The McLean Community Center (MCC) offers the following activities in March. Please check the center’s website, www.mcleancenter.org, for up-to-date information. Residents of the center’s tax district, Small District 1A-Dranesville, are eligible for discounts on fees. The center is located at 1234 Ingleside Ave.
Mad River Theater Works: “Freedom Flight”
Saturday, March 4
4:00pm – 5:30pm
$15.00
Non-MCC District Resident Cost: $25/$20 seniors and students
The Alden Theatre
1234 Ingleside Ave.
McLean, VA 22101
The mission of Mad River Theater Works is to create and perform inspiring original plays with music that uplift characters from the past, challenging racism, sexism and intolerance. “Freedom Flight” is a one-act play with music by Mad River that revolves around Ohio’s most famous incident in the history of the Underground Railroad: the story of Addison White, an escaped slave, and his rescue by the citizens of the town of Mechanicsburg, Ohio. “Freedom Flight” brings history to life through original songs and an array of characters that pop right out of the past to recreate the turbulence and hope of the Underground Railroad.
“The shows are artistically beautiful, crafted with heart and authenticity, and the messages embedded in the work about tolerance and racism are vital.” – Overture Center, Madison, WI
St. Patty’s Party
5th & 6th Grader Parties
Friday, March 10
7:00pm – 9:30pm
$35/$25 MCC district residents/$20 OFC Members, who must call to make payment. Preregistration is recommended.
Activity Code: 4604.323
The Old Firehouse
1440 Chain Bridge Rd
McLean, VA 22101
Old Firehouse 5th & 6th grader parties are themed and decorated accordingly. Free catered food and beverages will be distributed to participants. Parties feature a DJ, open dance floor and a variety of activities.
Volunteers: Parents who wish to volunteer for parties must submit an email request to Aaron Greene at oldfirehouse@mcleancenter.org. Please include your name, your child’s name and a home address. Volunteer hours are 6:30-9:45 p.m. Each parent volunteer receives one free admission for his or her child. Volunteer spots are limited.
(the) Unruly Theatre Project
Friday, March 10
7:00pm – 8:00pm
Free admission
Come enjoy a night of laughs on us! (the) Unruly Improv is The Alden’s professional teen improv company dedicated to bringing comedic performances to the community. In May 2022, UTP was named 1st place Champions at Improvicon of Northern Virginia!
Friday Night Trip: Washington Capitals Game
Friday, March 17
4:30pm – 10:00pm
$70/$60 MCC district residents
Activity Code: 5304.323
Parents, register your kids for our Friday Night Activities to enjoy a much-needed date night or come to our family programs for some wholesome fun! Old Firehouse members and all others can register. Prices vary based on activity. Preregistration is highly recommended!
“Makin’ Cake” with Dasha Kelly Hamilton
Saturday, March 18
6:00pm – 7:30pm
$15.00
Non-MCC District Resident Cost: $25/$20 seniors and students
The Alden Theatre
1234 Ingleside Ave.
McLean, VA 22101
“Makin’ Cake” slices into American history exploring race, culture and class in a refreshing and fun way. It is storytelling in layers and filled with “Aha!” moments and poignant vignettes, digital media, and an onstage baker. This show serves up an experience and a conversation about equity in America. Part history lesson, part social science revelation, “Makin’ Cake” is a short story about America’s sweet tooth and pathway to salvation (and salivation) and leaves room for dessert and dialogue.
“Dasha’s way of telling a slice of America’s history is captivating and makes the bad ingredients a little easier to swallow because they, too, are a part of the cake.” – Audience Member
Pulitzer Prize Winner Nikole Hannah-Jones
Perspectives Speaker Series
Presented in partnership with the Fairfax County Library
“The 1619 Project—A New Origin Story”
Sunday, February 19
2:00pm
Free. Registration through the Fairfax County Library website is required. Registration opens 1/22/23
Co-creator of the award-winning “The 1619 Project,” Nikole Hannah-Jones is an investigative reporter who covers civil rights and racial injustice for The New York Times Magazine. She has been honored countless times, including as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People 2021, as the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” grant, an NAACP Image Awards and a Peabody Award. In this talk she will discuss her latest book, a collection of essays and poetry featuring an elaboration of the original project’s Pulitzer Prize–winning lead essay by Hannah-Jones on how the struggles of Black Americans have expanded democracy for all Americans.
MCC Governing Board Meeting
Wednesday, March 22
6:30am – 8:00pm
Convened “All-Virtual”
Regular meeting + Public Hearing on FY2025 Programs
Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 218 423 054 167 Passcode: cKu46W
All meetings are open to the public. Tax district residents (Small District 1A-Dranesville) who wish to speak at board meetings will be allotted three minutes each. A total of five speakers will be allowed at each meeting. Call the Center at 703-790-0123, TTY: 711, to be placed on the agenda.
Please submit written public comments for MCC Board members to feedback@mcleancenter.org.
Performing Arts Movie
Thursday, March 23
1:00pm – 1:55pm
Free admission. Registration is recommended.
The Alden Theatre
1234 Ingleside Ave.
McLean, VA 22101
Will it be a documentary? A filmed Broadway show? Maybe a monumental concert? Regardless, our performing arts movie series will bring you closer to the arts and your neighbors.
Schedule subject to change.
Click here to view the trailer.
Trick of the Light Theatre: “The Griegol”
Saturday, March 25
5:00pm – 5:30pm
$10.00
Non-MCC District Resident Cost: $15/$12 seniors and students
The Alden Theatre
1234 Ingleside Ave.
McLean, VA 22101
New Zealand’s Trick of the Light Theatre shares an eerie, elegant wordless tale about death, love, grief and monsters. After a child’s granny passes away, she starts to suspect she is being pursued by the smoke demon shapeshifter from the old woman’s stories. In the tradition of “Spirited Away” and “Coraline,” “The Griegol” is a mythic, gorgeously rendered dark fantasy for lovers of theater that conjures magic and laughter out of silhouettes, puppetry, live music and animation.
“Charming, poignant and expertly performed. A unique theatre experience.” – TheatreScenes
This engagement of Trick of the Light is made possible in part through the Performing Arts Page 5 of 12 Global Exchange program of Mid-Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts with assistance from the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body and the Embassy of Australia in Washington, D.C.
Fiesta Del Sol: Latin American & Caribbean Festival
Saturday, March 25
5:00pm & 9:00pm
Tickets will be sold onsite.
Enjoy the taste and sound of Latin America and the Caribbean right here in McLean! This event offers quality exhibitors, live music, delicious tapas and rum and tequila bars. Learn how to dance the salsa or merengue from the best of instructors.
Tickets for food and drinks will be sold onsite. Must be 21 to purchase alcohol.
For more information, call MCC at 703-790-0123, TTY: 711, or visit www.mcleancenter.org.
For Old Firehouse activities, call 703-448-8336. For The Alden Box Office, call 571-296-8385.
About McLean Community Center
McLean Community Center offers a continuing program of activities for adults and children, including a wide range of classes, lectures, study tours, camps, art exhibits, theatre performances, and specialty shows. The Center also sponsors major community activities such as McLean Day at Lewinsville Park in May and the 4th of July Fireworks at Langley High School.
The McLean Community Center, an agency of Fairfax County Government, is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all programs, services and activities. We will provide reasonable accommodations upon request. To request special accommodations, call the Center 14 working days in advance of the event.
To request this information in an alternate format, call 711.
