Ford's Theatre

Ford's Theatre, Washington, DC, originally a Baptist church, was taken over by John T. Ford (1829–94) and opened in 1862 as Ford's Atheneum. Destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt and reopened in 1863 as Ford's Theatre, becoming an immediate success, some of the finest American players of the time soon appearing there. On 14 Apr. 1865, however, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated there during a performance by Laura Keene's company of Tom Taylor's Our American Cousin. The assassin was John Wilkes Booth, brother of Edwin Booth. After the assassination Ford and his brother were imprisoned for 39 days, but later acquitted of complicity in the crime. The theatre was officially closed and prevented from reopening by public outcry. The government therefore bought the property and used it for storage and office space. Part of the theatre collapsed in 1893 and the building remained derelict for some time, but in 1932 it became a Lincoln museum, which it still remains, and in 1968 reopened as a theatre. The remodelled building outwardly resembles the original structure but with its capacity reduced to 741 from almost 2,000. Ford's Theatre now presents new or touring productions each season, many of which have gone on to Broadway success, including the Black musicals Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope (1971 and 1974) and Your Arms Too Short to Box With God (1976). The management is committed to the development and preservation of musical theatre as a uniquely American art, although it has not forsaken non-musical works.