'Ford's 150' Holds Around-the-Clock LINCOLN TRIBUTE in D.C. This Week
By: BWW News Desk Apr. 14, 2015
Ford's Theatre commemorates the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination and death today and tomorrow, April 14 and 15 with around-the-clock programming at the Ford's Theatre campus. President Barack Obama will proclaim a Day of Remembrance for President Lincoln on the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's death -- April 15, 2015.
Plans include: unprecedented access to the Ford's Theatre Museum, Theatre, Petersen House and Center for Education and Leadership throughout the day and night; ranger talks and performances of the Society's one-act play One Destiny; self-guided or historian-led tours of the Theatre; free midday panel discussions featuring historians and scholars addressing national mourning and legacy; outdoor History on Foot walking tours; a moving evening tribute to Abraham Lincoln, Now He Belongs to the Ages: A Lincoln Commemoration, at Ford's Theatre tonight, April 14 at 9 p.m., followed by a candlelight vigil on Tenth Street NW that will feature more than 150 living historians in Civil War attire.
On the morning of April 15, Ford's Theatre Society and the National Park Service will host a wreath-laying ceremony beginning at 7:22 a.m. on the steps of the Petersen House (the house where Lincoln died). The Federal City Brass Band will play "Taps" to mark the time of Lincoln's death at 7:22 a.m., followed by a wreath laying and speaking program with remarks by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and James L. Swanson, author of Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. At 8 a.m. on April 15, bells will toll at locations across Washington, D.C., including at the Washington National Cathedral. Entries to the Ford's Theatre campus continue throughout the day on April 15 until the final entry at 4:30 p.m. A performance of the musical Freedom's Song: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the historic theatre.
Tickets are required for all inside entries at the Ford's Theatre campus (including Ford's Theatre Museum, Theatre, Petersen House and Center for Education and Leadership, performances of One Destiny and Freedom's Song). Visit www.fords.org for advance reservations. Street events do not require tickets.
Ford's 150 programming also includes the extraordinary museum exhibition at the Center for Education and Leadership through May 25, Silent Witnesses: Artifacts of the Lincoln Assassination. Silent Witnesses showcases two dozen priceless items that President Lincoln carried or that were in Ford's Theatre the night of his assassination. Included are: Abraham Lincoln's Top Hat, cuff buttons, a Brooks Brothers Great Coat and the contents of his pockets from the night of the assassination; Mary Lincoln's black velvet cloak; John Wilkes Booth's deringer pistol; a letter from Dr. Charles Leale, the first to attend to the wounded president; the Bunting Flag from the Presidential Box at Ford's Theatre; fragments from the gowns worn by Mary Lincoln and guest Clara Harris; gloves belonging to Major Henry Rathbone; a bloody sleeve cuff and fragment from the costume worn by leading actress Laura Keene; a playbill for the performance of Our American Cousin; and a violin and drumsticks played in the orchestra the night of April 14, 1865. In addition, Lincoln's carriage, which transported the President and Mary Lincoln to Ford's Theatre, is on display at the National Museum of American History as part of Silent Witnesses. Tickets are required to see the exhibit at Ford's. For more details, visit www.fords.org/event/silent-witnesses.
Ford's Theatre Society also presents performances of the musical Freedom's Song: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War through May 20 in the historic theatre. The production's spoken text is taken from the words and writings of Abraham Lincoln, and its rousing music is inspired by the letters of those who lived through the Civil War. For more information, visit www.fords.org/event/freedoms-song.
Upcoming Events for Ford's 150: Remembering the Lincoln Assassination:
The Lincoln Tribute
April 14-15, 2015
Ford's Theatre Campus
This around-the-clock event will mark the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's assassination. During the day on April 14 and 15, visitors can choose to: explore the Ford's Theatre Museum; hear a ranger talk, watch a performance of the one-act play One Destiny, enjoy a self-guided tour in the Theatre, or take a guided tour (times vary); or visit the Petersen House and exhibitions at the Center for Education and Leadership. Outdoor History on Foot walking tours led by costumed actors and guided tours of Ford's Theatre also will be offered. Midday panel discussions about the life, assassination and legacy of our 16th president will be led by scholars on site. On the street outside, throughout the day and night, living historians will share first-person accounts about the end of the Civil War, the experience of being inside the theatre at the moment of the assassination, medical reports from the Petersen House, and the impact of Lincoln's life and death. Throughout the day and evening, Ford's will host Civil War living historians on Tenth Street to recreate the all-night vigil for Abraham Lincoln. The public will be able to visit the Ford's Theatre campus throughout the night. The morning of April 15, Ford's Theatre Society and the National Park Service mark Abraham Lincoln's death at 7:22 a.m. with a wreath-laying ceremony; church bells will toll across the city, just as they did in 1865. Tickets are required for all entry to the Ford's Theatre campus (Museum, Theatre, Petersen House and Center for Education and Leadership) and History on Foot.
Now He Belongs to the Ages: A Lincoln Commemoration
April 14, 2015, at 9:00 p.m.
Ford's Theatre (511 Tenth Street NW)
Live streamed online and at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in the
Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard
Ford's Theatre marks 150 years since Abraham Lincoln's assassination with a moving commemorative event. Performance to include readings of Lincoln's words and stories, Civil War-era music, excerpts from Lincoln's favorite operas, and more. The event seeks to remind us that we not only lost a president; we lost a man who treasured his family, his friends and his country with a love so strong it could hold the Union together. Note: Event is at capacity within Ford's Theatre.
SPECIAL EXHIBITION
Silent Witnesses: Artifacts of the Lincoln Assassination
Extended through May 29, 2015
Center for Education and Leadership (514 Tenth Street NW, Washington, DC)
This special exhibition at the Center for Education and Leadership commemorates the assassination and death of Abraham Lincoln by reuniting-for the first time since April 1865-an extraordinary collection of artifacts that were in Ford's Theatre or carried by Lincoln the night of the assassination. Included within the exhibition are the contents of Lincoln's pockets, his top hat and his great coat from the night of his assassination; and much more. The exhibition is presented in partnership with the National Museum of American History, where the Lincoln's carriage, which transported the president, Mary Lincoln, Major Henry Rathbone and his fiance?e Clara Harris to Ford's Theatre, is on display through May 31.
Lenders for Silent Witnesses: Artifacts of the Lincoln Assassination include the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum; Chicago History Museum; Library of Congress; National Museum of American History; National Park Service; Pike County Historical Society; Shapell Manuscript Foundation; Studebaker National Museum; and historian James Swanson.
Smithsonian Channel Broadcast:
Lincoln's Last Day
April 13, at 8 p.m.; Rebroadcast April 14, at 10 p.m.
In connection with Silent Witnesses: Artifacts of the Lincoln Assassination, the Smithsonian Channel will air a one-hour special in April 2015 titled Lincoln's Last Day, which counts down the final 24 hours of Abraham Lincoln's life. Through a rare collection of intensely personal artifacts connected to the Lincoln assassination, the program will unravel the movements of each player in the deadly plot. By exploring the objects that survived-possessions like Lincoln's gold watch and hat and John Wilkes Booth's diary and deringer-Lincoln's Last Day tells the story of a moment that would transform a nation.
Freedom's Song: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War (Musical) By Frank Wildhorn, Gregory Boyd and Jack Murphy
Music by Frank Wildhorn
Adapted by Richard Hellesen and Mark Ramont
Directed by Jeff Calhoun
Through May 20, 2015
Ford's Theatre (511 Tenth Street NW)
This epic musical features the words of Abraham Lincoln and music inspired by the letters of those who lived through the Civil War. With rousing music, stirring speeches and historic costumes, Freedom's Song evokes the soaring hopes and tragic losses of the real people of Civil War America. Through a series of highly theatrical vignettes, we see everyday Americans courageously confront the gritty realities of a tattered nation and a war that pitted brother against brother. Lincoln's inspirational words intermix with these stories, imagining a bloody nation once again unified and the return of a truly United States. Jeff Calhoun (Broadway's Newsies) returns to direct this lively historical opus.
History on Foot
Investigation: Detective McDevitt
Through October 2015; times vary
A History on Foot walking tour brings Civil War Washington to life. Join Detective James McDevitt for a first-hand look at the investigation into the Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy and the events of April 14 and 15, 1865. Led by an actor in costume, the outdoor walking tour lasts approximately two hours and makes at least eight stops in downtown Washington related to Lincoln, the assassination and the Civil War. Tickets to Investigation: Detective McDevitt are $15 and can be reserved through Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787 or by visiting www.fords.org. Ticketmaster fees apply. Groups of 15 or more may reserve discounted tickets by calling (202) 638-2367. Virtual McDevitt tours are available using IP-based video conferencing. Email education@fords.org for more information.
One Destiny
By Richard Hellesen; Directed by Mark Ramont
Through May 2015
Learn about Lincoln's assassination from two men who were there. This 35-minute play at Ford's Theatre explores the key facts of the assassination while capturing the emotions of that fateful night. Features costumed actors. Daytime performances vary. Tickets are required for all performances of One Destiny. Tickets are $7.50 in advance or $5.00 the day of the performance. Tickets can be reserved through Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787 or by visiting fords.org. Ticketmaster fees apply. Groups of 15 or more may reserve discounted tickets by calling (202) 638-2367.
Additional Educational Programming
Remembering Lincoln: A Digital Collection of Responses to the Lincoln Assassination
In 1865, as people around the nation and around the world learned of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, they recorded their reactions in many forms-from written materials like diaries and letters to decorative items like ribbons and flags. For the first time in one place, discover personal items and remembrances from the Americans whose lives were touched by the president's death and its national and international aftermath. These unique items, some hidden for decades in private collections, archives and museum collections, will be viewable online from anywhere in the world. The website will also include educational resources to make the collection useful to teachers and students. For more information, visit www.rememberinglincoln.org.
Ford's Theatre Virtual Field Trip Live Q and A
April 14, 2015, 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. ET
Ford's Theatre has partnered with Discovery Education, for a unique virtual tour of the historic site, exploring the leadership and legacy of Abraham Lincoln, and the story of the president's assassination and its impact on American history. Recorded live on March 26 and available for viewing
at www.fords.org/virtual-field-trip, the Field Trip brings students and history enthusiasts of all ages up close to the Ford's Theatre campus. Join the live online Q and A session on YouTube with Ford's Theatre Education experts on April 14, or join on Twitter using the hashtag #Fords150.
One of the most visited sites in the nation's capital, Ford's Theatre reopened its doors in 1968, more than a hundred years after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Operated through a partnership between Ford's Theatre Society and the National Park Service, Ford's Theatre is the premier destination in the nation's capital to explore and celebrate Abraham Lincoln's ideals and leadership principles: courage, integrity, tolerance, equality and creative expression.
Ford's Theatre Society was founded under the guidance of executive producer Frankie Hewitt, who, during her 35-year tenure, established Ford's as a living, working theatre producing performances that highlighted the diversity of the American experience. Since the arrival of Paul R. Tetreault as Director, critics and the theatregoing public have recognized Ford's for the superior quality of its artistic programming. With works from the nationally acclaimed Big River to the world premieres of Meet John Doe, The Heavens Are Hung In Black, Liberty Smith and Necessary Sacrifices, Ford's Theatre is making its mark on the American theatre landscape. Under the leadership of Wayne R. Reynolds, Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus (Chairman 2007 to 2012), the mission of Ford's Theatre Society expanded to include education as a central pillar. With the opening of the Center for Education and Leadership in February 2012, Ford's Theatre has become an educational hub, offering programs that inspire teachers and students to embrace and learn from Abraham Lincoln's legacy.Currently, under the leadership of Board of Trustees Chairman Eric A. Spiegel, Ford's enters a second phase of strategic planning to ensure the organization's place as a national destination for exploring Lincoln's legacy and the American experience through the intersection of history, performance and education.
For more information on Ford's Theatre and the Ford's Theatre Society, visit www.fords.org. For information on the National Park Service and the Ford's Theatre National Historic Site, visit www.nps.gov/foth.
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