Ford's Theatre Society Hosts Invitation-Only Museum Unveiling & Buffet 7/14

Ford's Theatre Society will host a museum unveiling on Tuesday, July 14, 2009, at Ford's Theatre (511 10th Street NW). The invitation-only evening will include an exclusive premiere of the reimagined Ford's Theatre Museum and a cocktail buffet on the historic stage from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The Ford's Theatre Museum is scheduled to reopen to the public following 20 months of renovations on Wednesday, July 15, 2009.

The redesigned Ford's Theatre Museum seeks to tell the story of Abraham Lincoln's presidency, from his arrival in Washington via train to the day of his assassination. New exhibits feature information about Lincoln's cabinet and Civil War milestones as well as recreations of a theatre box, Lincoln's White House office and Mary Surratt's boarding house. The Museum also features a remarkable collection of historic artifacts, including the deringer that John Wilkes Booth used to shoot the president, the suit and boots worn by Lincoln to Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865, and much more

The Museum Unveiling event benefits the Ford's Theatre Annual Fund. Individual tickets are $500. Interested patrons should call (202) 434-9526 for further information about the event. Limited space is available for press wishing to cover this event. Press should contact Lauren Beyea at (202) 434-9543.

Since its reopening in 1968, more than a hundred years after the April 14, 1865, assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, Ford's Theatre has been one of the most visited sites in the nation's capital. Ford's Theatre has captivated visitors because of its unique place in United States history, and its mission to celebrate the legacy of Abraham Lincoln and explore the American experience through theatre and education. For its accomplishments, the organization was honored in 2008 with the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given by the U.S. government to artists, arts institutions and arts patrons.

Ford's Theatre Society works to present the Theatre's nearly one million visitors each year with a high quality historical and cultural experience, enhancing the vibrancy of this historic site, an important tool for promoting the ideals of leadership, humanity and wisdom espoused by Abraham Lincoln.

Since the arrival of Paul R. Tetreault as Director, Ford's Theatre Society has been recognized by the critics and theatergoing public for the superior quality of its artistic programming. With works from the nationally acclaimed "Big River" to the regional premiere of "Trying" and world premiere of "Meet John Doe," Ford's Theatre has undoubtedly begun to make its mark on the American theatre landscape.

In addition, through the leadership of Wayne R. Reynolds, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the mission of Ford's Theatre Society has recently been expanded to include education as a central pillar of the organization, equal to that of producing theatre of the highest quality. As Ford's Theatre looks to the future, the health of the organization will be defined and determined not only by the quality of the productions on the stage but also by the success of its educational programming in teaching about the life, Presidency and lessons of leadership of Abraham Lincoln.

For more information on Ford's Theatre and the Ford's Theatre Society, please visit www.fords.org.

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