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published Friday, February 3; the regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, January 31, at 6:00.
January Board Meeting Highlights By Gloria Loew, Secretary
Photo by Paul Van Hemel January 20, 2023
The OLLI Board of Directors met at Tallwood on January 20. Some of the key topics discussed were:
President Lillian Brooks and ED Jennifer Disano have begun talking with several senior living community organizations in the area to explore ways in which we might offer our programming to them through a mutually beneficial association.
The Board continues to work on activities from the strategic plan to strengthen our organization.
A resolution was approved to appoint Marilyn Harriman to chair the Nominating Committee that will develop a slate of candidates for the five new Board members who will be elected this spring.
The Board discussed the updated COVID guidelines developed for members by the Health Advisory Workgroup consistent with GMU and CDC guidelines of Mason and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A resolution was passed to approve the OLLI budget for 2023.
By Michele Romano, MD, Health Advisory Work Group Chair
Winter has arrived with all its winter viruses including COVID. Historically, winter virus season is over by mid-March, just in time for OLLI spring term.
To prevent infection, slow transmission, and protect yourself, individuals should follow the latest CDC guidelines: What to Do If You Were Exposed to COVID-19 | CDC. The key is to stay home if you do not feel well.
XBB 1.5 is now the predominant COVID variant in the U.S. It is so contagious that most of us will be exposed to it this winter. The good news is that very few people are getting seriously ill or dying from it. Per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, people who have been exposed but are asymptomatic should wear a good mask (N95, KN95) indoors and around others for 10 days. There is no need to isolate just for exposure. Do test on day 6, though, to be sure you are still negative.
When OLLI welcomes everyone back for in-person classes in spring, you will see some changes on the OLLI Health and Safety Protocols link. All members are still required to personally attest that they are fully vaccinated against COVID with the original 2‑shot series. However, you will no longer have to show us your vaccination card. Even though masks continue to remain optional, we support all those who wish to wear one.
There is a special magic that thrives only in a live classroom, and I love being the magician who generates that magic. I hear the laughter. I see the engaged, intelligent faces as they interact with me and the material and come to a new understanding. I feel the pleasure that my students get from learning something new, listening to their own and their classmates’ responses to the material, and, best of all, enjoying being with me and each other. For me, as a teacher and as a human being, there is nothing like that atmosphere and that connection. I feed off of the energy and enthusiasm in the classroom.
But every magician needs an audience who responds to the magic; every teacher needs learners who are engaged and committed to learning.
There are no good teachers without good students. Please come back to the classroom. OLLI needs you. Your instructors and fellow students need you.
The February meeting of the History Club will take place on Wednesday, Feb 1 at 4:00. Elva Card will give a presentation on Mary McLeod Bethune. Born the fifteenth of seventeen children to parents who had been slaves, and educated in church schools, Bethune went on to found the National Council of Negro Women, to serve as director of the Division of Negro Affairs in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s National Youth Administration, and to be a member of the U.S. Delegation at the founding of the United Nations. Her story is an amazing one and a fitting topic for Black History month. All OLLI members are invited to attend this month’s Zoom meeting of the History Club at 4:00 on Wednesday, February 1.
Join Theater Lovers' Group for a Talk, a Cabaret, and 46 Plays
By Norma Jean Reck, Theater Lovers’ Group Coordinator
Don't miss meeting Nicole Hertvik, editor and publisher of DC Theater Arts, today on Zoom from 1:00 to 2:30 when she talks about "Washington, D.C.: The Nation's Theater Capital?" Learn why theater in the Delaware/Maryland/Virginia area should be considered a national theater arts model and which theaters in the area focus on your kind of theater. Look for the Zoom link in today's OLLI daily schedule under Theater Lovers' Group meeting. Everyone is welcome to join us.
Ready for some toe-tapping music that will make you want to dance in the aisle and hum all the way home? Then come join OLLI's Theater Lovers on Saturday, February 4, at the 2:00 matinee of the Mason Cabaret: Baby Dream Your Dream, The Women of Broadway, to be performed in the Harris Theatre. But first, in keeping with the cabaret spirit, we'll have lunch (optional) at Ornery Beer Company, located on the corner of North Street and University Drive in Fairfax City, with a free parking garage next door. Senior tickets for the Cabaret are $15 and can be purchased online at theater.gmu.edu.
February is president's month. So, what is a better way to celebrate than to see a performance of 46 Plays for America's First Ladies on Sunday, February 12, at the 2:00 matinee at NextStop Theatre in Herndon? An entertaining, hilarious way to learn about American history through the eyes and experiences of America's first ladies. First, we'll gather for lunch (optional) at Carrabba's Italian Grill, located right across from the theater on Sunset Hills Road. Tickets cost $47 and can be purchased online at NextStopTheatre.org ASAP.
If you would like to join the Theater Lovers for either of the lunches and theater events, please purchase your tickets online, then email Norma at njreck@cs.com to let me know so I can include you in our restaurant reservations. Guests are always welcome at our events, so feel free to invite friends and family. If you have any questions, please email me.
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 February 1 at 4:00. Our chosen topic this week is the artificial intelligence application ChatGPT. The app has written us a poem:
On a Wednesday afternoon, Doris and Brenda host a chat,
For OLLI members to tune in, And discuss this and that.
Mysteries, books, and travel too, Pet peeves and Open AI,
The topics are announced in the E-News, For all to hear and say.
Only one hour to share and learn, But oh what fun it brings,
To sit and chat with friends, On a Wednesday afternoon, it rings.
So join in, won't you, For a whimsical hour,
With Doris and Brenda, And their OLLI followers.
Check your Daily Schedule for the Zoom link on Wednesdays and plan on some social time with Team Bloch.
Club Members Walk On Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail
By Bob Heyer, OLLI Walk & Talk Co-Chair
Debby Mossburg led a group of 26 OLLI Walk & Talk members along the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail (GCCCT), starting at the King Arthur Road bridge crossing. We began later than usual at 2:00 on a beautiful sunny 60° plus day on January 18. Debby briefed the group that the GCCCT runs through some of Fairfax County’s most scenic areas, from Great Falls Park on the Potomac River and going south to the Occoquan River. As Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Gerry Connolly supported a proposal in 1997, and the Cross Country Trail was born. The group headed northward towards the I-495 Beltway. Our group quickly stretched out, with the faster walkers striding up front and the less aggressive walkers talking their way along the trail. Although the path was paved, the vegetation, trees, and undergrowth along the stream were beautiful and like being in a secluded forest; only the noise of beltway traffic and airplanes overhead let us know we were in an urban environment. At 30 minutes into the walk, we turned around and headed back to our starting point to meet and go for coffee, sweets, and more, socializing at the Breeze Bakery and Café, a Korean/European-styled bakery. Debby Mossburg made it one of the MOST rewarding afternoons for all in the winter!
OLLI Walk & Talk February Winter Walks
By Marilyn Harriman, OLLI Walk & Talk Co-Chair
Weather permitting, the OLLI Walk & Talk Club will gather Friday, February 3, at 10:00 at Mason District Park, where Michael Nephew will show us more of the trails he introduced us to in September. This walk will be about an hour in length. Parking: Enter Mason District Park, 6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale, and turn right. Follow the road to the parking lot and park there.
Afterward, we will gather at Tous Les Jours Bakery, 4243 John Marr Drive, Annandale, for a hot beverage and continued conversation (optional).
Tuesday, February 7, the club will meet at 2:00 at Wakefield Park, 8100 Braddock Road, Annandale, with Co‑Chair Bob Heyer leading us. This walk will be about an hour. Parking: As you enter the park, parking is on the left.
Afterward, those who want a snack or beverage will meet at the Swiss Bakery at 5224 Port Royal Road, Springfield.
On Tuesday, February 14, members will gather at Huntsman Lake Park in West Springfield at 2:00. Co‑Chair Marilyn Harriman will lead walkers on the trails for about an hour.Parking: From Fairfax County Parkway, turn onto Huntsman Blvd. Drive past the Huntsman (Giant Grocery) shopping center (on your right) and take a right on the street just after the shopping center: Dorothy Lane.
The park entrance we’re using is at the very end of Dorothy Lane. There is a semi-circle for cars to park. You may need to park in front of someone’s house depending on how big our group is and what other cars are parked there.
Afterward, those interested in a hot beverage and/or snack will meet at Chloez Café, 5622 Ox Road, Unit F, Fairfax Station.
RSVP: Email Marilyn or Bob (mlwharriman74@gmail.comrheyerw64@gmail.com) about the date(s) you will be coming, so we can wait for you. Call if you are running late: Marilyn: 703-725-0965; Bob: 571-214-8597.
OLLI Registration: Walkers are required to register for the club. If you haven’t yet, it’s easy: Log into the OLLI member portal and type in the search box “OLLI Walk and Talk Club Winter 2023” or Call 703-503-3384.
Cell Phone Numbers: If you have not, please provide your cell phone number. We need it to contact you in case of inclement weather or last-minute updates.
The January 2023 Photo of the Month theme was open. We selected John Olsen's photo "View of Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan" which may also be viewed at this page. To view other photos by members of the Photography Club, visit the club's photo website. -- By John Olsen and Ed Marion, Photography Club Coordinators
In 500 feet turn right at the next light. Really? In two miles, turn left onto Rolling Road. That doesn’t make sense. BILL. Have you been here before? I have. Many times. What’s with you? Every direction I provide, You second guess, go off on your own, request my directions again, usually with a nasty tone. I’m sick and tired of it. Who is this? Who do I sound like? By the way, you missed your turn. Make a u turn at the next light. Pull over? This may be hard to hear. What?? You ask for directions and then argue with them. You do this with me, your wife, others. If what they say doesn’t comport to your preconceptions, you become obnoxious. You waste a lot of time for yourself and others. Am I infallible? I’d like to think so given the billions of dollars spent on developing me. How much money has been spent on you? Why not trust, just trust, what I say? You may have a point. Ok, I’ll try. Proceed to the route and then turn right onto Rolling Road. No way. That’s just wrong. You’re hopeless. I pity your wife.
-- Bill Sinclair
Current vaccination policy for the Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center is summarized as follows:
Audience members are not currently required to show proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test result for most events except when required by the event organizer or artist. If proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result is required for a specific event, it will be indicated on the webpage with event details.
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. Information can also be found at CFA ticket purchase page, Center for the Arts YouTube Channel, or the Hylton ticket purchase page.
The Acting Company: The Three Musketeers
Sat, Jan 28, 8:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Admission: $50, $43, $30.
Silkroad Ensemble: Uplifted Voices
Sun, Jan 29, 8:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
The artists will participate in a post-performance discussion from the stage.
Admission: $55, $47, $33.
Virginia Opera: Fellow Travelers
Sat, Feb 4, 8:00
Sun, Feb 5, 2:00
Concert Hall
A pre-performance discussion featuring Virginia Opera Resident Scholar, Joshua Borths, will take place in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.
Following the Sat, Feb 4 performance, PEN/Faulkner Award finalist Thomas Mallon, author of the 2007 novel Fellow Travelers on which this opera is based, will participate in a post-performance discussion from the stage.
Following the Sun, Feb 5 matinee, Virginia Opera Resident Scholar Joshua Borths will lead a post-performance discussion with the artists in the Center for the Arts main lobby.
Admission: $110, $70, $40.
Sankofa Danzafro: The City of Others
Sat, Feb 6, 8:00
Admission: $15-$45, Pay-What-You-Wish in $5 increments (click here).
11th Annual Prince William County Public Schools Student Exhibition
Through Feb 18
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
Admission: Free.
ARTFactory’s Pied Piper Theatre: Big Fish
Sat, Jan 28, 2:00 and 7:00
Sun, Jan 29, 3:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $20 Adult, $16 senior.
Machine de Cirque
Sat, Feb 4, 8:00
Sun, Feb 5, 2:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $48, $41, $29.
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 b
Calling all Sondheim lovers! On Saturday, April 1, Signature Theater on Campbell Avenue in Arlington is holding ten tickets for us to see the 2:00 matinee of this rarely performed musical. This time, we take a trip back to Japan, mid-1800s, to look at the life-changing impact a naval event had on the Japanese who had been isolated from the rest of the world for about 200 years. Hear how the various segments of Japanese society were impacted by these Westerners who insisted on opening up Japan for trade.
and her husband Mike resided at Greenspring in Virginia; they both enjoyed classes during their many years at OLLI. Known for her optimism and staunch support for her OLLI friends, Julie was a source of artistic inspiration for the Poetry Workshop; members of the OLLI poetry community were saddened when learning of her passing. She also loved language classes. Friends will remember her warmth and kindness to all.
This spring, Watercolor Painting-Beginners and Beyond will feature a special session on Snowy Trees April 25 at 2:00, presented by Marni Maree, one of the resident artists at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton.
CORRECTION: The Theater Lovers' Group (TLG) will attend the 2:00 matinee of How the Light Gets In on Sunday, March 5, at 1st Stage Tysons. The group rate is $40/person. Optional Hibachi-style dinner at nearby Sakura after the show. For details, please email Norma at 
Please read what the conductor, Dr. Lisa Billingham says about her upcoming March 5 program:
more information, 
time, if you have questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to contact any of the Art and Music Program Planning Co-Chairs:
excursion led by Michael Nephew along a different trail through Mason District Park, starting at the parking lot near the tennis courts. However, discretion was the better part of valor when we found the weather too cold and windy, so we went straight to the Tous Les Jours Café in Annandale for coffee and conversation. And fun was had by all with a beautiful selection of confections and coffee in the recently opened café. The café was packed with people, and our biggest challenge was corralling fourteen chairs. So, we split into two groups, thanks to some very polite customers around us, and had a wonderful time trading many tales about our past winter ventures when we were young and cold was not part of our vocabulary. (Photos by Marilyn Harriman)
8:30-9:20. Participants should have a mat (or comfortable way to lie down) and a strap (yoga, strap, old tie, or long towel will do). Registration is via the member portal at this 
admire the many tall trees. Some fallen trees and stumps provided “holes and havens” for small birds and forest creatures. Although we didn’t see any deer or foxes, it was obvious that they were around. We made a figure 8 in trails and emerged back at the soccer field parking lot after two miles and a little over an hour. (Photo by Bob Heyer January 23, 2023)
Jazz Faculty from George Mason University return to Washington D.C.'s historic Blues Alley! Our faculty are well-respected performers and dedicated educators, current and former members of the Washington D.C. military bands as well as staples in the DC jazz scene. They have toured nationally and internationally, conducted masterclasses at universities, camps, and workshops nation-wide, and contributed to books and videos about jazz education.
MASON JAZZ CAMP
Photo by Paul Van Hemel January 20, 2023
Don't miss meeting Nicole Hertvik, editor and publisher of DC Theater Arts, today on Zoom from 1:00 to 2:30 when she talks about "Washington, D.C.: The Nation's Theater Capital?" Learn why theater in the Delaware/Maryland/Virginia area should be considered a national theater arts model and which theaters in the area focus on your kind of theater. Look for the Zoom link in today's OLLI daily schedule under Theater Lovers' Group meeting. Everyone is welcome to join us.
Ready for some toe-tapping music that will make you want to dance in the aisle and hum all the way home? Then come join OLLI's Theater Lovers on Saturday, February 4, at the 2:00 matinee of the Mason Cabaret: Baby Dream Your Dream, The Women of Broadway, to be performed in the Harris Theatre. But first, in keeping with the cabaret spirit, we'll have lunch (optional) at Ornery Beer Company, located on the corner of North Street and University Drive in Fairfax City, with a free parking garage next door. Senior tickets for the Cabaret are $15 and can be purchased online at 
February is president's month. So, what is a better way to celebrate than to see a performance of 46 Plays for America's First Ladies on Sunday, February 12, at the 2:00 matinee at NextStop Theatre in Herndon? An entertaining, hilarious way to learn about American history through the eyes and experiences of America's first ladies. First, we'll gather for lunch (optional) at Carrabba's Italian Grill, located right across from the theater on Sunset Hills Road. Tickets cost $47 and can be purchased online at NextStopTheatre.org ASAP.
