Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Ford's Theatre Society Announces Spring 2017 Programming

"History on Foot" walking tours, "Investigation: Detective McDevitt"

From our friends at Ford's Theatre...

"One Destiny" Performances Run March 20 - May 20, 2017

History on Foot walking tours continue March 16 - October 2017

Ford’s Theatre Society announced that spring 2017 programming includes morning performances of the popular one-act play “One Destiny”, and the continuation of “History on Foot” walking tours, “Investigation: Detective McDevitt.” Tickets for both programs now are available for purchase at www.fords.org or in person at the Ford’s Theatre box office (511 Tenth Street, NW.)

In the one-act play “One Destiny,” 1860s actor Harry Hawk and Ford’s Theatre co-owner Harry Ford revisit the events of April 14, 1865. As they reconstruct the sequence of events at Ford’s Theatre the day of the Lincoln assassination, they grapple with the question: Could John Wilkes Booth have been stopped?


In the interactive walking tour “Investigation: Detective McDevitt,” attendees trace the events leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination at Ford’s Theatre and visit eight locations in downtown Washington, DC, where John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators attempted to bring down Lincoln’s Cabinet. Comfortable shoes are recommended for tours, which begin outside of Ford’s Theatre and travel approximately 1.6 miles.

“One Destiny”
By Richard Hellesen; Directed by Mark Ramont
Learn about Lincoln’s assassination from two men who were there. This 35-minute presentation at Ford’s Theatre during daytime visitation explores the key facts of the assassination while capturing the emotions of that fateful night. Featuring costumed actors.

Performances of “One Destiny”
Spring One Destiny runs Mondays through Thursdays at 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM, and Fridays and Saturdays at 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM. Performances begin 15 minutes after entry to the theatre.

Tickets for “One Destiny”
Tickets are required for all performances of “One Destiny.” Tickets are $8.00 in advance or $5.00 the day of the performance. Tickets can be reserved by visiting www.fords.org or by calling the box office at (888) 616-0270. Groups of 10 or more may reserve discounted tickets by calling (202) 638-2367.

“History on Foot” Walking Tours
“Investigation: Detective McDevitt”
By Richard Hellesen; Directed by Mark Ramont
Through October 2017
Join Detective McDevitt as he re-visits and re-examines the sites and clues surrounding the assassination of our nation’s 16th president. This tour occurs rain or shine and lasts approximately two hours. The distance walked is 1.6 miles from outside of Ford’s Theatre to the White House. “History on Foot” tours do not include entrance into Ford’s Theatre. Please wear comfortable shoes. Tours during March, April, and May are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 6:45 PM and Saturdays at 10:15 AM. There is an additional tour Friday, April 14, at 6:45 PM.

Tickets to “Investigation: Detective McDevitt” are $17 and can be reserved by visiting www.fords.org or by calling the box office at (888) 616-0270. Groups of 10 or more may reserve discounted tickets by calling (202) 638-2367.

Virtual “McDevitt” tours are offered throughout the year. Using live video-conferencing, travel back in time to investigate the Lincoln assassination with Ford’s Theatre staff or a National Park Service Ranger to ask questions about Lincoln’s life and legacy. For more information visit https://www.fords.org/for-teachers/programs/distance-learning, or email education@fords.org.

About 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.

The Ford’s Theatre Society was founded under the guidance of executive producer Frankie Hewitt, who, during her 35-year tenure, established Ford’s as living, working theatre producing performances that highlighted the diversity of the American experience. Since the arrival of Paul R. Tetreault as Director, critics and the theatre-going public have recognized Ford’s 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,” “Liberty Smith,” “Necessary Sacrifices,” “The Widow Lincoln” and “The Guard,” Ford’s Theatre is making its mark on the American theatre landscape. In the last decade, 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, which opened in February 2012. Currently, under the leadership of Board of Trustees Chairman Eric A. Spiegel, Ford’s enters a second phase of strategic planning to ensure the organization’s place as a national destination for exploring Lincoln’s legacy and the American experience through the intersection of history, performance and education.