A Christmas Carol Digital Program

Ford’s Theatre explores the legacy of President Abraham Lincoln and celebrates the American experience through theatre and education. A working theatre, historical monument, culturally-significant museum and learning center, Ford’s Theatre is the premier destination in Washington, D.C. to explore and celebrate Lincoln’s ideals and leadership principles. 

Ford’s Theatre History 

In 1861, theatre manager John T. Ford leased out the abandoned First Baptist Church on Tenth Street to create Ford’s Theatre. Over the next few years, the venue became a popular stage for theatrical and musical productions. On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln visited Ford’s for a performance of Our American Cousin. At this performance, Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer and white supremacist. Lincoln died the next morning in the Petersen House, a boarding house located across the street. Ford’s Theatre remained dark for more than 100 years, officially reopening in 1968 as a national historic site and working theatre. It is operated through a public-private partnership between the National Park Service and Ford’s Theatre Society. 

Ford’s Theatre Today 

Through its inspiring theatrical productions, live historic interpretation and engaging education programs, Ford’s Theatre offers visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in America’s past while revealing meaningful connections to today. 

As a working theatre, Ford’s produces renowned plays, vibrant musicals and newly commissioned works that captivate and entertain while examining political and social issues related to Lincoln’s legacy. With works from the Tony-nominated Come From Away and 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, The Guard, Grace and Something Moving, Ford’s Theatre is making its mark on the American theatre landscape. With the opening of the Aftermath Exhibits at the Center for Education and Leadership, Ford’s Theatre has become a major center for learning, where people of all ages can examine Lincoln’s multi-faceted legacy through exhibits, workshops and educational programs. 

For more information about Ford’s Theatre and Ford’s Theatre Society, please visit www.fords.org. 

Ford’s Theatre is committed to creating an equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible environment for all artists, staff, students, educators, scholars, theatregoers, tourists and volunteers working and visiting our campus and engaging virtually. With renewed commitment, we have reexamined our practices, reassessed our vision for the future and have taken forward steps for needed reinvention. We want to share the principles that continue to sustain and guide our institution:

Ford’s Theatre Society condemns all forms of racism, white supremacy, hate speech, police brutality and acts of violence against Black, Indigenous, People of Color and members of the LGBTQ+ community. We wholeheartedly believe that Black lives matter and support the international cry for equity and social justice. Ford’s Theatre Society is fully engaged and committed to dismantling racism, discrimination, exclusion and systemic and social oppression. We are actively working to be an anti-racist, equitable, diverse and inclusive institution.

Ford’s Theatre Values

• Courage: Following Lincoln’s example, we engage deeply with complex truths, explore new ideas and commit to evolving as an organization.
• Empathy: We cultivate the ability to see our shared humanity and act with compassion.
• Equity: We foster a community that amplifies underrepresented voices and provides equitable opportunities and access.
• Inclusion: We work to be an inclusive community based on respect. We celebrate commonalities and embrace differences.
• Inspired Creativity: We seek to inspire imagination and creative thinking as we collaborate with each other and our community.

Learn more about our EDI progress at fords.org/about-fords/who-we-are.

Land Acknowledgment

Ford’s Theatre sits on some of the original homelands of the Piscataway and Nacotchtank peoples, who long lived, farmed and worked on this land. Ford’s Theatre Society honors the continued traditions of both peoples, many of whom continue to live in a homeland together.

We are glad that you are joining us at Ford’s Theatre today. This is an inclusive and interactive community. Whether you are here to visit our historic site or to see a show, we invite you to be your authentic self.

At Ford’s Theatre:

• We are allowed to be human, in all the ways that make us unique.
• We are allowed to be human together. We encourage you to find moments of respectful connection and engagement with other members of the community.
• We are on common ground. We are all here to enjoy a shared experience and though our reactions and responses may vary, we will remain respectful.
• We are creating a live theatrical experience together; audible reactions and responses are welcome. The actors need you to engage with what you see but not to distract them from their performances.
• We also welcome the use of personal communication devices if they help you to better experience the show, but we encourage you to respect the actors’ work and the other audience members around you. Please note that the taking of photographs, video or sound recordings of the performance is not permitted.

Let’s create something beautiful together.

by Jose Carrasquillo, Director of Artistic Programming, October 2024 

Lucinda Dickens Hawksley is the great-great-great-grandaughter of Charles and Catherine Dickens, and a Patron of the Charles Dickens Museum in London. In 2024, following in the footsteps of her father and her great-uncle, Lucinda was named President of the International Dickens Fellowship.

How do the descendants of Charles Dickens work to preserve his legacy as a writer? 

Many of our family members work hard to keep Dickens’s legacy alive. Working with schools, Ian Dickens has initiated a writing program that includes a writing prize. Actor Gerald Dickens writes and performs in Dickens-themed shows around the U.S. as well as the U.K. Mark Dickens is a Trustee of the Charles Dickens Museum and keeps the family in communication via his regular newsletter. Jane Dickens Monk, Polly Boyd, Marion Lloyd, Oliver Dickens, Lucy Bacon and Harry Whinney have visited the Dickens on the Strand Festival in Galveston, Texas, while others continue to take part in numerous Dickens festivals around the world. This year, Ginny Hawksley, Marion Lloyd and Pip Danby will be part of a reading at a Dickens Carol Concert in London this Christmas.

When did you first read A Christmas Carol? 

My father owned a beautiful, illustrated edition, which he used to read to me and my sisters. That was probably my first encounter with the book. Very special memories. 

Could you tell us about the evolution of A Christmas Carol as you know it? 

A Christmas Carol was Dickens’ response to reading a government report into child poverty. He had been asked to write a report himself but decided that it would be much better if he wrote a story instead. He described the resulting novella as “a hammer blow in favour of the poor man’s child”. Although most people associate the story with Scrooge and the Christmas ghosts, for Dickens, the most important characters were Tiny Tim, Ignorance and Want. 

Dickens performed the piece in public many times. Do you know if Dickens thought of himself as an actor? 

Dickens wanted to be an actor before he ever thought of writing novels. His plan was to be another Shakespeare (one of his heroes), writing plays and performing in them. He adored the theatre. 

Does your family celebrate Christmas? 

I am a huge fan of Christmas. I love the decorating and the beautiful lights in such a dark time of the year. I love the feeling of friendship and celebration. My parents always made it a very special family time, and it remains the same for me today. I like to celebrate the full 12 Days of Christmas! 

What are the themes in the work that resonate with you today? What is your favorite moment in the novella? 

The theme of child poverty resonates with me. Today, the world’s children are suffering horribly just like their counterparts did in the 19th century. The other theme that resonates with me is the feeling that we can help to change the world around us. 

A favorite moment is when the invisible Scrooge tries to join in the party at his nephew’s house. 

There are many adaptations of A Christmas Carol for the stage. In your estimation, what makes a great adaptation of A Christmas Carol? 

An adaptation that keeps the warmth, humor and joy of the original, but also one that keeps in the characters of Ignorance and Want—the two child characters who appear with the Ghost of Christmas Present. They are crucial to the story and its history. 

What’s your favorite film adaptation of the novel? 

I love the classic 1951 Scrooge starring Alastair Sim. I also appreciate how the 2009 Disney adaptation starring Jim Carrey kept to the original text. 

Have you ever been involved with a theatrical production of A Christmas Carol? 

Yes, I was privileged to take part in a very special London performance of Everyone’s Carol produced by Laurie Strickland. I think Dickens would be very proud of this all-inclusive performance. 

Lucinda Dickens Hawksley is an awardwinning author, broadcaster, lecturer and presenter on TV and radio shows worldwide. She has written three biographies of female artists: Kate Perugini (née Dickens), Princess Louise and Lizzie Siddal. Her other books include, Victorian Christmas (2024), Dickens and Travel (2022), Letters of Great Women (2021), Elizabeth Revealed (2018), Dickens and Christmas (2017), The Writer Abroad (2017), Bitten by Witch Fever: Wallpaper and Arsenic in the Victorian Home (2016), Charles Dickens and his Circle (2016), Moustaches, Whiskers & Beards (Facial Hair in Art) (2014), and March, Women, March: Voices of the Women’s Movement (2013). She teaches Writing at the University of Cambridge.

This discussion took place by email and has been edited for clarity and concision.

Performances of A Christmas Carol are made possible by generous corporate support from:

Lead Sponsor

Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong with the mission to deliver the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world. Its Mission Technologies division develops integrated solutions that enable today’s connected, all-domain force. Together, HII’s domain expertise and advanced technologies support mission partners anywhere around the globe.

Andy Green

Executive Vice President and President

Sponsor

The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer with a total of 2,340 retail stores and over 760 branches across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico, employing over 465,000 associates. The Home Depot and The Home Depot Foundation are proud to support the work of Ford’s Theatre and in partnership with VetTix.org, to ensure active-duty Military, Veterans, and their families are able to enjoy the productions.

Ted Decker

Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer

Sponsor

Mckinsey is a global management consulting firm committed to helping organizations achieve lasting success since our founding in 1926. With more than 25 offices across the US, we solve complex problems that impact everyone from global institutions to local communities. McKinsey’s mission is to build knowledge and accelerate sustainable and inclusive growth. We are deeply committed to engaging with cultural institutions to support and sustain the communities in which we live and work.

Bob Sternfels

Chief Executive Officer

Sponsor

The National Retail Federation is proud to partner with Ford’s Theatre and join its celebration of the American experience through theatre and education. NRF advocates for the retail industry, the nation’s largest private-sector employer, which contributes $5.3 trillion to annual GDP and supports more than one in four U.S. jobs — 55 million working Americans. NRF empowers the industry that powers our economy.

Matthew Shay

President and Chief Executive Officer

Season Sponsor

Chevron is a proud sponsor of Ford’s Theatre. As one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies, Chevron’s success is driven by our people and their commitment to delivering industry-leading results and superior stockholder value in any business environment. We do this by operating responsibly, applying advanced technologies, capturing new high-return opportunities, and executing with excellence in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.

Michael K. Wirth

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Season Sponsor

Lockheed Martin Corporation, is a global defense technology company driving innovation and advancing scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st Century Security vision accelerate the delivery of transformative technologies to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready. The company’s vision for 21st Century Security centers on helping the U.S. and allies leverage emerging technologies and advanced capabilities to create a resilient, interoperable and connected network that deters threats.

James D. Taiclet

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

Official Airline Sponsor

At United, we know that being the world’s biggest airline doesn’t mean much if it’s not an airline that works for you – whether you’re a million miler or a first-time f lier. That’s why we’ve made sure to offer more flights to more of the places you want to fly at the times that work with your schedule, so you can make the matinee… or the evening show. Learn more at united.com.

Scott Kirby

Chief Executive Officer

Michael Wilson 
Adapter
Michael Wilson directed the premiere of his popular adaptation at Houston’s Alley Theatre in 1990, where it ran happily for 24 years. This season he returns to Hartford Stage (Artistic Director, 1998-2011) to revive his celebrated staging for its 23rd run, the first since being shuttered by the pandemic. Arena Stage Artistic Director Hana Sharif made an acclaimed production of the adaptation two seasons running at Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Dramatists Play Service publishes and licenses the play. Wilson is delighted to have Michael Baron’s staging back at Ford’s, where his adaptation has been lovingly produced and played – on stage or over radio waves – for 20 uninterrupted years. After directing The Trip to Bountiful with a stand-out DC company led by Nancy Robinette, Wilson dreams of more Ford’s in his future.

Michael Baron
Original Director
Ford’s: The Civil War (Associate Director); Regional: Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma: Concerto, King of Pangea, ASL-Spoken English Cinderella, The Prom, Carousel, Head Over Heels, Master Class, Frost/Nixon, Titanic, Bright Star, Fun Home, Assassins, Fiddler on the Roof, Dreamgirls, Big Fish, Oklahoma!, A Little Night Music, Les Miserables, Spring Awakening, Ragtime, Oliver!; Olney: ASL-integrated The Music Man; Adventure: Big River, James and the Giant Peach. Training: MFA, Trinity Repertory; BA, Wake Forest. Awards: Two-time Helen Hayes award winner and Oklahoma Governor’s Arts Award. Currently the Producing Artistic Director of Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma- The Official State Theatre of Oklahoma.

José Carrasquillo 
Director
Ford’s: Mister Lincoln, A Christmas Carol (2021). DC area: 1^st Stage: Mlima’s Tale, The Brothers Size (Helen Hayes Award, Director); Mosaic: In His Hands; Forum: Nat Turner in Jerusalem; Theater J: Soto Voce; The Body of an American, After the Fall; GALA: Don Juan Tenorio, El Paso Blue, La Señorita de Tacna; Kennedy Center: Perdita, The Magic Rainforest; Woolly Mammoth: The Obituary Bowl; Avant Bard: Happy Days, The Maids (Mary Goldwater Lobby Award, Directing); Signature: Donna Q; Studio: A Language of Their Own, Clean; Olney: Sueño; Other: Tantrum Theatre: Rhinoceros; Forum for Cultural Engagement: Flash Acts: Untranslatable. Training: Indiana University, American University, Studio Acting Conservatory. 

Shea Sullivan
Choreographer
Shea Sullivan is a Director, Choreographer and Producer. Select credits: Ford’s: A Christmas Carol. Recent: Last of the Red Hot Mamas, YES! The Musical, Broadway Salute to NYC. Off-Broadway: Neurosis, R.R.R.E.D. (Chita Rivera Award Nomination), Polkadots (Atlantic Theatre, Off Broadway Alliance Award), Pageant! (Drama Desk Nomination Best Revival). Regional: Maltz Jupiter Theater: The Music Man (Carbonell Award), Crazy For You (Carbonell Award), The Producers, The Will Roger Follies. Barrington Stage: Ragtime, Southern Comfort, The Hills Are Alive. Bay Street: Dames at Sea. www.SheaSullivan.com

Lee Savage 
Scenic Designer
Ford’s: A Christmas Carol. NYC: Second Stage, Labyrinth, Primary Stages, LCT3, Roundabout, Atlantic, Clubbed Thumb, Mabou Mines. Regional: Alliance, Asolo, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Baltimore Centerstage, Chautauqua, Cleveland Playhouse, Dallas Theater Center, Glimmerglass Festival, Goodman, Guthrie, Long Wharf, Milwaukee Rep, Old Globe, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Trinity Rep, Two River, Westport Country Playhouse, Washington National Opera, Wilma, and Yale Rep among others. Member of Wingspace Theatrical Design. Teaching: Head of Scenic Design, Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Training: BFA, Rhode Island School of Design; MFA, Yale School of Drama. Awards: Helen Hayes, and Connecticut Critics Circle.

Alejo Vietti 
Costume Designer
Ford’s: Little Shop or Horrors, SHOUT SISTER SHOUT!, A Christmas Carol, Meet John Doe. Broadway: Allegiance (Drama Desk Nom.), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (London Olivier nom., Japan, Australia, U.S. tour), Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn. Currently: Titanique (Lucille Lortel Award). Works for Roundabout Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, Second Stage, Atlantic Theatre, Radio City Rockettes, City Center’s Encores, NYC Opera, among others. International; Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame (Japan, Germany and Austria), West Side Story World tour. Recipient of the 2010 TDF/Irene Sharaff Young Master Award and two Helen Hayes Awards.

Rui Rita
Lighting Designer
Ford’s: The Trip to Bountiful, The Wiz, Ragtime, A Christmas Carol, Silent Sky, The Laramie Project, Fly, Meet John Doe, Trying. Broadway: Skeleton Crew, Trip To Bountiful, Velocity of Autumn, Present Laughter, Dividing the Estate, Old Acquaintance, Enchanted April, The Price, A Thousand Clowns. Off-Broadway: New World Stages: Sherlock Carol, Second Stage: Happiest Song Plays Last; Roundabout: Talley’s Folly, Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore; Signature-NY: Paradise Blue, Piano Lesson, Horton Foote’s The Orphans’ Home Cycle; TFANA: Engaged (Obie Award); Manhattan Theatre Club: Nightingale, Moonlight and Magnolias; Lincoln Center: The Carpetbagger’s Children, Far East.

Josh Schmidt 
Composer and Sound Designer
Ford’s: A Christmas Carol, The Grapes of Wrath. Broadway: Therese Raquin (Roundabout/Studio 54), House of Blue Leaves. Selected Off-Broadway: Adding Machine (Minetta Lane), 3 Kinds of Exile (Atlantic), Water By the Spoonful (Second Stage), A Minister’s Wife (Lincoln Center), Whida Peru (59E59). Regional: Signature: Midwestern Gothic. Selected Chicago: A Minister’s Wife (Writers Theatre); Sweet Bird of Youth (Goodman); Bug, The March, Time Stands Still, Detroit, The Tempest (Steppenwolf). Regional work includes American Players Theatre (21st Season), Alley Theatre, Kennedy Center, Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Film: The End (Neon/Final Cut For Real) Commission: Fallingwater (Met Opera). www.fortytwofootforward.com

Charles G. LaPointe 
Wig Designer
Charles G. LaPointe is an award-winning designer who maintains a highly successful career on stages throughout the United States and abroad. Numerous Broadway, touring, regional, West End and international productions including: West End; International productions including: Hamilton (Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylist Guild Award); MJ; Ain’t Too Proud; Beetlejuice; The Cher Show (Drama Desk Award); SpongeBob SquarePants (Drama Desk Award); Jersey Boys. Television: The Wiz Live! (Emmy nom.); Jesus Christ Superstar Live! (Emmy nom./Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylist Guild Award).

Jay Crowder 
Choral Director
Ford’s: 110 in the Shade (Helen Hayes nom.), Violet (Helen Hayes nom.), 1776, Liberty Smith (HH nom.), A Christmas Carol, Civil War (Helen Hayes nom.). Regional: Signature: Urinetown (Helen Hayes Award, music director), Hedwig and the Angry Inch, A Christmas Carol Rag, Side Show (Helen Hayes nom.). D.C.-Area: Studio: A New Brain; Metro Stage: Starting Here, Starting Now; Olney: Annie; Imagination: Twice Upon a Time: Atlas: Goodnight Moon. Kennedy Center: Assc. Music Director: Mame, Company, Passion. Music Director of Musical Theater and Television at the John F. Kennedy Center. 

Rachel Hirshorn-Johnston 
Dialects and Voice Director
Assoc. Professor of Voice & Speech and Head of Acting & Directing at Texas Tech, Assoc. Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework®. Rachel coaches regionally in professional theatre, with private clients (corporate, government) on presentation skills and dialect modification, performs regularly around the country and internationally, and is an active member of VASTA, PAVA, and AEA. Training: MFA (Acting and Directing), University of Missouri – Kansas City; BFA (Acting), University of Maryland – Baltimore County.

Craig A. Horness 
Production Stage Manager/ Associate Director 
Ford’s: Little Shop of Horrors (2024); Grace; Into the Woods; The Wiz; Ragtime; 110 In The Shade; Freedom’s Song; Hello, Dolly!; 1776; Liberty Smith; Little Shop of Horrors (2010); A Christmas Carol (2004-2019, 2021-2024); The Civil War; One Destiny; Meet John Doe; Leading Ladies; State of the Union; Big River; The Member of the Wedding. Other: Broadway Sacramento/Music Circus, Center Stage, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Opera, New York City Opera, North Shore Music Theatre, Opera/Omaha, Portland Opera, Theatre Under the Stars. 

Erika Scott 
Associate Director 
Ford’s: Artistic Programming Manager. Recent credits: Assistant Director: Ford’s: The Trip to Bountiful, A Christmas Carol; Mosaic Theater: In His Hands; First Stage: Brothers Size. Acting Credits: Anacostia Arts Center: Lady in Brown in For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuf. 

Brandon Prendergast 
Production Stage Manager
Ford’s: More than 25 productions including Mister Lincoln, Silent Sky, Twelve Angry Men, Come From Away, Fly, Parade. New York: The Green Bird (Julie Taymor), Les Enfants Terribles (Susan Marshall), Yemayá (Twyla Tharp). Regional: Signature: Spunk, Girlfriend, La Cage aux Folles. D.C.-Area: Kennedy Center: 20 productions including Side Show, D.C.-Area: Kennedy Center: 20 productions including Side Show, Follies, Ragtime, Mame; Shakespeare: 23 productions. International: Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical in Bahrain. Instructor: University of Mary Washington. Training: Mary Washington College.

Taryn Friend 
Assistant Stage Manager
Ford’s: Little Shop of Horrors; SHOUT SISTER SHOUT!; Grace; Guys and Dolls; Into the Woods; The Wiz; Ragtime; 110 In The Shade; Freedom’s Song; Spelling Bee; Hello, Dolly!; 1776; Liberty Smith; One Destiny; A Christmas Carol. Arena: Oklahoma! Signature: Soft Power; Ragtime, The Bridges of Madison County; The Color Purple; Assassins; Passion; A Little Night Music; Jelly’s Last Jam; Sunday in the Park; Miss Saigon; Spin; Hairspray; The Visit; Kiss of the Spider Woman. Kennedy Center: 50th Anniversary Concert; Unleashed!; Bud, Not Buddy. 

Julia Singer
Assistant Stage Manager
Ford’s: Mister Lincoln; Something Moving; Trip to Bountiful; My Lord, What a Night; Silent Sky; Fences; Twelve Angry Men; Born Yesterday; Jefferson’s Garden; Death of a Salesman; Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf; A Christmas Carol; Freedom’s Song; Driving Miss Daisy. Regional: Signature: Hair, Ragtime, Into the Woods; She Loves Me. D.C.-Area: Kennedy Center: The Mortification of Fovea Munson; Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie: Starring Indigo Blume; Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus; Me…Jane; Elephant and Piggie’s: We are in a Play! Folger: Love’s Labour’s Lost; The Winter’s Tale. 

Kristin Fox-Siegmund 
Deputy Director and Director of Programming 
Since joining Ford’s in 2006, Fox-Siegmund has overseen the creation of the Center for Education and Leadership and the renovation of the historic theatre and museum, as well as the world premiere productions of The Guard, The Widow Lincoln, Necessary Sacrifices, Liberty Smith, Meet John Doe and The Heavens Are Hung In Black. Prior to Ford’s, she spent 11 years at the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas. Her tenure as Production Manager included premieres of Horton Foote’s The Carpetbagger’s Children, Ken Ludwig’s Be My Baby and Leading Ladies and Edward Albee’s The Play About the Baby and The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, as well as Michael Wilson’s production of A Christmas Carol. She oversaw the design and relocation of the theatre’s new production facilities in 2002 and the renovation of its Neuhaus Stage after the destruction of Tropical Storm Allison in 2001. Other work includes Santa Fe Opera and Houston Grand Opera. 

Paul R. Tetreault 
Director 
Since joining Ford’s in 2004, Tetreault has enhanced the quality of the institution’s artistic programming and expanded its mission to include a stronger focus on education. He led a $50+ million capital campaign, the most extensive renovation to the theatre and museum since the building reopened to the public in 1968, and the creation of the Center for Education and Leadership, which seeks to further explore Lincoln’s legacy. Tetreault served as managing director of the Alley Theatre for 10 years, producing more than 100 productions and working with artists such as Edward Albee, Tony Kushner, Trevor Nunn, Nicky Silver, Frank Wildhorn and August Wilson, among others. He has held senior management positions with Crossroads Theatre Company, New Jersey; Berkeley Repertory Theatre, California; and Circle Repertory Company, New York City. He served as director of finance at Madison Square Garden and as a vice president with C.W. Shaver and Company, Inc., a New York management and fundraising consulting firm. He has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and has taught and guest lectured at Brooklyn College, Columbia University, New York University, the University of Houston and Rice University. He is a graduate of Emerson College and received his MFA from the City University of New York-Brooklyn College. He serves on the Board of the Downtown DC BID.

Special Effects Costume by Bob Flanagan 

Custom Jewelry by Larry Vrba 

Scenery Built by Ravenswood Studio, Inc. 

Flying Effects provided by D2 Flying Effects 

Props Built by Bella Faccia, Art Drauglis 

First Chair Interpreted Productions LLC is Ford’s Theatre Society’s preferred interpreting provider 

The actor and stage managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

United Scenic Artists represents the designers and scenic painters for the American Theatre. 

The technicians at Ford’s Theatre are represented by Locals 22, 772 and 798, IATSE, AFL-CIO, the professional union of theatrical technicians. 

The director and choeographer are members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, an independent national labor union. 

Historic Insights, Modern Impact: Revitalize Your Teaching Practice!

Ford’s Education provides dynamic learning experiences for educators. Our programs are robust, thought-provoking and hands-on, so that teachers can translate what is learned at Ford’s, into tools for the classroom. 

The Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Civil War Washington Teacher Institute

The city of Washington was a complex, gritty, unfinished and precarious place during the Civil War. In this institute, connect with peers to illuminate new perspectives and under-told stories, explore historic sites and collect a wealth of resources. Gain tools to help students grapple with histories whose legacies matter today.

Program Dates: July 6-11, 2025 

Set in Stone: Civil War Memory, Monuments and Myths

In this institute, participants will examine how people have sculpted the narrative of United States History through monuments and memorials in our nation’s capital. Investigate how the legacies of the Civil War and Reconstruction—slavery, freedom, race and power—shape public memory. 

Program Dates: July 20-25, 2025 

National Oratory Fellows Classroom and Public Speaking Program 

Interested in arts-integrated learning and how to approach civic discourse in a classroom setting? Join our multi-year professional development program for educators teaching grades 5-8. Learn how to teach the art of classroom discourse and public speaking while integrating theatre techniques and performance into history, social studies and English language arts curriculum. 

Program dates:  July 31- August 3, 2025. 

Applications for all of our professional development programs open on November 20, 2024 and must be submitted by March 21, 2025.

Apply online at: www.fords.org/teaching-and-learning/teacher-professional-development

Ford’s Theatre education programs are supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, BP America, D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, The Hearst Foundations, Institute of Museum and Library Services, The Honorable Anita B. and The Honorable Timothy J. McBride, National Park Foundation, National Park Service, PwC, Southern Company and Visa Inc. with additional support from United Airlines.

Ford’s Theatre Board of Trustees

Abraham Lincoln National Council

Ford’s Theatre Board of Governors

Ford’s Theatre Donors

Ford’s Theatre Advisory Council

Ford’s Theatre Associated Artists

The Lincoln Medal

Ford’s Theatre Staff

Historic Site Visits

A visit to Ford’s Theatre traces the story of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, assassination and legacy. Whether for a brief visit or for the full experience, Ford’s will deepen your appreciation and understanding of America’s 16th president. Admission is free; advance tickets have a convenience fee. The Ford’s Theatre campus traditionally includes: 

• Museum: Learn about Lincoln’s presidency from his inauguration to his arrival at Ford’s Theatre the night of April 14, 1865. See artifacts related to his presidency and assassination.
• Theatre: See the recreated historic theatre and learn the key facts of the assassination from National Park Service Rangers.
• Petersen House: Explore Lincoln’s final moments in the house where Lincoln died.
• Center for Education and Leadership: See the Aftermath Exhibits exploring what happened following Lincoln’s assassination, the hunt for John Wilkes Booth and the lasting impact of Lincoln’s legacy.

Our visitation schedule varies. Parts of the campus may not be available at the time of your visit.

Box Office Hours

• When there is an evening performance: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• When there is no evening performance: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• When there is a History on Foot walking tour: 8:30 a.m. until the tour begins.

Groups

Groups (10 or more people) save on mainstage performance tickets, have priority access to the best seats in the house and have flexible payment options. Contact groups@fords.org or (202) 638-2367.

Accessible seating is offered in both the rear orchestra and the balcony sections.

GalaPro closed captioning will be available for all performances starting November 21. Search for GalaPro on the Google Play or Apple Store and download the app.

An audio-enhancement system is available for all performances. Devices are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please check with an usher. 

Audio-described performances of A Christmas Carol are Thursday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m.and Saturday, December 14 at 2 p.m. 

A sign-interpreted performance of A Christmas Carol is scheduled for Thursday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m 

A sensory-friendly performance of A Christmas Carol is scheduled for Sunday, November 24 at 2 p.m. 

Learn more about accessible performances at fords.org/visit-us/accessibility.