My Lord, What a Night, set to open in October, is the first production to take place in Ford’s Theatre since February 2020!
The wait is finally over for theatre-loving Washingtonians hoping to return to Ford’s Theatre. The historic theatre is officially welcoming back performances with a new play, My Lord, What a Night, starting October 1!
Yes, the theatre did resume production earlier this month for a special, one-night concert version of Come From Away, at Lincoln Memorial in remembrance of 9/11. However, My Lord, What a Night is the first of several live plays to take over Ford’s stage as part of its first season back since the start of the pandemic.
Written by Deborah Brevoort and directed by Ford’s Senior Artistic Advisor, Sheldon Epps, My Lord, What a Night narrows in on the extraordinary, real-life friendship between the famous contralto and activist Marian Anderson and physicist Albert Einstein. Seemingly two people who had nothing in common, the two formed a profound friendship based on their shared love for music and their commitment to human rights.
It is this friendship that the play explores as it takes us into Einstein’s home and imagines the conversations and circumstances that led to Anderson’s historic concert on the steps of Lincoln Memorial.
A play about courage, justice, and our shared humanity, My Lord, What a Night also explores the arts’ power to change lives and the pivotal moment that led to Anderson’s performance at Lincoln Memorial.
Known primarily as the site of President Lincoln’s assassination, Ford’s Theatre isn’t just like any other historical site. Still an operating theatre, Ford’s doubles as a center dedicated to exploring the American experience through theatre and education.
Lincoln fans and history enthusiasts, of course, can get their fill of trivia about the president’s assassination that took place at Ford’s Theatre that fateful night of April 1865 — the theatre even offers a short 40-minute play in the spring and summer revisiting the events — and the lasting impact this had in the nation.
However, Ford’s Theatre also offers tons of activities for the artistically-inclined, history buffs, and generally curious Washingtonians of all ages who wish to explore the theatre’s historic legacy and the evolution of the dramatic arts in America.
This theatrical season at Ford’s Theatre for example, explores a variety of Black stories in America and will also feature productions of The Mountaintop and the new musical Grace later in the year.
My Lord, What a Night kicks off at Ford’s Theatre on Friday, October 1, with evening performances at 7:30 p.m. as well as matinee performances on weekends through to Sunday, October 24. Tickets start at $20 and are now on sale through the theatre’s website. An on-demand, streaming version of My Lord, What a Night will also be available for sale to the public from mid-October through November 4, 2021.