FRIDAY 9/3: Sunset Cinema in the Park Begins with ‘Tooth Fairy’

The City of Falls Church Recreation & Parks Division presents the 7th Annual Sunset Cinema in the Park three Fridays this September: September 3, 17 and 24. The screenings begin at 8 p.m. and are free to the public. Moviegoers are invited to bring blankets, bug spray and picnics and watch three great movies under the stars. Popcorn, drinks and ice cream will be available for purchase.

The screenings will be held at Cherry Hill Park, located at 312 Park Avenue. In the case of inclement weather, the screenings will be moved inside the Falls Church Community Center Gymnasium. For more information, call 703-248-5027 (TTY 711) or visit www.fallschurchva.gov . The movies are:

September 3: “Tooth Fairy” (PG, 2009)

September 17: “Princess and the Frog” (G, 2009)

September 24: “Where the Wild Things Are” (PG, 2009)

FRIDAY 8/6: Fourth Wall Cabaret: ‘Questionable Plots by 3 Sensible Divas’

Creative Cauldron will present The Fourth Wall Cabaret, a series of original musical theater performances featuring some of the area’s most seasoned professional artists.

The series is the brainchild of Matt Conner, a critically acclaimed musical theater composer and performer who has been a long-standing member of Creative Cauldron’s artistic circle. “Cabaret is a theatrical form that allows performers to break down the traditional “fourth wall” barrier between the artist and audience,” says Conner. “It gives performers an opportunity to experiment with material and it creates a heightened sense of intimacy with the audience. There are some amazing performers in the series . . . Theatergoers are in for a real treat.”

The series begins July 23 with “From Pizza to Poe,” an evening featuring musical works composed by Conner.

Conner will be joined by Eleasha Gamble and Stephen Gregory Smith, who will perform a variety of songs from his original musicals including “Martin: The King of Pizza,” commissioned and produced by Creative Cauldron, and “Nevermore,” a new work based on the poetry and stories of Edgar Allen Poe that played to critical acclaim at Signature Theater.

Curtain Times are at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Refreshments will be available.

Performance Schedule (click for details)

July 23 – From Pizza to Poe

July 24 – Songs In the Key of Me, featuring Jenny Cartney

August 6 – Questionable Plots by 3 Sensible Divas, featuring: Bligh Voth, Shayna Blass and Karissa Lynn Swanigan

August 14 – Coming into Focus, featuring Erin Driscoll

August 21 – The Kid Inside, featuring Stephen Gregory Smith

August 28 – Save the Last Dance for Me, featuring: Stephen Gregory Smith and Karissa Lynn Swanigan

Creative Cauldron is a not-for-profit arts organization operating in Northern Virginia since 2002 that provides opportunities for learning and participation in the performing and visual arts for children and adults. In June 2009, Creative Cauldron opened the doors of its new home in ArtSpace Falls Church, a 3,000 square foot flexible arts facility located in the City of Falls Church. Classes, workshops and performances in all disciplines are offered year round at the site.

Creative Cauldron receives funding from the Arts Council of Fairfax County and the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Experience Local History Live at ArtSpace this Weekend

By GINA CACECI
Falls Church Times Staff

June 9, 2010

If you’ve lived in Falls Church for any length of time, you’ve likely heard some of the history and stories of our Little City: George Washington worshiped at The Falls Church, both the Union and the Confederate armies came through during the Civil War, Woodrow Wilson campaigned here, Falls Church had the first rural chapter of the NAACP, or Brown’s Hardware is the oldest business in Falls Church.  But even if you are a student of Falls Church history, you have not heard all of the stories.  Or, you know some of the history as told through one perspective.

You can experience Falls Church’s history through another lens by attending one of the five performances of “Tinner Hill: Portraits in Black and White” this weekend, June 11 – 13, at ArtSpace Falls Church (410 S. Maple Avenue).  The professional cast will transport you to scenes and stories of Falls Church from the late 1700s through the 20^th Century.

Using oral histories as well as original letters and documents, the script was developed over a year-long process of research and writing through funding from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Arts Council of Fairfax County.

Produced by Creative Cauldron in collaboration with the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, the play was written by Lisa Hill-Corley and Jennifer Goldsmith, with Project oversight provided by Oran Sandel, Nikki Graves and Edwin B Henderson.   Falls Church Arts members David Barr and Teddy Wiant worked with set designer Margie Jervis to create an environment that begins to transport you in time and perspective from the moment you enter ArtSpace.

This weekend’s performances are in conjunction with the Tinner Hill Blues Festival. Show times for “Tinner Hill: Portraits in Black and White” are Friday, 6/11 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, 6/12 at 2 & 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, 6/13 at 4 & 7 p.m.

Free parking is available in the garage at ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 S. Maple Avenue, or one block away in the garage at 400 S. Maple Avenue.  Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students or seniors, and can be purchased online at www.creativecauldron.org or by calling 571-239-5288.

Learn and “live” Falls Church’s history at “Tinner Hill: Portraits in Black and White.” You’ll come away with a new perspective and you’ll know the significant role of Brown’s Hardware store.  And for those of you who have ever asked “Who was Mary Ellen Henderson?” you will get the answer – live and “in person.”

WEEKENDS 6/3-5, 11-13: ‘Tinner Hill: Portraits in Black and White,’ Original Theater Production

Creative Cauldron, in collaboration with the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation (THHF), will premiere “Tinner Hill: Portraits in Black and White,” an original work of theater based on the stories of local Falls Church civil rights pioneers.

It was created over a year-long development process through funding from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Arts Council of Fairfax County.

Working closely with Nikki Graves Henderson and Edwin B. Henderson from THHF, Creative Cauldron Producing Director Laura Connors Hull and veteran theater artist Oran Sandel researched oral histories and documents from African American residents of Falls Church.

Lisa Hill-Corley and Jennifer Goldsmith, two MFA candidates in George Mason University’s Creative Writing Program, were tasked with creating a final performance script inspired by the material.

“Tinner Hill: Portraits in Black and White” will play at ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Avenue, from June 3 through 13. The second weekend of performances will be held in conjunction with the Tinner Hill Blues Festival in the City of Falls Church. Press Night is Saturday, June 5 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors.

This new work explores the history of Falls Church, as seen through the lens of some of its most influential African Americans. Through a series of monologues, dramatized scenes and blues-inspired music, we are taken on an inspiring journey of resistance and resilience that began before the Civil War and that continues to the present day.

We encounter a community where free people of color and enslaved people and their descendants become significant Falls Church property owners, merchants, and even serve on the town Council; in short, a community where blacks and whites live and work side by side in relative harmony, despite the charged political climate that embroiled the nation in the aftermath of the Civil War.

We also encounter the swinging pendulum of race relations and the persistent efforts of town segregationists. Throughout the play, we explore a history that doesn’t appear in official textbooks, and come to better understand the experience of being an African American in the early days of a growing and changing Virginia community.

“Tinner Hill: Portraits in Black and White” is the last offering this season in Creative Cauldron’s Learning Theater series. An ensemble of professional actors will be featured in a cast that also includes student and community performers.

Professional cast includes: Azania Dungee, Ayesis Clay, Kevin Ray Johnson, Kofi Owusu, Oran Sandel, Ryan Walker and Talmach White. Scenic and costume design is being provided Margie Jervis with contributions from Falls Church Arts scenic painter and collage artist David Barr and watercolor artist Bill Abel. Together they will create an installation that explores the cultural and political landscape of the production.

Creative Cauldron is a non-profit arts organization whose innovative programs in the performing and visual arts embody collaboration, experimentation and community. It has been operating in Northern Virginia since 2002, and in June of 2009 acquired a permanent home in ArtSpace Falls Church, a 3,000 square foot flexible arts space that provides a venue for year-round classes, performances and exhibits.

The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation (THHF), established in 1997, is a non-profit tax-exempt organization, founded to support a variety of activities that preserve, present, and interpret the Falls Church area’s rich African-American heritage and legacy. The mission of the Foundation features, as an identified and primary goal, the ground-breaking efforts of pioneering African Americans who sought and fought for their rights in myriad ways and at various times in the City’s and the country’s history. THHF also recognizes the achievements of special individuals and groups who champion equality; and promotes understanding and respect for all people through educational and cultural programs and activities.

Tickets for “Tinner Hill: Portraits in Black and White” can be purchased at www.creativecauldron.org or by calling 571-239-5288.

Performance & Event Schedule:

Previews: June 3 & 4* at 7:30 p.m. and June 5 at 2 p.m.

Press Opening is June 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Additional performances: June 6 at 4 p.m., June 11** & 12** at 7:30 p.m., June 12** at 2 p.m., June 13** at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

*FIRSTfriday of Falls Church Gallery Reception at 6:30 p.m. with Falls Church Arts.

**Performed in conjunction with the city wide Tinner Hill Blues Festival. For more info log on to www.tinnerhill.org

Discovery Channel Discovers Mary Riley Styles Library

The Discovery Channel shot an episode of “Mystery Diagnosis” Tuesday, May 18, at Mary Riley Styles Public library. The story is about a University of Virginia college student from Reston with a mysterious illness. The Discovery Channel crew’s research led them to Falls Church because they thought the library resembled a UVA building. Above, Discovery Channel film crew shoot footage of classmates of the student with the mystery diagnosis. (Photo by Falls Church City Communications)

(Editors’ comment: So the Discovery Channel has moved our library to the UVA campus. And we’re supposed to ever believe them again?) Read more

THIS WEEKEND: ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at GMHS

By Falls Church Times Staff

May 21, 2010

George Mason High School’s  spring play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” runs through May 22 at the George Mason High School Auditorium (7124 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church) .  Show time is 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $7/adult and $5/student.

The play is directed by Pamela Spicer, with Lisa Ensign as costume designer, and John Ballou as the technical director. The cast includes:

Bottom            Sean Driggers
Demetrius       Mikey Larcamp
Helena              Becca Ward
Hermia             Sophie Knudsen
Lysander        Bryan Ward
Oberon             Tom Shapiro
Puck                 Miles Butler
Titania              Aleeya Ensign

For more information, call 703-248-5500.

SUNDAY 5/2: Wizard of Oz Ballet at George Mason HS by Kintz-Mejia Academy

Take a trip down the yellow brick road with a story of tornados, witches and a little dog too in a wonderful performance by the Kintz-Mejia Academy of Ballet. Join Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion on the quest to make all their dreams come true. Gorgeous sets and costumes complete this grand jete onto the stage. Come experience the spectacle!

Saturday, May 1, at 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 2, at 2 p.m.

George Mason High School Theater
7124 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church

All seats $25. Seating is assigned, so arrive early for best seats.

For more information, contact Carolanne O’Neil at coneil@westassoc1.com or 703-893-0404 ext 217.

WEDNESDAY 4/21: ‘Fresh — the Movie’ at ArtSpace, Catered by Farmers Market Chefs

The Falls Church Farmers Market Chef program is proud to present to the local community “Fresh – the Movie.” FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet.

Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur’s 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy.

This event will also feature food provided by Falls Church Farmers Market Chef program participants such as Argia’s, Willow, Sinplicity Catering and Liberty Tavern. Proceeds from the event will fund classes offered during the Creative Cauldron’s Creative Arts Adventure Camps to connect children with local growing and cooking local food.

WHEN:  7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 21

WHERE: ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 S. Maple Avenue, 571- 239-5288. Free Parking is available at both 400 South Maple and 410 South Maple.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased through the Creative Cauldron website: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/104409

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