This class is suitable for both beginners and those who have taken improv classes in the past. Improv comedy is a great way for kids and teens to express themselves and gain confidence. Focusing on creativity and teamwork, The Alden’s improv comedy classes for youth teach improv fundamentals such as “yes, and” in a supportive environment.

Session I: Class participants will perform during (the) Unruly Theatre Project’s show on Friday, March 4, at The Old Firehouse Center.

Session II: Participants will perform a class showcase at MCC on the last day of class.

Session I

8-11 years

8 lessons @ 1 hr, $145/$125 MCC district residents
3001.322          M, 1/10-3/14          6:30-7:30 p.m.
No lesson on 1/17 and 2/21.

12-16 years
8 lessons @ 1 hr, $145/$125 MCC district residents
3002.322          M, 1/10-3/14          7:30-8:30 p.m.
No lesson on 1/17 and 2/21.

Session II

8-11 years
7 lessons @ 1 hr, $145/$125 MCC district residents
3003.322          M, 4/11-5/23          6:30-7:30 p.m.

12-16 years
7 lessons @ 1 hr, $145/$125 MCC district residents
3004.322          M, 4/11-5/23          7:30-8:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 23, 4 p.m.
$15/$10 MCC district residents

A mischievous duo starts to doodle… and ends up creating a whole imaginative world! They invite us along on their sea adventure with a tiny little turtle. What will happen as we follow their vivid drawings into this beautiful watery world, and will they return the turtle to the sea safely? Doodle POP, a touching and playful nonverbal show, uses live musicians who perform the accompanying score and sound effects, stunning interactive animation projections, live whiteboard drawings and an abundance of theatrical imagination for anyone aged 3+. Created by BRUSH Theatre of South Korea.

"...inventive and thrilling and completely fantastical. Natural, mythical and comical creatures morph into each other with as little as a flick of a hand or a wave of a pen… as awe-inspiring for the adults as it is for children.” — Exeunt Magazine

The Doodle Pop tour received grant funding from the following:

AAPI Heritage Month Selection

Thursday, May 5, 1 p.m.

Free; registration is required. Register here. 
View the trailer

By popular demand, our foreign language movie series is back! Curated by Performing Arts Director Sarah Schallern Treff, with more than a little help from our audience, the series will pick up where we were so rudely interrupted in 2020, with a few surprises thrown in. All screenings are free, but advance registration is required. Schedule subject to change.

Presented by Dark Horse Theatre Company and (the) Unruly Theatre Project
Saturday, May 7, 7 p.m.
$20/$15 MCC district residents

This event is a real deal competition of multiple improv groups throughout Northern Virginia. The groups competing for the trophy are The Pundemics, Home Improv Mints, (the) Unruly Theatre Project and Calamity Improv--With host, Pete Bergen. Who will walk away with the title of Improvicon Champion of 2022?

Chamber Music Series

Sunday, May 8, 2 p.m.

$10/$5 MCC district residents

Hidetaro Suzuki and Zeyda Ruga Suzuki comprise the violin and piano duo that has been performing in the musical centers of the world from New York, to Chicago, London, Paris, Russia and Tokyo, since the 1960s. The couple have been residents of McLean for the last 15 years and have performed at The Alden several times. They are resuming their engagements in the U.S. and Japan in the spring of 2022. 

Friday, May 13, 7 p.m.
$40/$30 MCC district residents.

When Lee Lessack and Johnny Rodgers played The Alden with “Simon and Garfunkel [Revisited],” y’all lost your minds. No need to keep begging, we’re bringing them back! Re-live James Taylor’s 1979 Central Park concert with the transcendent harmonies of Lee Lessack and Johnny Rodgers as they pay homage to the unique artistry and indelible music that was celebrated on that monumental night.

“Vocal romanticism of a high order.” — Billboard Magazine

Thursday, May 26, 1 p.m.
Free admission. Registration is required. Register here. 

Learn a little about the performing arts through these one-hour (or so) documentaries. Safety permitting, join Performing Arts Director Sarah Schallern Treff for a discussion after.

A Live Book Reading, Plus Family Movement and Music Workshop! For ages 5–12.
Saturday, June 18, 10:30 a.m.
Dolley Madison Library
Free, registration required. Register here. 
 
“You Are Not Alone” is an empathetic and inclusive picture book that empowers kids to love their beautiful selves, celebrate their identities, stand up to hate, and have each other’s backs no matter what. In those moments that you are afraid or feel like you don’t belong, know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
 
Register the child who will be attending. Priority seating will be given to children ages 5-12.

Featuring music from The Alphabet Rockers album “THE LOVE” (All Ages)

Saturday, June 18, 4 p.m.

$10/$5 MCC tax district residents

This Grammy®-nominated intergenerational hip hop album from The Alphabet Rockers gives voice to what matters: love, belonging, and gender justice for all of us. Prepare to sing, dance, and have fun celebrating the love of ourselves and our whole family. 

Featuring AiM Hip Hop Class Participants! (All Ages)

Sunday, June 19, 3 p.m. 

Free admission.

The Alphabet Rockers make music that makes change! This intergenerational group creates brave spaces to shape a more equitable world through hip hop. Let’s stand up to hate and be our brave and beautiful selves.