Press & Media

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Welcome to the Ford’s Theatre Press Room, designated for working members of the media.

We invite you to learn more about the history, vision, leadership and programming of Ford’s Theatre below. If you would like to cover events or productions at Ford’s Theatre, or film at the historic site, contact us at press@fords.org. 

Office hours are Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. ET

Latest News and Press Releases

Ford's Theatre Education Presents the Twelfth Annual Lincoln Oratory Festival February 4 and 5, 2020

400 Local Students Honor President Lincoln's Birthday by Performing Historic Speeches

Washington, D.C. – More than 400 local elementary and middle-school students will perform a selection of President Abraham Lincoln’s speeches on the Ford’s Theatre stage on the mornings of February 4 and 5, 2020. The programs feature local students who have worked with Ford’s Theatre Teaching Artists this school year to expand vocabulary, develop students’ confidence and public-speaking skills and build a comprehensive understanding of the oration of Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln Oratory Festival Press Release

COMPANY OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL & Audiences Raise +$83k for D.C.'s Bright Beginnings

Yearly fundraising drive has raised more than $919,988 for Washington-area charities over the last 11 years

Washington, D.C. — Ford’s Theatre Society announced that audiences and the company of "A Christmas Carol" raised $83,388.91 for Bright Beginnings during performances of this season’s "A Christmas Carol." Over the last 11 years, the company has raised more than $919,988 for Washington-area charities, aiding thousands within the D.C.-area who experience homelessness and hunger. Donations were collected for Bright Beginnings at curtain calls for performances from November 21 to December 29, 2019. Members of the company and crew for "A Christmas Carol" and Ford’s Theatre Society staff also contributed to the campaign.

Media Release

FORD’S THEATRE PRESENTS LAUREN GUNDERSON'S "SILENT SKY" Jan. 24-Feb. 23, 2020

A Historical-Fiction Play about Astronomer Henrietta Leavitt

Washington, D.C. – Ford’s Theatre Society announced full casting and the design team for "Silent Sky" by Lauren Gunderson, a captivating play based on the life of trail-blazing astronomer Henrietta Leavitt. The Ford’s Theatre production is directed by Seema Sueko and features Laura C. Harris (Arena Stage’s "The Heiress," Signature Theatre’s "The Flick") as Henrietta Leavitt, Nora Achrati as Annie Jump Cannon, Emily Kester as Margaret Leavitt, Jonathan David Martin as Peter Shaw and Holly Twyford as Williamina Fleming. Performances are January 24 to February 23, 2020. A media performance is scheduled for January 29, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.

Media Release

CRAIG WALLACE RETURNS AS EBENEZER SCROOGE IN A CHRISTMAS CAROL

PRODUCTION PLAYS NOVEMBER 21, 2019-JANUARY 1, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ford’s Theatre Director Paul R. Tetreault announced that acclaimed Washington actor Craig Wallace will return to Ford’s to reprise the role of Ebenezer Scrooge for the company’s holiday production of A Christmas Carol. Performances of the classic Charles Dickens story begin November 21, 2019 and continue for a six-week engagement through January 1, 2020. This “musically high-spirited” and “infectiously jolly” (The Washington Post) production is adapted by Michael Wilson and directed by Michael Baron.

Media Release

FORD’S THEATRE SOCIETY PARTNERS WITH BRIGHT BEGINNINGS FOR ITS 2019 "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" DONATION DRIVE

In the last 10 years, the company and audiences of A Christmas Carol have raised more than $836,000 for Washington-area charities

Ford’s Theatre Society announced that the company of the 2019 production of A Christmas Carol has selected D.C.’s Bright Beginnings as recipient of this year’s donation drive inspired by the themes of charity in Dickens’s holiday classic. During the curtain calls for performances, the company of A Christmas Carol will collect monetary donations on behalf of the Washington-based non-profit. Patrons may also make donations through the Ford’s Theatre Box Office. All donation checks should be made payable to “Bright Beginnings.”

Media Release

APPLICATIONS FOR SUMMER 2020 TEACHER INSTITUTES DUE MARCH 31

Programs Help Educators Understand and Teach Civil War and Reconstruction

Washington, D.C. – Ford’s Theatre Society announced that applications will now be accepted for their two summer 2020 teacher institutes: The Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Civil War Washington and Set in Stone: Civil War Memory, Monuments and Myths. Civil War Washington and Set in Stone are week-long professional development programs for K-12 educators offered by Ford’s Theatre education staff in collaboration with the National Park Service. Registration is free for residential commuters (residents of Maryland, Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia, and/or those who do not require housing) and $500 for national participants, which includes a shared room for 6 nights at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel and roundtrip airfare. Applications are due by March 31, 2020.

Media Release

Ten Schools Selected to Participate in the Lincoln Online Oratory Project, A National Initiative from Ford’s Theatre

Program Cultivates Deeper Appreciation for Lincoln’s Leadership

Washington, D.C. – Ten schools from 10 states were selected to participate in the 2020 Lincoln Online Oratory Project (LOOP), a national initiative from Ford’s Theatre. The Lincoln Online Oratory Project is designed to help educators introduce Abraham Lincoln’s leadership and the fundamentals of public speaking into their classroom and provides an opportunity for students to put these skills into practice. Schools Selected from California, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina and Wisconsin.

Media Release

FREE FIRST PREVIEW TICKET INITIATIVE ENTERS FOURTH YEAR WITH THE 2019-2020 FORD’S THEATRE SEASON

MORE THAN 5,000 PERFORMANCE TICKETS GIVEN AWAY TO DATE

Ford’s Theatre Society and TodayTix announced the fourth year of the popular Free First Preview initiative, through which free tickets are given away to the first performance of all Ford’s Theatre mainstage productions. The TodayTix digital lottery launches online and in the app one week before the first performance of each mainstage production in the 2019-2020 season. A total of 1,950 tickets will be given away.

Media Release

Ford’s Theatre Education Announces National Oratory Fellows for 2019-2020 School Year

Teachers Represent 17 States Program Fosters Student Empathy and Inspires Civic Engagement

The Ford’s Theatre Education team announced the 2019-2020 cohort of 37 National Oratory Fellows, who were selected after a competitive application process. The Ford’s Theatre National Oratory Fellows program, started in 2011, helps teachers integrate oratorical skills and strategies, from performance to speechwriting, into their curricula. Through oratory, students develop speaking, writing and leadership skills, in addition to gaining a deeper understanding of great American orators including Abraham Lincoln.

Media Release

Ford's Theatre 2019-2020 Season Announced

Season Includes August Wilson’s "Fences," "A Christmas Carol," "Silent Sky" and "Guys and Dolls"

Washington, D.C.—Ford’s Theatre Director Paul R. Tetreault today announced the upcoming 2019-2020 theatrical season will include August Wilson’s "Fences," directed by Timothy Douglas and starring Craig Wallace and Erika Rose; "Silent Sky," an inspiring drama about trail-blazing female astronomers, directed by Seema Sueko; the classic musical comedy "Guys and Dolls," directed by Peter Flynn; and "A Christmas Carol" featuring Craig Wallace reprising the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. Free First Preview Ticket Initiative Continues Daytime One-Act One Destiny Runs March-June 2020 History on Foot Walking Tours Continue March-October 2020

Media Release

Ford's Theatre Gallery

4 Photos
Part of the Aftermath Exhibit in the Center for Education and Leadership. Photo © Maxwell MacKenzie.