Free Monday Night Series Features Cynthia Tucker, Gene Robinson, Author and Historian Eli Evans and Playwright Alfred Uhry, Among Others

Washington DCJCC and Atlas Performing Arts Center Also Host Events

Washington, D.C.—Paul R. Tetreault, Director of Ford’s Theatre Society, announced the special event line-up for The Lincoln Legacy Project. Thematically connected with the Society’s production of the musical Parade (September 23-October 30, 2011) and the 1913 trial and lynching of Jewish factory manager Leo Frank, this year’s Legacy Project events explore a range of topics addressing racial and religious diversity, understanding and tolerance in American society.

Beginning in October, Ford’s Theatre presents a month of free Monday night discussions featuring historians, journalists, congressional leaders and young adults. On October 3, John Harris, editor-in-chief of Politico, moderates a discussion about diversity and leadership titled E Pluribus Unum: Seeking Unity, Respecting Diversity featuring a panel of Congressional leaders. Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Cynthia Tucker moderates the October 10 program Jews and Race Relations in the South, featuring playwright Alfred Uhry, historian Eli Evans and former NAACP Chairman Julian Bond. On October 17, Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, The Root's Cynthia Gordy and author Steve Oney (And the Dead Shall Rise) explore the media’s influence on the public’s discourse on diversity. On October 24, Legacy Project Partner Operation Understanding D.C., a youth organization that brings together Jewish and African-American high school students, hosts an open discussion for their peers. Additional Ford’s Theatre events for the Legacy Project include a free staged reading on October 1 of the compelling play Anne and Emmett by Janet Langhart Cohen about an imagined meeting between Anne Frank and hate crime victim Emmett Till; facilitated talk-backs following evening performances of Parade (except September 26 and 27); and special pre- and post-performance education programs for school groups and classroom teachers.

The Washington Jewish Film Festival at the Washington DCJCC will present a film screening of The People v. Leo Frank on October 18. This PBS documentary provides historical background on the Leo Frank trial and its shocking aftermath. The Atlas Performing Arts Center hosts a series of family events throughout October, including Arts on the Horizon: Drumming with Dishes (for children age 1-5), Tales of My Friend Lincoln (for ages 6 and up) with storyteller Bill Grimmette, and City at Peace DC: What is Tolerance? (for ages 14 and up).

Events for The Lincoln Legacy Project are presented in cooperation with several partner organizations including The Anti-Defamation League, the Atlas Performing Arts Center, D.C. Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the D.C. Chapter of the NAACP, Operation Understanding D.C. and Theater J. The Lincoln Legacy Project is made possible by Founding Sponsor Ronald O. Perelman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc., and additional support from the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation. The Washington Post is the Official Media Partner of The Lincoln Legacy Project.

Beginning September 12, tickets to Legacy Project events at Ford’s Theatre may be reserved in person at the Ford’s Theatre Box Office, through Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787 or online at www.fords.org. Ticketmaster fees apply. Groups of 20 or more may reserve tickets by calling (202) 638-2367. Tickets must be picked up by 6:45 p.m. to guarantee admittance. For more information about school and teacher programs, email education@fords.org or call (202) 434-9537.

“Every day in the news, we read or hear a story of someone driven to violence by their inability to tolerate or accept someone they see as an ‘other,’” said Director of Ford’s Theatre Paul R. Tetreault. “Issues of equality and justice are as relevant today as they were in Abraham Lincoln’s time, or in Leo Frank’s America of 1913. Our hope for The Lincoln Legacy Project is that it becomes a springboard for local residents, visitors and national leaders to dialogue about these issues in a way that lead us closer towards eradicating discrimination.”

Legacy Project Events at Ford's Theatre

E Pluribus Unum: Seeking Unity, Respecting Diversity
Monday, October 3, at 7 p.m.
This panel discussion examines America as a nation of people with differing backgrounds and points of view and explores the commonalities that unite all Americans regardless of their differences. John Harris, editor-in-chief of Politico, moderates this exploration of American diversity with panelists including The Honorable Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Missouri), The Honorable Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota), The Honorable Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) and The Honorable Mike Simpson (R-Idaho). Author and historian Jay Winik (April 1865 and The Great Upheaval) begins the evening discussing what we can learn from Lincoln’s presidency and leadership.

Jews and Race Relations in the South
Monday, October 10, at 7 p.m.
Parade's playwright Alfred Uhry, Jewish historian and author Eli Evans and former chairman of the NAACP Julian Bond take to the stage of Ford’s Theatre for a conversation on growing up in a racially and socially tense South. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Cynthia Tucker moderates.

Fanning or Diffusing the Flames:
How the Media Influences the National Dialogue about Difference
Monday, October 17, at 7 p.m.
An examination of the media's power in shaping the national conversation regarding diversity, this event looks at both the positive and negative impact news coverage has on the nation's understanding and acceptance of difference. Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, The Root's Cynthia Gordy and author Steve Oney (And the Dead Shall Rise) join the panel moderated by Wade Henderson, President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

And the Young Shall Lead Us: A Conversation with Operation Understanding
Monday, October 24, at 7 p.m.
Operation Understanding is a D.C. organization that brings together Jewish and African-American high school students to learn and understand each other's religion, history and culture. Current and past classes of the program share their experiences and lead an audience discussion in this youth-focused event. The event also features performances by progressive hip-hop artist Christylez Bacon.

Anne and Emmett
By Janet Langhart Cohen
Saturday, October 1, at 2 p.m.
Ford's Theatre presents a staged reading of an imagined meeting between Anne Frank, a Jewish girl killed during the Holocaust, and Emmett Till, an African-American boy murdered in Mississippi in the 1950s. The two young people attempt to make sense of the oppressive and violent acts committed against them. This performance is suitable for ages 12 and up; families are encouraged to attend.

Student Matinees of Parade
Parade
Book by Alfred Uhry
Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Co-conceived by Harold Prince
Musical Direction by Steven Landau
Choreographed by Karma Camp
Directed by Stephen Rayne
October 20, at noon
October 27, at 11 a.m.
Ford’s presents daytime performances of the Tony Award-winning musical drama Parade on October 20 and 27. Ostracized for his faith and Northern heritage, Jewish factory manager Leo Frank is accused of murdering a teenaged factory girl the day of the annual Confederate Memorial Day parade. Alfred Uhry’s award-winning book and Jason Robert Brown’s rousing, colorful and haunting score illuminate a circus of conflicting accounts, false testimony and mishandled evidence in a town reeling with social and racial tension. Isolated from the world, Leo develops a new and deeper love for his wife, who tirelessly crusades for his freedom. Stephen Rayne (The Heavens Are Hung In Black, Sabrina Fair) directs this compelling and provocative tale of justice miscarried, revealing a country at odds with its declarations of equality. Tony-Award nominee Euan Morton stars as Leo Frank.

Additional Legacy Project Events
At DCJCC (1529 16th Street NW, Washington, D.C.)
Film and Discussion: The People v. Leo Frank
Tuesday, October 18, at 7:30 p.m.
In 1913, child worker Mary Phagan is found dead at the National Pencil Factory in Atlanta. Police quickly accuse the factory’s new Jewish superintendent Leo Frank, igniting a century of controversy. The film by Ben Loeterman vividly brings to life one the most notorious criminal dramas in American history through drama interwoven with recollections, commentary and a rich trove of archival images. Will Janowitz (The Sopranos) is Leo Frank and Seth Gilliam (The Wire) plays Jim Conley with a script drawn directly from the historical record. This event is co-sponsored by the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington.  Tickets $10 general admission; $9 seniors/students/members of the Washington DCJCC and JHSGW. Parade patrons can buy $9 tickets in person and online. Please present your Parade ticket at the DCJCC at the box office before the screening for validation. Visit http://bit.ly/PeoplevLeoFrank to reserve tickets.

At Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St. NE, Washington, D.C.)
Arts on the Horizon: Drumming with Dishes
October 10 at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.; October 11 at 10:30 a.m.; October 12 at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m.; October 13 at 10:30 a.m.; October 14 at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m.; October 15 at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.
For Ages 1 through 5 and Their Families: What happens when you invite someone very different from you to come over to play? This gentle, whimsical adventure celebrates new friendships and turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. A 30-minute interactive, non-verbal show, Arts on the Horizon features two adult actors, a musician and pre-show playtime. $8, $5 for groups of 20 or more. Visit www.atlasarts.org for details and reservations.

Tales of My Friend Mr. Lincoln
October 22 at 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m.
Meet the brilliant mind and passionate heart of Frederick Douglass when master storyteller Bill Grimmette brings the famous abolitionist to life on stage. Tickets are $8. Visit www.atlasarts.org for details and reservations.

City at Peace DC: What Is Tolerance?
October 22 from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
For ages 14 and up, as well as teachers, actors, counselors and community workers. Explore and question what “tolerance” means in our lives and communities through hands-on theatre-based exercises and improvisations. $15, $8 for 18 and under. Visit www.atlasarts.org for details and reservations.

Parade Youth Summit
Sunday, October 23, 11a.m-5 p.m.
Recommended for ages 13-22
The Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington presents a Youth Summit for ages 13 to 22 at Ford’s Theatre on Sunday, October, 23, 2011. This special outreach program gives Jewish youth a meaningful and educational experience, raising their awareness of bigotry and racism—past and present. The Youth Summit provides 100 underwritten tickets to Parade, as well as a pre-show workshop, lunch and post-play discussion. Advanced payment and pre-registration required. Youth tickets $20; Chaperone tickets $45. Pre-show workshop and lunch are an additional $2 per person. Contact Lisa Hershey at lhershey@jhsgw.org or (202) 789-0900.

Ford’s Theatre Society
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.

The mission of Ford’s Theatre Society is 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.

Since the arrival of Paul R. Tetreault as Director, critics and the theatregoing public have recognized Ford’s Theatre Society 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 and Liberty Smith, Ford’s Theatre is making its mark on the American theatre landscape.

Through the leadership of Wayne R. Reynolds, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the mission of Ford’s Theatre Society expanded to include education as a central pillar. This expansion led to the creation and construction of the Center for Education and Leadership, opening in February 2012. The new Center will bring the values and ideals of Lincoln from the past into the present, examining Lincoln’s multi-faceted legacy through exhibits, workshops, seminars and speakers, as well as community outreach programs.

For more information on Ford’s Theatre and the Ford’s Theatre Society, please visit www.fords.org.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Lauren Beyea at lbeyea@fords.org or (202) 434-9543.