Tour of the Historic Pohick Church Explained Our Heritage
By Marilyn Harriman, Special Events Planning Group, Co-Chair
On October 7, 35 OLLI members spent the morning visiting and touring historic Pohick Church in Lorton. The tour began with a 30‑minute talk by three knowledgeable docents, Fred Crawford, Marleen McCabe, and Susan Schultz. The docents enlightened participants about the church’s history, beginning with stories about its founders: vestrymen Thomas Baron Cameron (Lord Fairfax), George Washington, and George Mason.
The docents explained how early church parishioners kept warm in the deep of winter by keeping heated bricks under their feet in pew boxes. OLLI members also heard about the defacing and destruction of the church building during the Civil War. They saw remnants of Civil War graffiti on the interior wall and the building façade. the group explored the cemetery and heard from the cemetery warden, Sandra Caesar. She explained that local Lorton families donated land for the cemetery and that some descendants attend the church today. The graveyard serves Pohick Church members, families with plots, and the larger Lorton community via the Memorial Garden.
Some participants took advantage of shopping at the Golden Dove Gift Shop, while others finished their visit with a stroll in the flower gardens in the courtyard.
It was a beautiful, sunny day for members to learn about one of the area’s earliest churches and community life during colonial and post-revolutionary days. Church docents remarked how much they enjoyed the OLLI group because of their enthusiasm and engagement. It was an excellent day for OLLI members to get out and learn about local history. (Photo by Marilyn Harriman)
Mark Your Calendar for the Halloween Party October 21
By Marilyn Harriman, Special Events: Diversions Chair
Halloween comes only once a year. So, don’t miss your opportunity to party and celebrate the event with your OLLI friends. We’ll gather on Friday, October 21, 3:00-5:00 at Tallwood for refreshments, professional palm reading, a costume contest, pumpkin decorating, and photo opportunities with celebrities, including Elvis, Audrey Hepburn, and George Washington.
Bring a friend and be prepared to have a wicked good time!
By Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch,
Co-Moderators
OLLI weekly conversations continue – October 19: Use Your Imagination.
Continuing our Wednesday conversations series, Team Bloch (Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch) will moderate a Zoom discussion on Wednesday October 19 at 4:00, where any and every OLLI member is most welcome to join us to talk about our chosen topic: This week it will be "Where in the World Would You Most Like to Live, If Health and Money Were of No Concern?"
We foster an informal interactive experience, and we want to hear from you. Share your favorites. No sign-ups needed; participation is totally open and spontaneous. Check the emailed Daily Schedule or just use the OLLI Chat-Line meeting ID.
This is an open-ended topic. Feel free to indulge your locational fantasies, although we suggest that Gulf Coast Florida might not fit into your current plans. Tahiti? Some remote Italian village that you might even own? Vermont mountain cabin? Manhattan condo? Castle in France? Ranch in Montana? Costa Rica? Northern Virginia? (Or maybe you have already made that "big move.") Please do share the Why's of your choice/wishes with us.
Heads up for the following week’s Conversation – October 26: Death Cafes.
Each week we pre-select a topic, and advertise it in the OLLI E-News, the OLLI E-Blast, and the OLLI Daily Schedule (so it will be “in your face” and hard to miss.) If you have a suggestion for a topic that will be of interest to members, please do send it to one of us: (Bblochyoung@gmail.com or dbloch50@hotmail.com). We love receiving your suggestions.
Check your Daily Schedule for the Zoom link each Wednesday and plan on some social time with Team Bloch.
Upcoming Mason Jazz Performances in October That You Will Enjoy
By Darden Purcell, D.M.A., Mason Director of Jazz Studies
The next concert in our Reston jazz series is October 20, FREE and open to the public! Concerts are presented outdoors at the Reston Town Square Park 5:00 to 6:15 on Thursdays and will run through the end of October. This one is by the Raymond Mason Group (Caribbean jazz); join us!
Guitarist and Mason jazz faculty member Shawn Purcell will perform Monday, October 17 at Blues Alley to mark the release of his Origin Records CD "180." Performances are at 7:00 and 9:00. Featuring organist Pat Bianchi (Pat Martino/Lou Donaldson), drummer Jason Tiemann (Benny Golson, Ed Cherry), vocalist Darden Purcell, and trombonist Ben Patterson, the 180 album includes ten Purcell original compositions and one standard by the great Johnny Mandel. To purchase tickets: click here.
The Mason Jazz Ensemble performs its fall concert Wednesday,
October 19 at 8:00 in Harris Theatre. This concert will feature outstanding soloists and will pay tribute to the great big bands of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Thad Jones, Rob McConnell and more! Tickets available at this link.
What Do a Dramaturg and Musical Theater Have in Common?
Come to OLLI’s TLG Meeting to Find Out
By Norma Jean Reck, Coordinator for Theater Lovers’ Group (TLG)
Theater Dramaturgy—Do you know what a theater dramaturg is? Have any idea of why they are an essential part of a production team for a play? According to Court Theatre, “a dramaturg delves into the script, reading it numerous times, providing a textual analysis, and diving into the history of the text and the playwright. They provide information about the history of past productions of the play and contribute to design and production meetings.”
On Wednesday, October 26, from 4:00 to 5:30, Mason’s Associate Professor Kristin Johnsen-Neshati will speak virtually with our TLG meeting about the responsibilities of a dramaturg. It is quite a revelation to realize the impact that this little known, behind-the-scenes role has on a play. Mark your calendars and be sure to join other Theater Lovers for a really unique, virtual session.
A Special Invitation—On Sunday, October 30, you are invited to join Theater Lovers when we attend the 2:00 matinee performance of Mason’s fall musical Head Over Heels at the Center for the Arts. It is laugh-out-loud musical theater that will make you smile and want to sing along, for those of you who remember the GoGo’s. Choreographer Stefan Sittig and his phenomenal dancers add more zest to the already lively tunes sung by Mason’s talented students under the musical direction of Maestro Joe Walsh and Director Erin Gardiner. You will enjoy the hilarious antics of the members of a royal family trying to save their kingdom from oblivion. Senior tickets are $15 per person. Go to https://cfa.gmu.edu to purchase tickets. Feel free to invite friends who are not OLLI members. We will go to dinner at a nearby restaurant after the show (optional). If interested, please email Norma at njreck@cs.com so I can make reservations.
Blue sky, blue water, white cresting gulls
Warm, gentle breeze and ocean sound lulls
The endless stream of her life’s longings
Withheld by remorseful misgivings
Destiny to find a long-lived dream
Like a dark night lit by a moonbeam
Her spirits renewed by ocean sounds
Uplifted, happiness knows no bounds
Delight in true authenticity
She will celebrate simplicity - Chitra Mohla
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 page or the Hylton Center ticket purchase page.
Current vaccination policy for the Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center is summarized as follows:
Audience members are not currently required to show proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test result for most events except when required by the event organizer or artist. If proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result is required for a specific event, it will be indicated on the webpage with event details.
Dr. Linda Apple Monson produces a periodic “Notes from the Director.” This email is full of interesting online performances by the students and faculty of the School of Music. If you would like to receive these bulletins, just sign up at this link to stay in touch. Also, the Center for the Arts has a website,Mason Arts at Home, which has a calendar of online events and access to many past performances. Information can also be found at CFA ticket purchase page, Center for the Arts YouTube Channel, or the Hylton ticket purchase page.
Gallery Exhibit: Bennie Herron: Zero and One
Sep 6 through Nov 6
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Buchanan Partners Art Gallery
Admission: Free.
Manassas Ballet Theatre: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Fri, Oct 14, 7:30
Sat, Oct 15, 7:30
Sun, Oct 16, 3:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $65, $55, $45, $35, $25.
Prince William Little Theatre: Peter and the
Starcatcher Fri, Oct 14 and 21, 8:00
Sat, Oct 15 and 22, 8:00
Sun, Oct 16 and 23, 2:00
Sat, Oct 22 at 2:00
Gregory Family Theater
Admission: Adult $20, senior $17, youth $13.
Manassas Symphony Orchestra: Celebrations
Sat, Oct 22, 7:30
Merchant Hall
Admission: $25.
Mummenschanz Theater Troupe
Sun, Oct 23, 7:00
Merchant Hall
Admission: $50, $43, $30.
Please note: Although some physical meetings for clubs and activities are canceled, some may be meeting in person or, in a hybrid mode, both in person and online. OLLI events and activities meeting online bear the identification "Z" in their course or event number (except clubs; you may need to check the OLLI calendar and daily schedule email for location and other event information). Refer to the university's coronavirus website for official university updates.
The following list covering the next two weeks is extracted for your convenience from the master online calendar maintained by the office. 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. (bolded below). The OLLI office has sent (or will send) emails with links and meeting passwords to club members; you may also log in at the member portal and click on ZOOM CLASS LINKS.
Sat Oct 15
10:30 am
1:00 pm
Tai Chi Club
Personal Computer User Group
Mon Oct 17
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Oct 18
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Spanish Club
Tai Chi Club
Wed Oct 19
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
2:00 pm
Bridge Club
Mah Jongg Club
Memoir and More Writing Group
Thu Oct 20
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Oct 21
9:15 am
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
3:00 pm
Recorder Consort
Craft and Conversation Board of Directors Meeting
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
OLLI Halloween Social
Sat Oct 22
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club
Mon Oct 24
9:30 am
What’s in the Daily News?
Tue Oct 25
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Wed Oct 26
1:45 pm
1:45 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Bridge Club
Spanish Club
Mah Jongg Club
Theater Lovers’ Group
Thu Oct 27
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club
Fri Oct 28
9:15 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 noon
Recorder Consort
Craft and Conversation
Classic Literature Club
Homer, etc.
Photography Club
OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.
Editorial Staff
Chief Editor: Paul Van Hemel
Associate Editor: David Gundry
Weekly Editor Team: David Gundry, John Nash, Sheri Siesseger, Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Linda Randall, Tom Appich, Jane Hassell
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. Search E-News: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News at ENews Archives. To search the content within issues, use Search or enter your search term(s) in Google followed by “site:ollidev.earthcare.com/” without the quotes. An Amazon Smile Link appears here. When you shop using the Smile link designating OLLI as your charitable choice, we'll receive a 0.5 % donation, based on the value of your purchase.
on the interior wall and the building façade. the group explored the cemetery and heard from the cemetery warden, Sandra Caesar. She explained that local Lorton families donated land for the cemetery and that some descendants attend the church today. The graveyard serves Pohick Church members, families with plots, and the larger Lorton community via the Memorial Garden.
nly once a year. So, don’t miss your opportunity to party and celebrate the event with your OLLI friends. We’ll gather on Friday, October 21, 3:00-5:00 at Tallwood for refreshments, professional palm reading, a costume contest, pumpkin decorating, and photo opportunities with celebrities, including Elvis, Audrey Hepburn, and George Washington.
Guitarist and Mason jazz faculty member Shawn Purcell will perform Monday, October 17 at Blues Alley to mark the release of his Origin Records CD "180." Performances are at 7:00 and 9:00. Featuring organist Pat Bianchi (Pat Martino/Lou Donaldson), drummer Jason Tiemann (Benny Golson, Ed Cherry), vocalist Darden Purcell, and trombonist Ben Patterson, the 180 album includes ten Purcell 
original compositions and one standard by the great Johnny Mandel. To purchase tickets: 
Musical Theater Have in Common?
numerous times, providing a textual analysis, and diving into the history of the text and the playwright. They provide information about the history of past productions of the play and contribute to design and production meetings.”
A Special Invitation
