OLLI is closed November 19-23 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Priority registration for 2019 winter term begins Friday, November 30, at 9:00, and ends on Friday, December 7, at noon. Winter term begins January 22.
Annual holiday party, Tuesday, December 4, 11:30 to 2:30 at the Country Club of Fairfax. Fee $38 per person; lunch choice chicken, pasta, or soup and salad. Registration deadline is Monday, November 26.
Development Committee members are selling raffle tickets for the annual OLLI registration fee raffle between now and December 4; watch for them at classes and events.
The next issue of OLLI E-News will be published November 30; regular deadline for submission of items is Tuesday, November 27, at 6:00.
Upcoming Meeting for Literature, Theater, and Writing/Languages Program Planning Group
Wednesday, December 5, 12:30-2:00 – TA‑1
By Rala Stone, Literature, Theater, and Writing/Languages Program Planning Group Co-Chair
The Literature, Theater, and Writing/Languages Program Planning Group is proud of the variety and the quality of the courses we offer. In order to continue to maintain and improve our offerings, we depend on input from all those who are interested in and take these courses. Your feedback and suggestions are essential if we are to continue to provide excellent programming of interest to you, our Members.
Please join us on Wednesday, December 5, at 12:30 at Tallwood. You will have the opportunity to meet with other OLLI members who share your interest and will have the pleasure and satisfaction of being a part of the planning process.
If you cannot attend the meeting and have comments, suggestions, or feedback that you would like to share, please contact one of the following co-chairs:
Celebrate the Holidays with OLLI's Theater Lovers' Groups By Norma Jean Reck, Theater Lovers' Group CoordinatorBoth Theater Lovers' Groups (TLG) – Fairfax and Reston – got off to a lively start. Members of both Fairfax and Reston TLG have planned a variety of theater activities that are open to all OLLI members. So, consider yourself invited. Calling all OLLI members who usher: Please join us on November 30 for lunch. (See details below.) To all OLLI members: Your family, friends, and guests are always welcome to attend TLG events with you. We try to arrange car pools and an optional dinner after the theater.The following TLG events are scheduled through December into January:
Friday, November 30: Holiday Lunch at Hamrock’s, 3950 Chain Bridge Road, 12:30 to 2:30. (Ushers: TLG ushers want to meet other OLLI ushers and compare notes.) Reservations required.
Saturday, December 1: 2:00 matinee of Cry It Out at Studio Theater, 1501 14th Street, NW DC 20005. For half-price ticket, phone Melissa at 202-232-7267, ext. 512, or email Melissa at mcarter@studiotheatre.org; tell her you are with OLLI TLG with Linda to get the discount. Hurry, there are about four tickets left. Also email me njreck@cs.com so I can plan carpools and an optional dinner.
Saturday, December 8: Broadway-Rockette-style holiday musical; Encore Theatrical 4:00 matinee production of An Invitation to Christmas, at NoVa Community College Ernst Theater in Annandale (free parking in Lot B). Senior tickets $19-$23, depending on seat location. For tickets, phone 703-222-5511 or go online at www.encore-tap.org, and email me if you want to join dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Wednesday, December 12: One-day bus trip to New York City. Catch a show or do your own thing. Email me (njreck@cs.com) for details.
Saturday, December 15: 2:00 matinee of A Civil War Christmas at 1st Stage Tysons, Spring Hill and Greensboro Drive. Senior tickets $36; phone 703-854-1856 or go online at 1ststagetysons.org/. Optional dinner.
Saturday, January 5: 2:00 matinee of the musical Billy Elliott at Signature Theater, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206 (Shirlington). Phone 703-820-9771 or go online at signature-theater.org.
Spanish Culture and Conversation: Memoirs of the Amazon
By Ligia Glass, Spanish Culture and Conversation Instructor
The Spanish Culture and Conversation class ended its fall term on November 6 with a very interesting and informative presentation, “Memoirs of the Amazon,” given by Dr. Carmen Figueroa, Professor Emeritus, Northern Virginia Community College. Dr. Figueroa lived in Napa Rui, a community in the Ecuadorian Amazon, learning about the Quechua language, the food, their religious practices, and their culture in general. OLLI students were delighted with her slide presentation, anecdotes, and personal stories.
A delicious breakfast/brunch was served to complete a very enjoyable day.
The Almost Perfect Story with Skip Bromley By George Bradshaw, OLLI MemberThe OLLI-Mason “About Us” page says “Enjoy learning with no homework…” This eight-week course, I must report, in one instance did not adhere to the “no homework” policy. Nevertheless, Skip Bromley’s students appear more than happy to forgive him the oversight. With a perceptive analysis of popular films, Mr. Bromley reminded us of the mythology underlying our culture, the wisdom it imparts, and the results that can be achieved when we recognize its fundamental truths. He accomplishes this with wonderfully personal and entertaining stories, delivered as a most skilled actor with distinctive style.And what did we learn? That an Almost Perfect Story follows a hero on a journey from his home, circling through mortal dangers and, with loving support, returning home once again – ending where the journey began. It is reflective of Joseph Campbell’s monomyth “The Hero’s Journey” in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Mr. Bromley showed us that the journeys of heroes are all around us, if we just take the time to look… and learn. What a wonderful and inspiring course! (Photo by George Bradshaw)
The November 2018 Photo of the Month theme was Have Fun With It. We selected George Bradshaw's photo "Silly Humans," 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 Angela Talaber, Photography Club Coordinator
For tickets for either Center for the Arts Concert Hall (CFA) or Hylton Center, call 1-888-945-2468, buy tickets online through the event calendar (see links below), or visit the venue's box office. For more information, see the CFA ticket pageor the Hylton Centerticket purchase page.
At the Fairfax Campus Venues
Spectrum Dance Theater: A Rap On Race
Fri, Nov 16, 8:00
6:30 Spoken Word presented by The Mason Black Student Alliance and Student Involvement in the Center for the Arts Lobby
7:15 Pre-performance discussion by Wendi Manuel-Scott, presenting "Bodies in Protest," in which she explores the many ways black bodies (and bodies of color) resist racial oppression.
Concert Hall
Admission: $48, $41, $29.
Aquila Theatre: Frankenstein
Sun, Nov 18, 7:00
Pre-performance discussion with Kristin Samuelian, Department of English.
Concert Hall
Admission: $44, $37, $26.
Chanticleer: A Chanticleer Christmas
Sat, Nov 24, 8:00
Pre-performance discussion with a member of the company.
Concert Hall
Admission: $55, $47, $33.
Mutts Gone Nuts
Sun, Nov 25, 1:00 and 4:00
Concert Hall
Admission: Adults, $15; children, $10.
Gallery Exhibit: Hidden Narratives
Oct 30 - Dec 15
Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
The Buchanan Partners Art Gallery is open to the public Tue-Sat, 10:00-6:00, and two hours before each performance.
Jazz 4 Justice
Fri, Nov 16, 8:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: Adults, $20; seniors, $15.
Aquila Theatre: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Sat, Nov 17, 8:00
Pre-performance discussion with a member of the company.
Merchant Hall
Admission: $44, $37, $26.
Northern Virginia Ballet: Nutcracker Tea with Clara
Sun, Nov 18, 1:00 and 3:30
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Lovey Hammel Lounge
Admission: $50.
Virginia National Ballet: The Nutcracker
Fri, Nov 23, 2:00 and 7:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $37.
Northern Virginia Ballet: The Nutcracker
Sat, Nov 24, 2:00 and 6:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: Adults, $35; seniors, $25.
Silver Tones: Big Band Holiday Swing!
Sat, Nov 24, 2:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: Adults, $22; seniors, $18.
InTune Music Studio: Winter Recital
Sun, Nov 25, 1:00 and 4:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: $10.
Chanticleer: A Chanticleer Christmas
Sun, Nov 25, 2:00
Pre-performance discussion with Fred Scott.
Merchant Hall
Admission: $55, $47, $33.
The following list covering the next two weeks is extracted for your convenience from the master online calendar maintained by the office, with direct web links added when available. 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.
Sat Nov 17
10:30am
1:00pm
Tai Chi Club–TA-3
Computer Club–TA-1
Mon Nov 26
10:00am
What’s in the Daily News, Cont’d–TA-1
Tue Nov 27
9:30am
10:00am
Annex Arts–Annex
Spanish Club–TA-2
Wed Nov 28
10:00am
10:30am
Bridge Club–TA-3
Tom Crooker Investment Forum–TA-1
Fri Nov 30
9:15am
9:30am
10:00am
11:00am
Recorder Consort–TA-3
Craft and Conversation–Annex
Theater Lovers Club–TA-1
Homer, etc.–Annex
OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.
Editorial Staff
Chief Editor: Paul Van Hemel
Technical Editor: Irene Osterman
Associate Editor: David Gundry
Weekly Editor Team: David Gundry, John Nash, Sheri Siesseger, Leslie Vandivere,
Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Linda Randall, Tom Appich, Roz Stark,
Marian Drohan, Jane Hassell
Backup Chief Editor: Alice Slayton Clark
Submissions: Members are encouraged to submit letters to the editor, letters to Ms. Ollie Ettakit (on etiquette matters), OLLI-related news items, articles, and photos. Submit material to: ollienewseditor@gmail.com. Deadline: Tuesday, 6:00, for that week's issue (Monday, 6:00, for letters to the editor); early submissions are greatly appreciated. Please limit articles to about 250 words. Note: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News on the DocStore. To search the content of issues, use Search Our Site or put your search term in Google followed by "site:ollidev2.earthcare.com/" without the quotes.
The Spanish Culture and Conversation class ended its fall term on November 6 with a very interesting and informative presentation, “Memoirs of the Amazon,” given by Dr. Carmen Figueroa, Professor Emeritus, Northern Virginia Community College. Dr. Figueroa lived in Napa Rui, a community in the Ecuadorian Amazon, learning about the Quechua language, the food, their religious practices, and their culture in general. OLLI students were delighted with her slide presentation, anecdotes, and personal stories.
accomplishes this with wonderfully personal and entertaining stories, delivered as a most skilled actor with distinctive style.And what did we learn? That an Almost Perfect Story follows a hero on a journey from his home, circling through mortal dangers and, with loving support, returning home once again – ending where the journey began. It is reflective of Joseph Campbell’s monomyth “The Hero’s Journey” in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Mr. Bromley showed us that the journeys of heroes are all around us, if we just take the time to look… and learn. What a wonderful and inspiring course! (Photo by George Bradshaw)
