Review: ONE DESTINY at Ford's Theatre

There are several things I can always depend on at this time of year in DC. The cherry blossoms blooming, me having to give lost people directions to the zoo when they are standing in front of a sign that says "Zoo, this way", and for theatre lovers, DC's best kept secret One Destiny at Ford's Theatre.

This Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) staple has been entertaining and educating audiences since 2006. This year it will hit 1500 performances. Who says nothing lasts forever?

Richard Hellesen's script recounts the events of April 14th, 1865, through the eyes of two men that were at Ford's Theatre the night President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Harry Hawk (Joe Mallon) was an actor in the play Our American Cousin and Harry Ford (Jonathan Atkinson) was the theatre owner. Ford wonders if he could have done anything to prevent the assassination. Through a series of flashbacks, you meet all the players that were at Ford's Theatre that faithful day. These include a stagehand, house manager, and more.

This year's edition of One Destiny is the first time since the show started that two new actors are performing in the production. For those of us that hate change, I knew going to see One Destiny this year might be a different experience. New actors bring their own dynamics to the characters they play. I bring this up so you understand that I noticed certain things that only I would know about the show versus someone seeing it for the first time.

Mark Ramont's original staging is remounted here by Jose Carrasquillo and Erika Scott and for the most part, Ramont's original staging and overall original vision remains intact. No new elements have been added thankfully and the two actors and a trunk full of props approach continues to prove that sometimes you don't need much to create good theatre. The one change that did not necessarily work for me is the first moment of the show. Harry Hawk comes out onstage in what was originally a darkened theatre and recites a few lines from Our American Cousin. In the darkness you heard a booming "MR HAWK!" from Harry Ford with the house lights snapping up to full. Currently, the house lights remain at half, and you see Ford walk down the aisle before his first line. For me, this change softened his entrance.

Performance wise, Joe Mallon as Harry Hawk is the stronger of the two performers. He has a very likable personality and a strong stage presence. He actually reminded me of the original performer Michael Bunce a lot of the time. That isn't a bad thing.

I saw the show only about a week into performance so I am considering that Jonathan Atkinson's portrayal of Harry Ford will continue to grow. I did enjoy Atkinson's comedic bits including him playing an old lady during a rehearsal scene, but I never got the guilt aspect of his character. Those scenes, to me anyway, felt a little more conversational than dramatic.

Having said that, this current edition of One Destiny still won me over as it has in previous years. I watched it with a packed house that was thoroughly engrossed by the storytelling and that is exactly the effect this show should have on an audience.

A big shout out to One Destiny's longtime Stage Manager Taryn Friend for her usual brilliance in keeping the show running nice and tight.

Will I ever get the original company of Michael Bunce and Stephen F. Schmidt out of my memory? Most likely not but I'm very happy that Ford's Theatre is continuing their annual tradition of presenting One Destiny. Wheather you are a local or a tourist coming to DC, put this show on your bucket list.

Running Time: 35 minutes with no intermission.

One Destiny runs through July 11, 2023, at Ford's Theatre which is located at 511 Tenth St NW, Washington, DC.

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