Student Matinees

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Ford’s Theatre offers weekday student matinees, post-show discussions and tailored lessons to complement your curriculum. Our theatrical productions inspire audiences to become compassionate leaders in their own communities, empowering them to live out Lincoln’s principles and explore the American experience.

A limited number of free tickets are available to D.C. public schools, Title I schools, and schools that have 40 percent or more students eligible for FARMs. Schools located within the Capital Beltway may also qualify for free bus transportation.

If you are outside of the Washington, D.C., area and interested in bringing students to a performance, you can reserve tickets through our Group Sales Office.

We hope you can join us for a student matinee during 2022-23 season! Ticket requests are open! Please apply below.

Teacher Preview and Workshop

Ford’s Theatre offers a free preview performance and workshop to Washington-area teachers before they bring their students. You will begin the evening with a complimentary dinner and networking with other teachers. Priority is given to teachers who are bringing their students to student matinee performances. Attendance is required by teachers receiving free student matinee tickets. Ford’s Theatre Education will make every effort to accommodate your first choice of show.

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Upcoming Student Matinees

Show Priority

Prioritize which show you want to bring students to most. Ford’s Theatre Education will make every effort to accommodate your choice.

The Trip to Bountiful

Thursday, October 6, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.

Carrie Watts dreams of escape from the bustling city and of a return to simpler times in her beloved Bountiful, Texas. She sets out on a risky journey to her beloved hometown, with her family in hot pursuit. Along the way, she encounters kindness and compassion … and makes a remarkable discovery about the true meaning of home. One of the foremost interpreters of Horton Foote’s work, Michael Wilson directs Nancy Robinette as Carrie Watts with Tom Story as her son, Ludie, and Kimberly Gilbert as her daughter-in-law, Jessie Mae. This classic American drama is a touching portrait of family, what we hold onto and what we leave behind. Recommended for ages 13 and older.

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SHOUT SISTER SHOUT!

Friday, March 24, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. | Friday, March 31, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. | Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 12:00 p.m.

Inspired by Gayle F. Wald’s book "Shout, Sister, Shout!", this new musical tells the story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe—one of America’s most influential rock, R&B and gospel crossover singers and guitarists. Ambitious, courageous and uncompromisingly public, Tharpe became a pioneer of the women’s movement for racial and sexual equality and musical legend who redefined the national and international music scene in the 1930s and 40s and beyond. Dive into Cheryl L. West’s spirited, authentic and emotionally charged story about a charismatic music forerunner and the authentic roots of rock & roll. Recommended for ages 12 and older.

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1,553 Free Student Matinee Tickets Provided Last Year

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“My students have learned how to look inward and reflect on what they see on stage.”
LaMar Bagley, Ed.D., The SEED School

Photo of Ragtime cast by Carol Rosegg.

Student Matinees

Start of content

Teacher Preview and Workshop

Upcoming Student Matinees

Show Priority

The Trip to Bountiful

SHOUT SISTER SHOUT!

1,553 Free Student Matinee Tickets Provided Last Year

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