George Mason University's Center for the Arts

This fall, Theater of the First Amendment (TFA), George Mason University’s professional theater company, presents a staged reading of “The Rivers and Ravines,” written and directed by Heather McDonald, and featuring a cast of professional actors, students and members of the Northern Virginia community. With a focus on ...community, TFA celebrates its new presence in theSPACE in Old Town Fairfax, where the reading will be held on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 8 p.m.

In 1988, The Washington Post hailed “The Rivers and Ravines” as “‘Our Town’ for the ‘80s.” Set during the farm crisis of the early 1980s, the play celebrates the hope and spirituality of a community facing economic hardship. “The Rivers and Ravines,” which has a cast of 26, was commissioned by the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., and premiered during the theater’s 1987-88 season, and had its New York City premiere at the Village Theater in 1991. In a review of that production, The New York Times said, “McDonald’s message echoes with clarity, an emergency signal about hard times and more difficult days to come.” Kevin Murray, TFA’s managing director, said, “TFA’s revisiting of the play is sure to resonate as a modern parable for our time.”

Heather McDonald received her Master of Fine Arts degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She has taught playwriting for George Mason University’s Theater Department for 17 years, and is co-artistic director of TFA. An accomplished director and playwright whose work has been produced on Broadway, McDonald’s body of work includes “An Almost Holy Picture,” “The End of the Affair,” “When Grace Comes In” and “Dream of a Common Language.” McDonald has been honored with four Helen Hayes Awards, including Outstanding Resident Production. She has received a Pulitzer Prize nomination and has been awarded the National Endowment of the Arts Playwriting Fellowship three times. She is one of eight writers across the United States invited to attend Sundance Ucross Writers’ Retreat in February 2010.

The evening will include a pre-show reception with a cash bar starting at 7 p.m. and a brief discussion with McDonald after the reading. TFA will also collect canned goods at the door for Food for Others (www.foodforothers.org) of Fairfax. Tickets are pay-what-you-can at the door and available at the Center for the Arts Concert Hall box office.

Tickets are pay-what-you-can for THEATER OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT’S staged reading of “THE RIVERS AND RAVINES.” theSPACE is located at 3955 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, VA 22030, in the Old Town Plaza retail complex. Free parking is available in the underground garage, accessible from either Chain Bridge Road or University Drive. Pedestrian entrance is on North Street, next to the fountain.

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GMU Players and George Mason University’s Department of Theater bring Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen’s “The Exonerated” to the stage this fall. This poignant work seeks to answer the question “What does it truly mean to be exonerated?” through the words of six innocent men and women who emerged from years on death row t...o reclaim what is left of their lives. Directed by Katheryn Welsh, “The Exonerated” will be performed in the Black Box Theater in the Performing Arts Building on Mason’s Fairfax Campus on Nov. 19, 20 and 21 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 21 and 22 at 2 p.m.

Blank and Jensen began writing “The Exonerated” in 2000 after they took a road trip across America to meet almost 40 former death row inmates who had been proclaimed innocent after having been convicted of a crime. During the process they compiled the interviews of six exonerated people, and then constructed the play entirely out of the interviews and from various court documents and case files. The lines of the play spoken by the characters are the actual words used by the exonerated men and women. They share their stories openly, and the result is an appalling exposure of the police and prosecutorial misconduct that led to the conviction and condemnation of these innocent individuals. The stories are excerpts of lives destroyed and time wasted – one man spent 22 years on death row – but the play also has humorous moments and is a testimony to the fact that hope and faith can survive even in the bleakest of situations.

Blank and Jensen married in 2001, and in the spring of 2002, they co-directed the first performance of “The Exonerated” at The Actors’ Gang Theater in Los Angeles. The play was incredibly successful, running off-Broadway for two years and more than 600 performances. Renowned actors including Richard Dreyfuss, Jill Clayburgh and others performed the play at various times throughout its run. Illinois Governor George Ryan attended a special performance of the play, and later said it was a factor in his decision a month later to grant clemency to all inmates on death row in Illinois.

Blank and Jensen won the Champion of Justice Award from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers for their efforts. “The Exonerated” has been nominated for five Ovation Awards and three NAACP awards. It won the Ovation for Best World Premier Play, the 2003 Lucille Lortel Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play and a Drama Desk Award. In 2005, it was made into a film directed by Bob Balaban, and starring Brian Dennehy, Danny Glover, Aidan Quinn, Susan Sarandon and David Brown Jr.

The GMU Players ensemble is a dynamic faculty-directed, student organization within the theater department. The Mainstage Series provides students the opportunity to work directly with Mason theater faculty and guest artists, while the Studio Series is selected, directed and designed by students. The GMU Players produce eight productions each season. Director Katheryn Welsh is a junior at Mason and previously appeared in the GMU Players’ productions of “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” and “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.” She directed “Homecoming” in last year’s Ten Minute Play Festival, and will design the sets for the “The Nerd” in the spring. Welsh is currently president of the GMU Players and works closely with Theater of the First Amendment, and is a teacher for Acting for Young People.


Tickets are $6. ($3 For students, seniors and GMU faculty/staff)
Limited free tickets available for GMU students.
All performances are in Black Box. Free parking available in adjacent surface lots on weekends, paid parking available in the Mason Pond Parking Deck. Tickets may be purchased at the door one hour prior to the performance. To purchase tickets by phone, or for directions, please contact the Center for the Arts Box Office at (703) 993-8888.
For information on group sales, please call Kimberly Schall at (703) 993-8600
For Information on the GMU Theater Department or the GMU Players,
please call (703)-993-1120.
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The George Mason University Jazz Ensemble and the Fairfax Law Foundation present the 8th Annual Jazz for Justice concert at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts Concert Hall on Friday, Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. The ensemble, led by director Jim Carroll, performs with incredible 9-year-old trumpet prodigy Geoffrey Gall...ante and George Mason University freshman communications major Sha’Air Hawkins as a guest vocalist. George Weiner, a Fairfax County Public School teacher and brother of Jazz for Justice founder Edward Weiner, will guest conduct. The proceeds from Jazz for Justice benefit the charitable endeavors of the Fairfax Law Foundation, including supporting students in Mason’s Jazz Studies program.

The program for the evening includes Duke Ellington’s “Caravan” and “Istahan,” Cab Calloway’s “Minnie the Moocher,” “Hang Gliding” (a programmatic work by Maria Schneider, inspired by hang-gliding in Rio De Janeiro) “Summer Wind,” Frank Foster’s “State of the Art Swing” and more.

“The Fairfax Law Foundation provides a valuable contribution to the Fairfax community through its programs educating young people on the justice system and its pro bono work,” Carroll said. “Our Jazz Ensemble is delighted to partner with the foundation year after year, and we’re thrilled to perform this year with such a gifted young musician as Geoffrey.”

Geoffrey Gallante first picked up the trumpet at age 4. Already, he has performed for and with other jazz luminaries, including fellow trumpet players Phil Driscoll, Arturo Sandoval, Hugh Masekela, Maynard Ferguson and even the preeminent jazz musician of our time, Wynton Marsalis. He has had guest solo appearances with Washington Symphonic Brass, Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, the U.S. Army Blues Jazz Ensemble and the 257th U.S. Army Band. In addition, Gallante has performed the National Anthem at many professional sports venues across the country.

Sha’Air Hawkins attended high school at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (S.H.A.P.E.) American High School in Belgium, where she was active in community theater and played saxophone in the jazz band, in addition to being involved in many community service projects. Currently a freshman communications major at Mason, Hawkins aspires to work in broadcasting or public relations.

George Weiner has been a Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) teacher since 1987, when he chose to leave the law firm he founded with his brothers. He received the Milken National Educator Award in 2002, and for 22 years, he has served on the Superintendent’s Advisory Council. Weiner also can be found on FCPS Channel 21 as Dr. Esperanto in “Universal Words,” a show that shares his highly regarded vocabulary program with an audience wider than his classroom.

The Jazz for Justice event is the creation of Edward Weiner in collaboration with Mason music professor James Gardner. Weiner is a member of the Arts at Mason Board. He is the founder and senior partner of the Fairfax law firm Weiner & Rohrstaff & Spivey.

The Fairfax Law Foundation, an affiliate of the Fairfax Bar Association, was created in 1982 as a 501 (c)(3) organization to conduct educational and charitable activities in support of the Fairfax community. The organization provides educational programs for area youth about the adverse legal and medical effects of drug and alcohol abuse; arranges courthouse tours with education about the judicial system for middle school students in Fairfax County; operates the Pro Bono Program, which provides legal services for Fairfax County residents who cannot afford legal services; and holds programs to counsel at-risk youth and victims of domestic violence.

Tickets: $20 adult, $15 student/seniorRead More

Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

“Some say the best musical instrument of all is the human voice—if you’ve seen Rockapella you know that’s the truth,” says USA Today. This five-man a cappella powerhouse delighted audiences when they last appeared at the Center. This season, Rockapella returns with such holid...ay classics as "Angels We Have Heard On High" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," as well as popular new pieces like "Little Mary Snowflake," a funky new version of "The Dreidel Song" and "Matunda Ya Kwanzaa," an original composition honoring the celebration of African culture. Young and old alike are drawn to Rockapella’s humor, style and artistry; their amazing and innovative “vocal percussion”; and their winning combination of soul, rock, R&B and jazz. Often remembered for their "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" theme, Rockapella tours widely each year and performs regularly on television and radio.

Tickets: $42, $34, $21. Family Friendly: Youth through grade 12 half price when accompanied by an adult.

Photo Credit: Michael CairnsRead More

Virtuoso fiddler Natalie MacMaster invokes the holiday traditions of her native Cape Breton in this spirited Christmas show that makes audiences leap to their feet. A Grammy nominee who first picked up a violin at age nine, MacMaster combines Celtic, bluegrass and contemporary acoustic sounds with jazz, rock and even c...lassical music. “MacMaster’s a ball of fire, performing jigs and reels with unstoppable, foot-tapping energy and ballads with irresistible, keening passion,” praises the Los Angeles Times. This holiday season, MacMaster demonstrates her fiddling fireworks and ferocious step dancing in a program that mingles Celtic melodies and classic Christmas carols. “Radiant joy ran through her show…maximum entertainment.” (Boston Globe)

Tickets: $46, $38, $23. Family Friendly: Youth through grade 12 half price when accompanied by an adult. Read More

“Nothing proclaims celebration and festivity like the sound of brass instruments. And if those instruments are played by Canadian Brass, there is even greater cause for celebration,” praises the Toronto Star. This extraordinary brass quintet combines virtuosity and showmanship with a playful sense of humor. Now heading... into its 38th season, Canadian Brass has elevated the art of brass playing with the excellence and technical virtuosity of their performance, the diversity of their programs, and the deep connections they make with audiences the world over. Returning to the Center with a festive and versatile holiday program featuring classical music, traditional carols, Hanukkah songs and jazzy renditions of popular seasonal songs, this is a delightful holiday event for the entire family.

Pre-Performance Discussion: 7:15 pm; David Srebnik, Virtuoso Voices

Tickets: $48, $40, $24. Family Friendly: Youth through grade 12 half price when accompanied by an adult.Read More

This legendary musician returns to the Center for the Arts with long-time collaborator and Grammy-winning banjoist David Holt and grandson, Richard, for an incredible evening of music. Showcasing his universally acknowledged virtuosity of the flatpicking guitar, Doc Watson has mastered a wide range of musical genres, i...ncluding traditional ballads, fiddle tunes, blues, gospel, country and contemporary music. His extraordinary talent has been recognized with seven Grammy Awards, a National Medal of the Arts, a National Heritage Fellowship and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Lifetime Achievement Award, and he was even declared a “national treasure” by President Jimmy Carter. Don’t miss this marvelous performance that spans generations and musical traditions!

Tickets: $42, $34, $21. Family Friendly: Youth through grade 12 half price when accompanied by an adult. Read More

Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009 at 2 p.m.

Donizetti’s rollicking romantic comedy follows Marie, a young woman who was adopted and raised by an regiment of the French army, and Tonio, a young man who saved Marie’s life and is now desperately in love with her. When the Marquise de Birkenfield discovers... that the “daughter” is her long-lost niece, she whisks Marie away to her chateau and arranges her marriage to a nobleman. However, a hidden secret and a surprise appearance by the regiment at the wedding softens the Marquise’s heart and reunites the two young lovers. A rousing combination of romantic love, hilarious antics and esprit de corps—not to mention intoxicating music highlighted by spectacular vocal writing. Sung in French with English supertitles.

Pre-Performance Discussion: 45 minutes prior to the performance, Dr. Glenn Winters, Community Outreach Musical Dir., Virginia Opera

Friday: $86, $72, $44
Sunday: $98, $80, $48

Photo Credit: Photo by Anne M. Peterson. Soprano Manon Strauss Evrard as Marie, and Bass Todd Robinson as Sergeant Sulpice in Virginia Opera’s production of Donizetti’s “The Daughter of the Regiment.”Read More