Elysian Fields

Book and Lyrics by David Emerson Toney; Music and Lyrics by Christopher Youstra; Directed by Craig Wallace 

Public Reading: January 10, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.

In David’s Own Words:  

Elysian Fields is a musical meditation on Shakespeare’s King Lear, that takes place in Reconstruction-era Alabama, post-Civil War. Seven years before the story begins, Hannibal Jenkins, the former owner of Elysian Fields, leaves his ten thousand acres of land to his eldest enslaved man, Bishop Carmichael, a plantation that now Bishop rules like a king. On the seventh anniversary of the inheritance, Bishop decides to divide the plantation among his three daughters: Delby (the youngest), Jindra (the middle daughter), and Nery (the eldest). The narrative of Elysian Fields tells the story of these three sisters and their father, Bishop, as they journey away from the dark secret of why Hannibal Jenkins, a man with unbridled hatred of his enslaved people, would leave his entire fortune to Bishop, and how that secret propels Bishop’s family through loss, faith, forgiveness, and redemption. It is not a story about slavery but an epic parable about the strength of ancestral love. 

The Soldier From the Antilles

by Nilo Cruz; Directed by José Carrasquillo

Public Reading: January 11, 2025 at 2 p.m.

In Nilo’s Own Words: 

The play is set in a hospital in Alexandria, Virginia during the American Civil War, 1864.  A nurse who has lost her husband in the war becomes a caretaker to the wounded.  She tends to the patients, writes letters for them, and reads to them from the classics. While reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley to a Union soldier afflicted by amnesia, Lottie seizes the conditions to make a new man—a being that can survive in an America who sees monsters in strangers and foreigners.  But can the promise of this experiment be effective? What happens to the soldier from the Antilles when he is confronted by his brother, a Confederate warrior, who shares an honest reckoning with the past? Can they erase their past in an island where slavery and race hatred were also planted and took root? This play raises questions about love, guilt, and forgiveness, but is ultimately a much-needed story of hope, acceptance, and compassion. The Soldier from the Antilles is a stark reminder that there can be no reconciliation without a true and honest reckoning of the past. Only then can we hope to avoid repeating history and build a better future. 

Elizabeth Keckly & Mary Lincoln: The Last Morning

by Gloria Reuben; Directed by Sheldon Epps 

Public Reading: January 11, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.

In Gloria’s Own Words: 

Six weeks after President Lincoln is assassinated, Mary Lincoln, suffering from a crippling grief has ensconced herself in the Executive Residence.  Elizabeth Keckly, a former slave who bought her own freedom and became a highly regarded modiste and dressmaker to Mary Lincoln during her years in the White House, temporarily closes her shop to spend as much time with Mary as possible.  Elizabeth agrees to escort Mary back to Illinois when Mary acquiesces to vacate the White House so that President Johnson and his family can move in. The emotional bond that united these women began within a year of them knowing each other when they both lost a son.  Although their upbringings could not have been more different, their emotional experiences were eerily similar. Knowing they might never have the chance to be alone again, I wanted to explore how these two strong women reconciled loss and tragedy while finding solace in what became a constant in their lives: their friendship. 

Sensory Friendly Performance Materials

• Character Guide
• Know Before You Go
• Behind the Scenes

• Going to Ford’s Theatre
• Going to See A Christmas Carol

Mister Lincoln

In this witty and revelatory one-man show, Scott Bakula is Abraham Lincoln. Mister Lincoln—as the President preferred to be called—shares stories of himself during some of our country’s most important historical events. From his personal perspective, first as a prairie lawyer and anti-slavery advocate in Illinois, to later in Washington as president of the United States, when he signs the Emancipation Proclamation and becomes the liberator, this insightful play leans on Lincoln’s own brilliant language to reveal surprising aspects of the life of one of our nation’s greatest president.

Sensory Friendly Performance Materials

• Character Guide
• Know Before You Go
• Behind the Scenes

• Little Shop of Horrors Pre-Visit Story
• Sensory-Friendly Performance Pre-Visit Story

A Designer of Note, A Woman of Style

By Charlayne Woodard; Directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg

Public Reading: January 26, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.

A Designer of Note, A Woman of Style by Charlayne Woodard gives us a window into the life of fashion designer Ann Lowe. Ann Lowe designed dresses for high society women and movie stars before she was commissioned to design Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy’s wedding dress. Her remarkable artistry set her apart from her male counterparts, but her achievements as a couturier and artist remained unknown for decades despite having stores on the fashion avenues of NYC. In a journey that begins in 1898 in Clayton, Alabama, Charlayne Woodard’s work traces the remarkable life and artistry of a true original American designer.

In Charlayne’s Own Words:

Born in the late 1890s, in the Jim Crow South, Ann Lowe was a trailblazer in fashion design. From 1912 to 1981, Ann Lowe exercised her gift and followed her calling. She secured her place in history designing and creating, not only for herself, but primarily for the wealthy women of elite society who hired her – and who were determined to keep her “their little secret.”

I chose to write a play about this extraordinary woman because I must give credit where credit is due. As a creative, I know what it’s like to follow your dream, in spite of numerous obstacles, foreseen and unforeseen. However, the story of Ann Lowe is a tale of perseverance, creative excellence – never giving in to victimhood. A single mom for most of her life, Ms. Lowe ran over hurdle after hurdle: Racism, sexism, financial instability, health issues. After discovering this “hidden figure,” and researching her life, I am empowered and inspired. I trust others will feel the same. Ann Lowe’s very unique story must no longer be “their little secret.”

SISTER X

By Nambi E. Kelley; Directed by Hana S. Sharif

Public Reading: January 27, 2024 at 2:30 p.m.

With SISTER X, Nambi E. Kelley has given us the story of Ameilia, a young mother and a social and political activist who seeks a meeting with Malcolm X during a time of social and political upheaval. Seeking guidance and answers, Ameilia reveals the haunting truth of her life. Kelley has written Ameilia’s galvanizing story in verse, thus amplifying the voices of a generation of young women whose unique stories and perspectives have seldom come to light.

In Nambi’s Own Words:

“The role of women in the Nation of Islam, as both a religious and political organization, has been muted. I began to search for who these women were and what their role in the movement was. The information available was scarce, but early on, I hit upon the stories of young women who had been impregnated by leaders of the movement. Excavating their specific stories gave me a focus that began my quest to hear their voices.”

The American Five

By Chess Jakobs; Directed by Aaron Posner

Public Reading: January 27, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.

The American Five offers an incisive look into a single, society-shifting moment in American history while turning our perspective toward a horizon of plurality. This play’s kaleidoscope structure examines the multi-generational relationship of Black and Jewish Americans. When a perspective-challenging professor invokes the “Rules of Engagement” inside the classroom, tensions rise over a discussion about anti-Semitic headlines. A viable framework for understanding present political discord and social paradigms is found in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.  

In Chess’s Own Words:

Our society demands empathy, understanding, and respect across communities, nations and beliefs. While I know from experience that respect is a decision, having genuine empathy and understanding for the masses comes after a deep exploration into one’s biases and a transformational shift in what we know and believe to be true about others. But what does it mean when the history that helps us achieve that understanding often excludes critical moments and people?

It means that productive dialogues about race, society and culture often conclude with many holes that must be filled. It means that people who grow up knowing and believing one thing have a slim chance of being able to grow up to learn something new. It means people like me, who grew up and lived at the intersection of multiple identities, have very few chances to connect dots that may change the way they see themselves and how they advocate for all of the communities they belong to at the same time. It means that historical giants such as Bayard Rustin, Stanley Levison, Clarence Jones and Coretta Scott King are left out of critical retellings of the March on Washington and the “I Have A Dream” speech. 

Through this play, I am inquiring into our collective perception of each other, our presumed alignment based on shared background and how identity manifests through us in how we speak, relate, and dream. The questions that rang in my head while crafting this piece, as they have been ringing in me since birth, are the questions I’m seeking to answer: Where do we go when our plurality causes friction in a singular-driven world? How do we retain our individuality when communities are built through homogeneity? What can vulnerability and change do for us when masculinity and tradition are insufficient to remain powerful? Why do race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, ability, sex and sexuality define us? Who is allowed to undefine themselves?

Sensory Friendly Performance Materials

• Character Guide
• Know Before You Go
• Behind the Scenes

• A Christmas Carol Pre-Visit Story
• Sensory-Friendly Performance Pre-Visit Story

“A rich, 90-minute dreamlike journey from which we are reluctant to awake.”

DC Theater Arts

“Chiefly upbeat.”

BroadwayWorld DC

“…as moving as it is informative.”

District Fray

“Not the usual biopic…The audience felt Jackson’s presence.”

The Washington Informer

“…make sure you see it and bring your children and grandchildren. It is important that these stories are remembered.”

MD Theatre Guide

“Anger, exasperation, pride: the whole spectrum of emotions can be found on the Ford’s stage.”

Talkin’ Broadway

“A heartfelt love letter to her friend and former boss…Under the direction of Seema Sueko, the apt ensemble buoys the material with standout performances.”

The DC Line

“The company tells its story well and the story should be heard.”

A Theatergoer’s Thoughts

Watch the Trailer

Listen to the Description

We offer audio-described performances for all of our mainstage productions. Audio-Described performances for Something Moving: A Meditation on Maynard are Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 2 p.m. Listen below to hear an audio description of the set for this show.

Read the transcription.

Meet John Doe

An American Musical

When ambitious newspaper reporter Ann Mitchell loses her job in the middle of the Depression, she prints a phony letter from a “John Doe” who, protesting the state of society, promises to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge on Christmas Eve. Circulation goes through the roof, and Ann convinces her editor to hire an out-of-work ballplayer, John Willoughby, to stand in while she ghost-writes the “John Doe” column.

With her words and his down-home charm, John Doe quickly becomes a national sensation. As Ann, John and “John” tour the country, a strange love triangle begins to form. When the paper’s powerful owner reveals his true plans for John Doe, both Ann and John must confront the hoax they’ve created and decide what they truly believe in.

Jitney

August Wilson’s Classic Drama

Set in 1970 in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Jitney is a beautiful addition to August Wilson’s decade-by-decade cycle of plays about the black American experience in the 20th century.

A Christmas Carol

A Holiday Tradition

Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey of transformation and redemption.