Actors portraying Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln shake hands and talk while standing in front of a table and two closed windows.
Craig Wallace as Frederick Douglass and David Selby as Abraham Lincoln in the Ford’s Theatre world premiere production of Necessary Sacrifices, directed by Jennifer L. Nelson. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Past Productions

For 50 years, Ford’s Theatre has produced plays and musicals exploring the American experience and celebrating Lincoln’s legacy.

As a premier cultural destination in Washington, D.C., Ford’s Theatre brings politically and socially vital plays to the stage, entertaining both locals and out-of-towners with a full season each year from September to May. By commissioning new plays like The Guard as well as Lincoln-based world premieres The Heavens Are Hung In Black and Necessary Sacrifices, Ford’s Theatre is making its mark on American theatre and bringing history to life through the power of theatre. For it’s artistic work, Ford’s Theatre received the National Medal of Arts in 2008, the highest award given by the U.S. government to artists, arts institutions and arts patrons.

Celebrating 50 Years Since Reopening

2024-2025 Season

Abraham Lincoln, dressed in a black coat and red kerchief, stands in front of black background. A text overlay says "Scott Bakula in Mister Lincoln"

Mister Lincoln

2023-2024 Season

The cast of the 2023 Ford’s Theatre world premiere production of Something Moving: A Meditation on Maynard. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Something Moving: A Meditation on Maynard
A smiling Black man in Victorian-style clothes and a top hat stands with a group of diverse children, also in Victorian-style clothing, in front of a large Christmas tree.

A Christmas Carol – 2023

The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions: A First Look – 2024
Drawing of a large venus flytrap with lips and teeth in a pot. The background shows a flower shop.

Little Shop of Horrors – 2024

2022-2023 Season

An elderly woman wearing a navy blue coat and matching hat, sits on a bench smiling with her suitcase on her lap.

The Trip to Bountiful
A smiling man in Victorian-style clothes and a top hat stands with a group of children, also in Victorian-style clothing, in front a large Christmas tree.

A Christmas Carol – 2022

The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions: A First Look – 2023
An African American woman wearing a wedding dress stands center stage on a trellis and plays an acoustic guitar, as the ensemble of wedding guests flanks her to her right and left. Circular lights and an onstage band are visible on a platform above her.

SHOUT SISTER SHOUT!

2021-2022 Season

Twelve actors stand on an outdoor stage built near the Lincoln Memorial. Behind the actors sit a band playing drums and Celtic instruments.

Come From Away: In Concert at the Lincoln Memorial
An actress portraying contralto Marian Anderson stands by a cluttered desk and near an actor portraying Albert Einstein. Einstein holds a violin.

My Lord, What a Night
A man dressed in a Victorian robe and nightcap holds a gold goblet in a toast. He stands next to woman dressed as Spirit of Christmas Present in a richly decorated green Victorian-style dress and sunburst crown.

A Christmas Carol – 2021
Eight people join hands in prayer around a long table.

Grace

2020-2021 Season

A screenshot of six actors performing a play reading over Zoom. The logo for the play Intimate Apparel overlays the image.

Virtual Play Readings
A ghostly figure covered in chains points three fingers at a grumpy man who is dressed in Victorian-style pajamas. His three fingers represent the 3 ghosts who will visit the man in the overnight hours.

A Christmas Carol: A Radio Play
On the left, a black and white photograph of Abraham Lincoln. On the right, a black and white photograph of Frederick Douglas.

Necessary Sacrifices: A Radio Play

2019-2020 Season

A spirit flies through the air in a sparkling, long-sleeved unitard and matching tutu. She grasps the hand of Ebenezer Scrooge and the two glide upward.

A Christmas Carol – 2019
An actor wearing a 1910s white collared shirt, tweed vest and matching trousers stands with elbows resting on a balcony railing. On the right, an actress dressed in a teal jacket and matching floor-length dress, white collared shirt and a period hearing aid stands looking off into the distance. Above them, multiple lightbulbs are suspended on black wire.

Silent Sky
A married couple stands on their porch smiling and embracing.

August Wilson’s Fences

2018 – 2019 Season

On a set designed to look like a fancy hotel living room in the 1950s, a woman in a red dress and a man in a three-piece suit sit on a sofa. Four others stand around them.

Born Yesterday
A wealthy, well-dressed Victorian man scowls at a street vendor in London.

A Christmas Carol – 2018
Four men physically restrain an angry man who lunges with fists clenched toward another man in a jury room.

Twelve Angry Men
Little Red Ridinghood stands carrying a large wicker basket. On the right is an actor dressed as a wolf with one hand on her shoulder. His costume includes black stilts on his legs

Into the Woods

2017 – 2018 Season

A father in a suit crosses his arms angrily. His wife looks at him apprehensively, while his two adult sons look at him warily.

Death of a Salesman
Scrooge sits in a chair and looks away frightened. Marley points at him menacingly. Marley is wrapped in heavy metal chains.

A Christmas Carol – 2017
Nine actors stand on a raised platform in a line. Six of them are dressed in ostentatious 18th-century clothing and wigs made of paper. The other three wear more casual clothing inspired by the 18th-century. Behind them are white arched frames, representing mansion windows and doors.

Jefferson’s Garden
At center is Dorothy, wearing a white dress, silver shoes and mirrored sunglasses. She is surrounded by the residents of Emerald City, all dressed in shades of green and also wearing mirrored sunglasses. Everyone looks surprised.

The Wiz

2016-2017 Season

A couple kisses while a crowd of people look on and cheer.

Come From Away
A smiling man dressed in Victorian era nightclothes opens a window to look out at the street. Snow is falling.

A Christmas Carol – 2016
A young couple sit on a couch and talk in a 50's style living room. Two older people look at the couple while drinking liquor.

Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
A large, multi-ethnic group of people dressed in early twentieth century clothes stand in a group and look to the right.

Ragtime

2015-2016 Season

A man and woman sit and hold hands in a room in an art museum. The man wears a security guard's uniform and looks at the woman with concern. The woman holds a water bottle and looks away.

The Guard
A group of men and women in fancy Victorian clothing dance on a stage. Above them, a woman in a white dress floats in the air, while a man in his nightclothes stands on a nearby catwalk and watches the dancers.

A Christmas Carol – 2015
A man and woman sit on the floor behind a table filled with glass animal miniatures.

The Glass Menagerie
Men and women gather around a brightly painted automobile trailer. The back doors of the trailer are open, and inside a man sings and dances.

110 in the Shade

2014-2015 Season

An actress in a beribboned hat and pearls looks on from the back seat of a car at her driver. She wears a look of concern. The driver wears a suit and cap and appears to be mid-sentence.

Driving Miss Daisy
A large group of men and women in Victorian era clothing stand in a line hand-in-hand on a stage and face the audience. Behind them is a Christmas tree.

A Christmas Carol – 2014
An actress portraying Mary Lincoln, dressed in a black gown and white gloves, kneels on stage. A Union solider in a blue uniform and yellow sash, with a gun behind his shoulder, looks at her. Behind them are two women wearing black.

The Widow Lincoln
A group of confederate and union soldiers fight each others with swords and bayonets. In the middle of the fight a man sings.

Freedom’s Song: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War

2013-2014 Season

Eight people stand on a stage and look out at the audience. Behind them a jumbled pile of television screens all show images from a candlelight vigil.

The Laramie Project
A group of people in Victorian clothes stand in a line and sing toward the audience. Behind them is a Christmas tree.

A Christmas Carol – 2013
Two men in WWII era military uniforms sit on a bench and talk to a young woman in a dress who reads a magazine. Behind them is a news stand with the words "Nashville News" on its sign.

Violet
An actor in a boy scout uniform sings into a microphone on a stage. He has a placard around his neck with the number 29 written on it. Other students and teachers dance around him.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

2012-2013 Season

Four African-American men in khaki miliary uniforms sing and dance on a mostly dark stage.

Fly
A group of five men dance and hold each other's hands up in the air while children run underneath.

A Christmas Carol – 2012
A woman in a black sweat suit stand and talks while holding up a finger.

Our Town
A large group of people in old-fashioned formal clothes sit on a pile of trunks and sing. In the foreground a woman in a black and purple dress with a broad black hat sings along.

Hello Dolly!

2011-2012 Season

A man and woman sit together on the ground

Parade
A woman in a green and red embroidered dress sits on a wheelbarrow full of Christmas decorations and holds out her hands while a man in Victorian nightclothes watches her. A group of people in Victorian clothes stand behind them.

A Christmas Carol – 2011
Actors portraying Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln shake hands and talk while standing in front of a table and two closed windows.

Necessary Sacrifices
Actors portraying John Adams and Benjamin Franklin each hold one hand of a woman in a yellow dress and sing.

1776

2010-2011 Season

To the left a White man is down on one knee facing a young Black woman, who is also kneeling, as they clasp hands and make eye contact. They are both smiling. The man is wearing a brown tweed suit. The woman is wearing a striped sleeveless party dress in pink, purple, orange, and lavender and has a diamond bracelet.

Sabrina Fair
At center is a wooden wagon filled with colorful sparkling fruit and leaves and a small Christmas tree. Upon the wagon sits an older White woman in a brilliantly-colored red, green, and gold gown. The gold designs, piping, and belt of the dress all sparkle, and the sleeves end in floor-length drop sleeves lined with white fur. She wears a green and gold crown with small gold candles set into it. She grins toward a White man standing to her right. The man, Scrooge, wears a white nightcap, a white nightgown, and a dark red silk dressing gown and holds a gold canister in his right hand. The pair are ringed by a group of adults and children, all wearing suits or floor-length gowns and winter cloaks.

A Christmas Carol – 2010
Three women on stage look at the audience. To the left, one sits in a rocking chair. In the center, one sits at a table full of framed photographs. To the right, one stands and rests her hands on the back of a chair.

The Carpetbagger’s Children
A man in a bright blue and red coat stands next to a a woman in a floral dress and points. Behind them an American flag with 13 stars hangs. To their left and right groups of people in 18th century clothing sing.

Liberty Smith

2009-2010 Season

A woman in a blue dress holds a silver bowl of berries in her lap and smiles as she sings.

Black Pearl Sings
Seven children and five adults in Victorian costume surround the actor playing Scrooge on set at Ford’s Theatre. A young boy (playing Tiny Tim) sits on Scrooge’s shoulders.

A Christmas Carol – 2009
An actor portraying Stephen Douglas shakes hands with the actor portraying Abraham Lincoln. The actress portraying Adele Douglas looks on.

The Rivalry
A man in glasses and a button down shirt stands in a bedroom and talks to a giant plant with a huge mouth in a pot.

Little Shop of Horrors

2008-2009 Season

A frightened man in white nightclothes and a white sleeping cap stands next to a ghost wrapped in chains who gestures towards the camera.

A Christmas Carol – 2008
An actor portraying Abraham Lincoln holds an actor portraying his young son and kisses his forehead.

The Heavens are Hung in Black
Six African-Americans with their arms around each other's soldiers sing together.

The Civil War

2006-2007 Season

A group of actors in various 50's style clothing stand hand in hand at the edge of a stage. Behind them the stage is decorated with political campaign slogans.

State of the Union
At a party, six people hold colorful fabrics of a May Pole taut as a joyful group of others dance beneath it.

A Christmas Carol – 2006
Five men gather Pittsburg cab station’s waiting room having a lively conversation.

Jitney
A man in a three-piece grey suit stands in the middle of a crowd with his arms raised in jubilation. The crowd carries picket signs that have photographs of his face and the words “John Doe.”

Meet John Doe

2005-2006 Season

A woman in roller-skates, a red bowler hat, short gingham red-and-white skirt and a fitted, sleeveless vest reads a newspaper over the shoulder of two men in a train car. One man has a medieval-style beard and cap. The other is dressed like a traveling salesman.

Leading Ladies
A man stands in his white nightcap and nightshirt clasping his hands. Behind him is a shadowy figure draped with heavy chain links. Farther in the distance, a large clock glows.

A Christmas Carol – 2005
A 25-year-old woman wearing black leather gloves, a blue woolen winter coat and white winter beret-style hat, sits and listens to an 81-year-old man who stands in a three-piece woolen gray suit behind a desk that is scattered with papers and file folders.

Trying
Twenty-three people stand stationary and silent, carefully posed in an 1860s photograph tableau. A gigantic gilded frame reading “A Nation Mourns” frames them.

Shenandoah

Earlier Productions