2025 – 2026 Season
In celebration of our nation’s semiquincentennial, Ford’s is thrilled to share our 2025-2026 season with you! This upcoming season, we commemorate this county’s 250th year with the world premiere of the story of a monumental moment in our history, and the people who shaped it to inspire change.
The American Five
World Premiere
By Chess Jakobs; Directed by Aaron Posner
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his inner circle imagined a pluralistic society in which equality and justice is guaranteed for all. In the face of surveillance, intimidation, arrests and life threats, five giants form a powerful coalition to advance civil rights and shape a defining moment in American history. Together, Dr. King, 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.
A Christmas Carol
Featuring Craig Wallace as Ebenezer Scrooge
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Michael Wilson; Directed by Michael Baron
Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey of transformation and redemption. Originally conceived by Michael Baron, this music-infused production captures the magic and joy of Dickens’s Yuletide classic, with familiar characters, ghosts and a children’s ensemble in the spirit of the holidays. Acclaimed actor Craig Wallace returns to play Ebenezer Scrooge in Ford’s annual tradition heralded as a “rich visual and vocal treat” (TheaterMania) and “infectiously jolly” (The Washington Post).
The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions: A First Look
January 2026, Free Ticketed Event
Featuring new work exploring historically significant events and figures that have contributed to the fabric of America over our past 250 years. The 2026 edition of A First Look will workshop new commissions and culminate in free public readings and post-reading discussions with the creative teams. The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions initiative is led by Senior Artistic Advisor Sheldon Epps, Director of Artistic Programming José Carrasquillo and The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions Advisor Sydné Mahone.
1776
Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards;
Book by Peter Stone; Music Direction by Clay Ostwald;
Directed and Choreographed by Luis Salgado
This popular American musical is an insightful, vibrant and humorous take on our founding fathers’ determination to do the right thing for their fledgling nation. As members of the Second Continental Congress struggle to reach consensus, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson argue for independence from the British monarchy. The ensuing debates defined our country. As we explore this historical moment through the evolving identity of America today, this robust, award-winning musical boldly brings our country’s beginnings to blazing life.