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Spring begins at 5:01 a.m. Thursday, March 20, ushering in a busy weekend of Nowruz festivities, civic engagement, gallery openings, theater, dance and cherry blossom events across Northern Virginia and Washington.
Community events
Oakton Library, 10304 Lynnhaven Place in Oakton, will celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, at 3 p.m. March 23. The all-ages program will feature cultural displays, traditional activities and storyteller Arsia, with crafts and music provided by FarsiSpeakingKids.
Falls Church Forward will sponsor a Civics Bootcamp from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 23. Participants can learn how the City of Falls Church government operates, find ways to influence local services and policies, practice navigating city information and meet other residents interested in civic involvement. Registration is requested.
Art exhibitions and tours
Pamela Huffman’s solo exhibition, “In the Absence of Nurture… Nature,” remains on view at Rare Bird Coffee Roasters in downtown Falls Church through June 15. The show features work by the local mixed-media and acrylic artist.
Falls Church Arts is presenting “Light & Dark: Contrast” through April 6. Juried by Aimee George, the exhibition includes black-and-white and color photographs examining the interplay of light and darkness. Gallery visitors may vote for the People’s Choice award until May 16.
“A Brighter Light,” an Arlington Artists Alliance member-juried show, opens March 20 at Alliance Gallery, 2700 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite R330, in Arlington. Through color, shadow and texture, participating artists explore hope, clarity, renewal and resilience. An opening reception is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. March 20, and the exhibition continues through May 4.
For Women’s History Month, the National Gallery of Art is also offering a tour highlighting 10 works by women artists currently displayed in its galleries.
Theater across the region
Creative Cauldron, 127 E. Broad St. in Falls Church, will stage “Snow White/Blancanieve” from March 21 through April 6. The bilingual Learning Theater adaptation gives the Grimm story an irreverent spin, complete with music by Conner and Smith, the Evil Queen, Magic Mirror, helpful little miners and other eccentric characters. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $18 for students.
Providence Players of Fairfax presents Jerry Mayer’s “2 Across” from March 21 through April 5. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, with 2 p.m. Sunday matinees March 23 and 30.
Directed by Barbara Gertzog, the romantic comedy follows two strangers completing New York Times crosswords aboard a nearly empty San Francisco BART train at 4:30 a.m. One is an orderly psychologist and crossword expert; the other is an unemployed, free-spirited advertising executive prone to giving up. Their 80-minute encounter becomes about far more than finishing a puzzle.
“In the Heights” continues at Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave. in Arlington, through May 4. The Tony Award-winning musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes follows residents of New York City’s Washington Heights as gentrification and a potentially life-changing lottery ticket force them to consider their dreams, losses, relationships and future. The score blends Latin rhythms and hip-hop in songs including “96,000,” “Paciencia y Fe” and “Carnaval del Barrio.”
Synetic Theater’s “The Immigrant” runs through March 23 at Thomas Jefferson Theatre. Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili developed the production from the classic 1918 silent comedy about a newcomer confronting the hopes, mishaps and challenges of arriving in turn-of-the-20th-century New York. Directed by Paata Tsikurishvili, the adaptation draws on the physical comedy and immigrant perspective of Synetic’s artists. Tickets range from $35 to $65, and parental guidance is advised for young children. The production will also play at Theater J from April 11 through 27.
At 1st Stage in Tysons, Debbie Tucker Green’s “hang” continues through March 30. The play places three people in a single room as a woman faces a devastating decision about the fate of a criminal. Directed by Deidra LaWan Starnes, the darkly humorous 2015 Royal Court work examines justice and human nature. The production contains sensitive material. Box-office information is available at 703-854-1856.
Woolly Mammoth Theatre is staging “It’s a Motherf**king Pleasure,” a disability-led satire from FlawBored about identity politics, institutional guilt and the business of appearing socially responsible. The story follows public-relations firm Rize after allegations of ableism and Ross, a Blind influencer prepared to capitalize on the anxiety of nondisabled people.
Performances are scheduled for 8 p.m. March 20, 8 p.m. March 21, 3 p.m. March 22 and 2 p.m. March 30. The March 20 show requires masks and includes a Disability Justice and the Arts panel. Every performance of the 60-minute production will offer audio description, captioning and a relaxed environment. The show is presented with Studio Theatre and Arts Emerson.
“A Room in the Castle” runs through April 6 at Folger Theatre. Lauren M. Gunderson’s drama reimagines “Hamlet” through Ophelia, her handmaid and Queen Gertrude as they navigate an increasingly dangerous Danish court. Kaja Dunn directs the music-filled production, which mixes humor, heartbreak and hope while examining survival, caregiving and obligations between generations. The Folger co-produced the play with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Tickets range from $20 to $84, and the approximately 85-minute show has no intermission.
At Theater J, José Rivera directs his tragicomedy “Your Name Means Dream” through April 6. Naomi Jacobson and Sara Koviak star in the story of Aislin, an older woman who needs constant assistance, and Stacy, the humanlike AI robot assigned to care for her. Their growing relationship blends magical realism, science fiction and thriller elements while asking what constitutes life, friendship, humanity and a soul.
Keegan Theatre’s world premiere of “#CHARLOTTESVILLE” runs from March 22 through April 13. Written and performed by Priyanka Shetty, the solo work recounts the events of Aug. 11 and 12, 2017, when white supremacists came to Charlottesville for the “Unite the Right” rally and clashed violently with counterprotesters.
Shetty examines race, identity and nationalism from her perspective as an immigrant from India. The play draws verbatim material from interviews with more than 100 residents, civil-trial transcripts and news accounts. Yury Urnov directs.
Bollywood dance at George Mason
“Rhythm India: Bollywood & Beyond” comes to George Mason University’s Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 22.
Created by director and choreographer Joya Kazi, the production combines Bollywood spectacle with classical Indian movement. Dancers from Joya Kazi Unlimited perform to dynamic music in colorful costumes while celebrating Indian culture. Kazi’s screen credits include Bollywood and Hollywood films, Netflix’s “Never Have I Ever” and Fox’s “New Girl.”
The approximately 80-minute performance includes an intermission and is appropriate for all ages. Tickets cost $55, $47 or $33, with half-price admission available for children and students through Grade 12.
Cherry blossoms take over the Smithsonian
The Smithsonian American Art Museum will host a Cherry Blossom Celebration from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 22, as part of the 2025 National Cherry Blossom Festival.
Weather permitting, Nen Daiko will open the event with taiko drumming on the F Street Plaza. Activities will then move into the Kogod Courtyard for music by Les The DJ and performances by Misako Ballet Company. Children ages 12 and younger can create cherry blossom crafts, while visitors of all ages can follow a spring scavenger hunt through the museum’s galleries. Seasonal food will be sold at the Courtyard Café.
The performance schedule begins with Nen Daiko at 11:30 a.m., followed by Les The DJ at noon, Misako Ballet Company at 12:30 p.m., another DJ set at 1 p.m., ballet at 2 p.m. and a final Nen Daiko performance at 2:30 p.m.