Ford’s Theatre and President Abraham Lincoln are forever linked, not simply because of the assassination, but also because the Theatre gave Lincoln great spiritual comfort during his more than one dozen visits. He championed the performing arts throughout his lifetime, and, for this reason, he would have undoubtedly mourned the closing of Ford’s Theatre after his assassination and rejoiced at its reopening as a living theatre, one that could continue to challenge, educate and inspire audience members.
Today, Ford's Theatre is a live, working theatre located in downtown Washington, DC, As a tribute to President Abraham Lincoln's love of the performing arts, Ford's Theatre is committed to bringing the best talent to our historic stage and to producing plays that are as eloquent, intelligent and respectful of humanity as Mr. Lincoln was throughout his life and Presidency.
Since the arrival of Paul R. Tetreault as Producing Director, Ford’s Theatre has been recognized by the critics and theater-going 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 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 by the success of its educational programming in teaching about the life, Presidency and lessons of leadership of Abraham Lincoln.