The curtain rises on Reston Community Players’ production of “Superior Donuts” next week.
The comedy kicks off Reston Community Players’ first show of the year by taking audiences on a visit to a small donut shop in Chicago’s historic and diverse Uptown neighborhood.
What’s the show about? Reston Community Players gave this plot description:
Arthur Przybyszewski (Michael Kharfen), a burnt-out hippie owner of a fading Chicago donut shop, has lost interest in life because of guilt over avoiding military service and a failed marriage. When a charismatic young African-American man named Franco Wicks (Bryce Monroe) talks his way into a job, Arthur begins to recover his spark. He encourages Franco’s goal of publishing the next Great American novel. When the would-be novelist’s past catches up with him, Arthur finds more than his livelihood may be in danger. A comedy-drama from the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Letts of “August: Osage County,” “Superior Donuts” explores the challenges of accepting the past and the redemptive power of friendship.
Director Seth Ghitelman said he wants people to come away from the show with a better understanding of what it means to be a friend and to be an American.
“On the surface, it’s a funny play about a rundown donut shop in Chicago and the characters that pass through, but on a deeper level, it speaks about the people in a community that is going through changes,” he said.
Ghitelman says the play embodies the American Dream and the American experience. “We share a common dream that success is available to everyone, and I think it is the right time to remember what we Americans share in common and embrace, not repulse, the diversity of our people,” Ghitelman said.
The full cast is the following:
- Tel Monks as Max Tarasov
- Mattie Cohan as Officer Randy Osteen
- Matthew McCarthy as Officer James Bailey
- Sally Cusenza as Lady Boyle
- Michael Kharfen as Arthur Przybyszewski
- Bryce Monroe as Franco Wicks
- Ian Brown as Luther Flynn
- Michael King as Kevin Magee
- Tice Rust as Kiril Ivankin
Performances will be held at the Reston Community Center’s CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road) at 8 p.m. on Jan. 18, Jan. 19, Jan. 25, Jan, 26, Feb. 1 and Feb. 2. A matinee will be held at 2 p.m. on Jan. 27.
A champagne reception will follow the show on its opening night next Friday (Jan. 18).
Parents, be advised: the production is rated PG-13 for language and violence.
Photos via Reston Community Players
MLK art exhibit opens — An art exhibit by Reston elementary school students debuts today at RCC Hunters Woods ahead of Reston’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations planned for next week. The exhibit will run through Jan. 31. [Reston Community Center]
Gymboree music — Discover melody and rhythm in songs at the Reston Regional Library with two dance sessions cosponsored by the Friends of the Reston Regional Library. Gymboree Music I runs from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. for ages six months to 18 months with adults. Gymboree Music II from 11:15 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. is meant for kids ages 18 months to two-year-olds with an adult. [Reston Regional Library]
Deltek expands industry reach — The Herndon-based provider of software and solutions for project-based businesses recently announced it acquired Avitru, a content and software company. Deltek’s acquisition will expand its offerings to the architectural, engineering, construction and facility operations industry. [citybizlist]
Reston startup secures funding — Reston-based LifeFuels, which makes portable beverage makers, secured its Series-A funding. [Cision]
County expands drug disposal boxes at police stations — Fairfax County announced this week the expansion of the Prescription Drug Take Back Box Program Countywide, where locals can drop off prescription medications at boxes at district police stations. [Supervisor Pat Herrity]
Photo via Marjorie Copson
What is the spice of life? One artist delves into that topic with a new exhibit of paintings titled “Variety – The Spice of Life.”
Lassie Corbett, a Reston artist, will have her paintings on display at RCC Lake Anne’s Jo Ann Rose Gallery (1609-A Washington Plaza) starting tomorrow (Jan. 8).
“Corbett captures a mood, glowing light, subtle color and — above all — the chi, or spirit, in her paintings,” the Reston Community Center posted. Corbett draws on nature and outdoor scenic locations for her art with watercolor as her main medium, the post says.
Inspired by a two-year stint as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines, Corbett’s art has taken her around the world — from painting in Greece to sketchbook journaling in Turkey. She has taught painting workshops in Ireland, England, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Peru and Hawaii.
She has also taught locally with acrylic painting, collage, Chinese brush painting and watercolor painting classes at the Herndon Community Center.
The exhibit runs until Feb. 4. A reception will be held on Sunday, Jan. 27, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Images via Reston Art Gallery
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” — CenterStage Cinema presents the 2008 Brad Pitt movie for free at 10 a.m. at RCC Hunters Woods. A continental breakfast will be served at 9:30 a.m. before the show starts. [Retson Community Center]
CEO of Clyde’s died on Jan. 3 — Clyde’s Restaurant Group CEO John Laytham died last Thursday at Washington Hospital Center at the age of 74. [Washington Business Journal]
“Stop the Bleed” — A program at Reston Hospital Center teaches bystanders bleeding control techniques. The campaign was created by the American College of Surgeons in response to mass shootings. [LocalDMV.com]
Inpatient Rehabilitation Center now open — On Friday (Jan. 4), Reston Hospital Center announced the grand opening of the new Inpatient Rehabilitation Center, which includes 18 private rooms. It provides comprehensive medical rehabilitation to adults with physical impairment and disability secondary to disease, dysfunction or trauma. [Reston Hospital Center]
Photo via Ray Copson
Activist and author DeRay Mckesson will deliver the keynote address at the 34th annual Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday celebration.
The Reston Community Center recently added the civil rights activist to its lineup for the three-day event, which takes place from Jan. 19 to Jan. 21.
Mckesson is an organizer, activist and author of “On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope,” which debuted in September. He has focused on confronting the systems and structures behind mass incarceration and police killings of black and other minority populations, according to his bio.
He will deliver this year’s keynote address at noon on Jan. 21 at RCC Hunters Woods. Afterward, attendees can enjoy a family-style community lunch in RCC’s Community Room. Following the lunch, Mckesson will sign copies of his book, which will be available for purchase.
RCC’s Executive Director Leila Gordon said Mckesson’s own experiences will inspire his call for others to tackle issues “with integrity, commitment and awareness.”
“DeRay Mckesson speaks with urgency and the poignancy of his own lived experience,” Gordon said in a press release “He is among the new wave of leaders emerging to tackle the persistent issues of injustice, inequity and racial disharmony that infect and poison the American experience.”
Tickets for the lunch and keynote address cost $5 for Reston residents and employees.
Photo via Spitz
The Reston Community Center kicked off the more than $5 million renovation of the Reston Community Center’s Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center today (Jan. 2).
Contractor Branch & Associates started the work today on the project, which will update the 40-year-old aquatics center with two pools.
After the final open swim time ended yesterday, the process of draining the pool began.
That process starts with neutralizing the pool water for several days to allow chlorine to dissipate before slowly draining the water, ensuring that it does not erode stream banks downstream of the pool.
“Draining the water is a controlled process to avoid overwhelming any part of the surrounding environment,” RCC’s Executive Director Leila Gordon who said that the team will follow strict environmental standards throughout the process.
In addition to Gordon, the project team includes Branch Project Manager Bill Ruschaupt, RCC’s Deputy Director John Blevins and Martha Sansaver, Karen Davis and Geoff Kimmel from DPWES.
Branch & Associates was selected as the contracting firm for the project after Fairfax County’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services opened a pre-bid qualification process in October.
RCC chose mosaic artist Valerie Theberge to create a mosaic artwork installation for the large wall areas adjacent to the pool overlook area.
Gordon said that the new artwork by Theberge — the artist behind the Glade Drive underpass and a mosaic water feature at Dogwood Pool — will “add to Reston’s wonderful public art collection.”
The renovated facility, designed by RRMM-Lukmire Architects, will include a 25-yard lap pool with zero-depth entry, a warm-water therapeutic pool, updated infrastructure systems and a new roof. It is slated to reopen in the fall.
During the construction period, Reston patrons can receive discounted rates, which are offered through RCCs’ partnership with the YMCA Fairfax County Reston, Reston Association and Herndon Community Center.
Renderings via Reston Community Center
Take one last splash in the pool at Reston Community Center’s Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center before it closes for renovations.
Built in 1979, the Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center will undergo a more than $5 million renovation starting on Jan. 2.
The pool area is expected to reopen in October, featuring an expanded lap pool with a zero-depth entry and water play area and another pool for warm-water therapy, exercise and teaching.
During the construction period, Reston patrons can receive discounted rates, which are offered through RCCs’ partnership with the YMCA Fairfax County Reston, Reston Association and Herndon Community Center. Patrons can pick up a “Construction Pass” at RCC’s Customer Service desks to take to the partner locations and get special rates.
“The Last Splash Aquatics Renovation Party” is set for Friday (Dec. 28) from noon to 9:00 p.m. Admission is $1. The pool party will include open swimming with games and races, music, a farewell gift and a graffiti wall for locals to pen their pool goodbyes.
Rendering via Reston Community Center
In case you were planning to visit these government facilities around Fairfax County during the holiday season, check to see whether or not they will be closed on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24), Christmas (Dec. 25), New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31) and Jan. 1.
Fairfax County
Fairfax County’s government offices, libraries and courts will be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas and Jan. 1.
The county’s public schools will be on winter break from Monday, Dec. 24, until Friday, Jan. 4.
The Fairfax Connector will be running on a holiday weekday schedule for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. A full list of routes running in the Reston area is available online. The next day, the bus will operate on a Sunday schedule for Christmas and Jan. 1.
Frying Pan Farm Park and Colvin Run Mill Historic Site will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Jan. 1.
County trash and recycling collection will not happen on Christmas. The updated collection schedule for next week is:
- Tuesday customers will have collection on Wednesday (Dec. 26)
- Wednesday customers will have collection on Thursday (Dec. 27)
- Thursday customers will have collection on Friday (Dec. 28)
- Friday customers will have collection on Saturday (Dec. 29)
Reston
The Reston Association offices will be closed for Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Jan. 1.
Nature House will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Reston Community Center Lake Anne will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Jan. 1.
Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods will be closed on Christmas. It will have modified hours from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve and from noon to 5 p.m. on Jan. 1.
The Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center will be closed on Christmas. It will have modified hours from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve and from noon to 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 1.
Herndon
Town of Herndon government offices will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas and Jan. 1.
Refuse will be collected on Christmas Eve, but refuse normally collected on Tuesdays will be collected on Thursday (Dec. 27) and New Year’s Eve.
The Herndon Community Center will be closed on Christmas and Jan. 1.
The Herndon Centennial Golf Course will only be closed for Christmas.
Metro, DMV and more
All Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) customer service centers will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Jan. 1.
The Metro and Metrobus will be running a Sunday schedule on Christmas and Jan. 1, operating from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. The Metro will provide special late-night rail service on New Year’s Eve with trains running until 2 a.m. on Jan. 1.
Speaking of closed offices, Reston Now will be on breaks for Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Jan. 1.
File photo
For those interested in arts or crafts, there’s plenty to do around Reston this weekend.
The Greater Reston Arts Center will host a grand opening tomorrow of the new exhibit STRETCH, featuring work of artists responding to the prompt “if you could do anything, what would that be?”
Five local artists were selected to display work in the new exhibit.
The opening reception from 5-7 p.m. is free and open to the public. The exhibit will run until Feb. 9.
Tomorrow (Dec. 15)
Workshop: Handmade Holiday Ornaments (9:30-11 a.m.) — The Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market Street) will be hosting a class on building creative holiday ornaments. Tickets are $10 for Reston residents or $20 for non-Restonians.
Reston Town Center Winterfest (10 a.m.-9 p.m.) — The all-day Winterfest celebration at the Reston Town Center will include a carousel at the ice skating rink, face painting, a gingerbread man and more.
Balloon Twister (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) — A balloon show will be held in the Reston Regional Library, open to the public and for all ages. Balloon artists will be creating hats, giant birds and other creations as part of a holiday celebration. The library will also be hosting an open house from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. the same day with light refreshments, music and entertainment.
Christmas from Ireland (2 p.m.) — The Irish musical group Lúnasa will be hosting a performance at the Reston Community Center blending spoken word, dance and traditional Irish music. The performance is sold out, but those interested in the show are encouraged to come to the box office at 1 p.m. to see check and see if extra tickets are available.
Sunday (Dec. 16)
From Here to There (7 p.m.) — The Reston Community Center will host an opera performance by mezzo-soprano and Restonian Elizabeth Bishop. Tickets are $15 for Reston residents or $20 for non-Restonians.
Photo via Greater Reston Arts Center
This is an opinion column by Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
The opening of the 2019 session of the General Assembly is rapidly approaching! Just a little over a month away!
This session, held during the 400th anniversary of the founding of a representative legislative body in Jamestown in 1619, is shaping up to be a transitional — if not a transformative — one. The heightened awareness of the public on issues and the widened interest in public participation in civic matters add to the importance and significance of the General Assembly meeting this coming year beginning on January 9.
While I gather information on issues of public concern throughout the year from talking with individuals and groups, I have found that leading up to the legislative session is a time when others want to step up and make their opinions known.
That’s why Senator Janet Howell and I sponsor a community meeting twice each year and encourage public testimony. As has been announced in my newsletter and on social media, we will be meeting with constituents Wednesday evening, December 12 from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne. All are welcome. No advanced registration is required.
Likewise, you can make your views known to the entire Northern Virginia delegation on January 5. Pre-registration is recommended as there are many people who offer testimony at that event.
Another option of sharing your views with me is through my online Legislative Survey. Access the survey through my website, www.kenplum.com and click on Legislative Session Survey (top right). The information gathered through the survey is helpful to me not as a poll, but as an opportunity for anyone to express an opinion.
Polling information is valuable to get the overall pulse of the community. The most recent poll of Virginia voters on issues that primarily affect the Commonwealth was conducted by the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University. The poll found that 81 percent of Virginians sampled support ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.
There is a strong advocacy effort underway throughout the state to make Virginia the 38th and final state needed to ratify the amendment. As a supporter of the ERA throughout my legislative career, I look forward to the amendment getting out of committee and being voted on by the entire legislature.
My effort going back to the beginning of my legislative career to establish a nonpartisan redistricting process to draw legislative boundaries has the best chance of approval ever. Nonpartisan redistricting has the approval of 78 percent of voters. Amending the constitution requires legislative approval of two sessions of the General Assembly and a referendum of the voters in order to pass. Passage of an amendment this year is critical to having a process in place for redrawing district lines based on the 2020 census.
The poll found that 49 percent of Virginians sampled support an across-the-board tax cut. At the same time, there is support for increasing funding for education programs at all levels.
Please let me know your opinion on issues of importance to you.
File photo
Watch the ghosts from Christmas Past, Present and Future — Join the Reston Association on a chartered bus trip at 12:45 p.m. to see the performance of “A Christmas Carol” at Ford’s Theatre. RA members pay $60, while non-members pay $70. [Reston Association]
Town hall with Del. Ken Plum and Sen. Janet Howell — The two politicians will host a town hall from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne. [Del. Ken Plum]
Herndon real estate startup aims to be the “Credit Karma of homes” — UpsideDoor decided to trash the brokerage model it launched in 2015 and instead gather data about homeowners to help match them with companies providing home services. The company is also embarking on a new fundraising effort. [Washington Business Journal]
Reston Hospital Center acquires second Mazor X System — The Virginia Institute of Robotic Surgery at Reston Hospital Center is the first in the nation to have two of these robotic spine surgery systems at one hospital location. [Reston Hospital Center]
In addition to the Holiday events we covered earlier, there’s plenty to do around Reston this weekend. This weekend should be especially busy for the more artistically inclined readers, with dancing, music, and photography events tomorrow and Sunday.
Tomorrow (Dec. 8)
Cookies with Santa (9 a.m.-12 p.m.) — Hot chocolate and cookies will be available for children and adults at an arts and crafts event hosted by the Reston Association at Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Ave). The program is geared towards children ages 2-12. Admission is $15 for Reston Association members of $20 for non-members.
Irish Dance (12-1 p.m.) — The Foley Academy of Irish Dance will offer a dance performance and lesson at the Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Dr).
Singer Songwriter Crys Matthews (6:30-9:30) — The alternative rock singer-songwriter will be performing at the Lake Anne Coffee House & Wine Bar (1612 Washington Plaza) tomorrow night. Matthew is also scheduled to perform in January at a three-day event for Reston’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration.
National Parks Photography Exhibit Reception (7-9 p.m.) — Artspace Herndon (750 Center St) will host a reception for Jim Schlett’s gallery of national park photography. Most of the work was photographed during long walks through the parks around dawn or dusk. The exhibit will run until Jan. 5.
2018 Reston Santa Bar Crawl (8 p.m.-1 a.m.) — The rules for a Santa Bar Crawl are simple: wear a Santa suit, or some other holiday costume, and hit up a series of Santa-friendly bars across Reston. A full list of participating bars is available at the event page.
Sunday (Dec. 9)
Christmas at the Farm — The Frying Pan Farm Park (2739 West Ox Rd) will offer cookie decorating, Sant-driven dractor rides, and more for $10 per person. Sessions at the farm are held throughout the day. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Sunday Afternoon Dance (2:30-4:30 p.m.) — The Reston Community Center (2310 Colts Neck Rd) is hosting a dance for all skill levels, with music ranging from waltz and swing to modern dance selections. Partners are not required. The cost is $5 for Reston residents or $10 for non-Restonians. The event is followed by a County Western Dance from 5:30-8 p.m.
Photo via Facebook
County remains among the richest — the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that Fairfax County ranks second as the richest county from 2013 to 2017, following Loudoun County. [U.S. Census Bureau]
It’s snow joke — With snow predictions looming, the Virginia Department of Transportation wants residents to stay safe by looking over its 2018-2019 “snow facts.” [VDOT]
Fine arts photography collection — The “La Lumiere DuBois VII” exhibit by Michael DuBois, who highlights his love of nature, opens today at the Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. The exhibit is open until Jan. 6. [Reston Community Center]
“She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition” — Watch students from the Herndon High School perform a contemporary dramatic comedy tonight at 7 p.m. Parental guidance is recommended. [Herndon High School Theatre]
Photo by Susan Berger
The Greater Reston Arts Center has pushed back the completion of a new 50-foot steel sculpture in Reston Town Center from this fall to spring 2019.
Reston Now previously reported the installation and an opening ceremony were expected in August.
Now, the sculpture’s anticipated unveiling is set for spring after the project faced construction delays, Lily Siegel, executive director and curator of the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE), told Reston Now.
“As we embarked on [the project], things have shifted and got a little bit delayed,” she said.
Titled “Buoyant Force,” the sculpture by artist Sue Wrbican is inspired by the work of Kay Sage, an American surrealist who was known for her paintings of scaffolded structure and furled fabric in barren landscapes. GRACE previously featured Wrbican’s work last fall.
Currently, the sculpture is being fabricated by two fabricators. The main 50-foot piece is getting welded together at one fabricator’s shop in Rockville Md.
Siegel said that the GRACE team has dropped in several times on the fabrication, describing the tall piece as reminiscent of scaffolding or the inside of a skyscraper. Even though the 50-foot piece is lying on the ground, “it’s very impressive,” she said. “The impact is pretty powerful.”
A second fabricator is making other steel structures that will get attached to the sculpture. Both sourced preexisting, pre-fabricated materials at Wrbican’s request.
While the main work on the pieces is “pretty much done,” technical details still need finishing before installation. Once the pieces are on site, the installation will require a crane and boom lift, she said.
“Buoyant Force” marks Seigel’s first public sculpture — an undertaking that has taught her quite a bit throughout the process. For starters, the project initially planned to have one fabricator, before she decided the work required two people, she said.
“It’s taking a whole team of professionals to get this done,” Seigel said That team includes architects, inspectors, a concrete team, engineers, movers and — of course — the artist.
Seigel also took a new approach to fund the sculpture. For the first time, GRACE started a crowdfunding campaign to cover the costs. Locals can donate online.
So far, the campaign raised about $50,000 — nearly half of the required funds — in roughly five months, she said. The Reston Town Center Association, Reston Community Center, ArtsFairfax and Public Art Reston are some of the places that have donated.
Seigel said the “slow” fundraising efforts are not causing the delay.
Additionally, the architect, engineer, concrete company and transportation company are providing pro bono work — a donation of its own kind, she said.
Siegel said a community celebration to mark the grand opening will happen.
After that, she plans to host programming, including dance, poetry and education, around the sculpture, which is expected to be on view for five years. “We’re looking for different ways to bring the community back around the sculpture” with different perspectives, she said. “We are incredibly excited about this project.”
Images via Greater Reston Arts Center
Herndon resident Crys Matthews will perform her songs at the 34th annual Reston Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration.
The Reston Community Center recently added the singer-songwriter to its lineup of artists for the three-day event, which takes place from Jan. 19 to Jan. 21.
Matthews has gained national acclaim for her music, which blends Americana, folk, jazz, blues, bluegrass and funk. In 2017, she was the grand-prize winner in the NewSong Music Competition and won the People’s Music Network’s Social Justice Songs contest at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance.
“Crys Matthews is an important voice of her generation and will be an excellent addition to our weekend lineup,” Paul Douglas Michnewicz, the arts and events director for Reston Community Center, said in a statement. “Her perspective reminds us that our similarities are far more important than our differences.”
Matthews is scheduled to perform at 2 p.m. on Jan. 20 at CenterStage. Tickets cost $15 for Reston residents.
She also plans to conduct a workshop for students at Langston Hughes Middle School and South Lakes High School as an artist-in-residence in Reston.
Photo via Fairfax County
