From Freedom Plaza to the Ford’s Theatre Stage: The American Five and Dr. King’s Legacy
As Ford’s Theatre presents The American Five, we want to look back on a piece of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s history that is right here in Washington, D.C.
In 1988, two years after Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first observed in the United States, Western Plaza was renamed Freedom Plaza. Situated at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, Dr. King was said to have put the finishing touches on his “I Have a Dream” speech at the nearby Willard Hotel. Engraved at the plaza are a few lines from the famous speech: “Let freedom ring from every hill…from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”
Recently, we talked to Robert Watson, chief concierge at the Willard Hotel, now known as the Willard Intercontinental, about this key piece of history of Ford’s The American Five.
Prior to the dedication, a 500-pound time capsule containing one of Dr. King’s clerical robes, one of his bibles and audio recordings of his speeches were buried underneath the newly renamed plaza. In addition, within the aluminum cylinder is an American flag featuring 51 stars, signifying the hope that Washington, D.C. will be state by the time the capsule is set to be unearthed in 2088.
While a recording is not part of the capsule’s contents, Ford’s The American Five explores one of Dr. King’s most well-known speeches, his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, which was given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. In Chess Jakobs’s world premiere play — originally commissioned as part of The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions — Martin Luther King Jr. and his inner circle, made up of Coretta Scott King, Bayard Rustin, Stanley Levison and Clarence B. Jones, plan the March on Washington and craft the speech that would galvanize the nation and inspire generations to advance America’s efforts to turn a dream into reality. Through this look at the creation of one of the most memorable and studied moments in history, another historical figure perhaps comes to mind.
Despite living a century apart, Abraham Lincoln and Dr. King both championed for freedom and equality for Black Americans in the face of enormous challenges. Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War led to the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment, which finally put an end to slavery. Dr. King used peaceful protests and powerful speeches to push for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which helped break down segregation and win legal rights for Black Americans. Both men were driven by the American ideal of equality and dreamed of a more just country. Sadly, both were assassinated because of their work.
Like Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. was more than the activist we have come to think of him as. Recently profiled in The Washington Post, Ro Boddie — who plays Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — has embodied the Civil Rights leader five times. Boddie is seeking to bring Dr. King’s empathy to the stage: “‘We have to see a very human side of Dr. King,’ Jakobs says. ‘We also have to see the reverend that we know. We have to see the renowned speaker and activist that we know.’”
Make sure to get your tickets to The American Five and see for yourself this incredible world premiere play.
Sources:
https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2025/01/a-time-capsule-in-washington-d-c-in-honor-of-martin-luther-king-jr
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mlk-time-capsule-at-freedom-plaza
