Lincoln Online Oratory Project
Bring the power of oratory into your classroom — no matter where you are!
Step into history and unlock the voices of tomorrow with Ford’s Theatre’s Lincoln Online Oratory Program. Designed for students in grades 3–12, this dynamic national program pairs your classroom with a professional Ford’s Theatre teaching artist who will collaborate with you and your students on a journey from the page to the podium.
Students will dive into the words of President Abraham Lincoln and other great historic voices, discovering not only the history behind the speeches, but also the timeless art of performance, persuasion, and presence. Along the way, they’ll develop confidence, sharpen their public speaking skills, and learn how to harness their own voices for impact.
This program brings Ford’s Theatre directly into your classroom — sparking civic imagination, inspiring young leaders, and enhancing student voices through oratory arts.
Experience history. Empower voices. Inspire the future.
Watch Party
Meet Our Teaching Artists
W. Ellington Felton
Renaissance man. A Washington, DC native and son of jazz pianist Hilton C. Felton Jr., W. Ellington was immersed in the arts early, cultivating his talent at The School Without Walls. He gained recognition on BET’s Teen Summit and later studied acting at Carnegie Mellon University. After college, he combined his passions for teaching and performance, working with Arena Stage’s Living Stage Theatre Company while pursuing music. In 2000, he co-founded The Crossrhodes with R&B artist Raheem DeVaughn, performing alongside legends like Chris Rock, Common, and Meshell Ndegeocello. A proud single father, W. Ellington continues to reside in DC, contributing to Ford’s Theatre’s Education Department and building his acting portfolio with roles in Love Dot Com, The Empty Walls, and ALLBLK’s Hush. His artistry reflects authenticity, dedication and passion.
ChelseaDee Harrison
ChelseaDee Harrison is a theater-maker, “artivist,” Teaching Artist and public arts engagement specialist. She has facilitated community-based arts workshops with institutions such as The Kennedy Center, The Ford’s Theatre Society, Carnegie Hall, The Maui Arts & Cultural Center, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The National Guild for Community Arts Education and for survivors of human trafficking and their families. She is a tenured Teaching Artist with the New Victory Theater, a former New Victory Theater LabWorks artist and a former Teaching Artists Guild National Advisory Committee Member. She is a 2024 TYA/USA Emerging Leader Fellow as well as a 2024 Arts and Humanities Fellow with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Her inspiration is crafting multi-platform public engagement experiences that highlight history, challenge dominant narratives and ensure that art is a tool in the hands of the people. You can follow her work at linktr.ee/ChelseaDee.
Tamekia Jackson
A Houston native, Tamekia is an educator and performer who loves the power of stories. As a teaching artist, Tamekia enjoys helping students take ownership of their creative process and encouraging personal growth. She received her BA from St. Edward’s University and her MA from NYU in Individualized Studies. Tamekia is a theater creator and performer for life. She has over twelve years of experience as a teaching artist.
Max Johnson
Max Johnson is an experienced DC local teaching artist. In addition to teaching with Fords, he also works with the Shakespeare Theatre Company and The Education Theater Company as a resident teaching artist and works with many students as a personal acting coach. He’s also a professional actor, having participated in a national tour with Olney Theatre’s National Players Tour 72 (portraying Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Karl Lindner in A Raisin in the Sun), an East Coast tour with Immediate Theatre Project, as well as acting in numerous local productions with theaters such as Rorschach Theatre, Faction of Fools, Imagination Stage, Edge of the Universe Theatre, 1st Stage and Theatre Prometheus, and various filmed projects in DC and LA. Finally, Max also works as a theatrical electrician and lighting designer around the city and enjoys bringing a well-rounded view of theater from having participated in so many different aspects of it to his work as a teaching artist. Max graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wesleyan University with a BA with Honors in History and a BA in Theatre. More information about him can be found at his website: maxjohnsonactor.com.
Victoria Reinsel
Victoria Reinsel is the Oratory Curriculum Specialist and a Master Teaching Artist with Ford’s Theatre, and this is her 13th year with the company. During that time, she has: piloted multiple virtual programs for grades 5-12 student populations; devised and led professional development for classroom teachers from all over the country; and collaborated with nationally recognized institutions to bring insightful public speaking workshops to their participants. She has been a teaching artist for 20 years and was also a classically trained professional actor, director, and proud member of Actor’s Equity Association before retiring from performance to focus on teaching. She holds M.Litt. and MFA degrees in Shakespeare and Performance from Mary Baldwin University in partnership with the American Shakespeare Center. Additionally, she has trained at the British American Drama Academy and Shakespeare & Co. In 2011, she co-founded Brave Spirits Theatre, which closed during the pandemic. She has worked for Shakespeare Theatre Company, Orlando Shakes, American Shakespeare Center, Taffety Punk Theatre Company, Constellation Theatre, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company and has guest lectured at Eastern Mennonite University and Georgetown University.