The arts are alive and well in Mason District
By James Albright
Many different groups are starting to recognize the real cultural experience that is Mason District. We have festivals, art openings, concerts, individual projects, and so much more happening right in our community.
With so much going on in so many different places, it is essential to keep our art calendars up to date. The Mason Arts Advisory Council (MAAC) is involved in many of these events and encourages you to support local and regional artists by making time to see and hear their work.
Here are just a few upcoming arts events:
Mason District Arts Festival – The MAAC proudly announces the first Mason District Arts Festival, coming to Annandale on Oct. 11.
We have been planning this groundbreaking event since our task force identified a festival as an important goal for the community. Applications for the limited spaces will be available starting in early July.
Sopranessence – This coming Saturday, May 17, at 3 p.m., join Sopranessence for a Spring Benefit concert, “Home, Hope & Harmony,” in support of Homestretch. The concert is at the United Baptist Church, 7100 Columbia Pike in Annandale.
Fairfax County Poet Laureate Angelique Palmer will join the concert to create a unique blend of poetry and song.
Fifty percent of the proceeds will be donated to Homestretch, a 35-year-old nonprofit that helps families experiencing homelessness become self-sufficient by giving them the skills, knowledge, and hope they need to become productive participants in the community.
The program features songs that will make you feel like one of the family – from jovial, welcoming classics like “Consider Yourself” (from Oliver!) and the idyllic “Sous le dôme épais” (Flower Duet) from Lakmé, to the inspirational “Make Our Garden Grow” (Candide).
Tickets can be purchased online.
Related story: Yard art: Splendor in the grass
Providence Players – This community theater’s new show, “Shooting Star,” opens June 6 at the James Lee Community Center Theater at 2855 Annandale Road, Falls Church.
In this bittersweet romantic comedy, college lovers, Elena Carson and Reed McAllister, are snowed in overnight at a middle-America airport. They have not seen each other for years and are moved by this unexpected reunion. Elena has stayed true to her hippie-ish, counter-culture path, while Reed has gone predictably corporate and conservative.
As the night gives way to laughter, banter, remembrance, and alcohol, Elena and Reed revisit a past that holds more surprises than they imagined – and a present that neither of them could have predicted. Shooting Star explores the middle years of our lives and how we get there.
The show will run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m, from June 6 through June 21. There will be Sunday matinees on June 8 and June 15 at 2 p.m. For ticket information, visit the Providence Players online.
On Wednesday, June 11, there will be a free “sensory-friendly performance” of Shooting Star.
Spotlight by Starlight – Be sure to visit this long-standing, well-received musical outdoor series at Annandale parks. There are concerts at the amphitheater in Mason District on Fridays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m., beginning with the City of Fairfax Concert Band on June 20.
On Saturday evenings, Spotlight by Starlight features music and dance from other countries at Ossian Hall Park, beginning with Taiwan Cultural Heritage Night on June 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Check out the amazingly diverse schedule here.
The MAAC is excited to participate in many of these events as a way to showcase the variety of talent in our corner of Fairfax County. Summer is a great time to get out and see what our community has to offer; we hope to see you at one or more of these creative and exciting events.
James Albright chairs the Mason Arts Advisory Council.
