Ford’s Theatre Director Paul R. Tetreault announced the Ford’s Theatre 2025/26 season, featuring the world premiere of Chess Jakobs’s The American Five, from The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions, directed by Aaron Posner; the beloved holiday musical of A Christmas Carol with Craig Wallace reprising the role of Ebenezer Scrooge; and in commemoration of our nation’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the musical 1776, directed and choreographed by Luis Salgado.
Other season highlights include The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions: A First Look, heralded by DC Theater Arts as “a must-attend event in the DC theater scene.” The 2026 edition of A First Look will feature new work exploring historically significant events and figures that have contributed to the fabric of America over our past 250 years.
Performances of Ford’s actor-led History on Foot walking tours of downtown Washington, DC and daytime one-act play performances of One Destiny will continue in the spring of 2026.
“As we approach the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, we are excited to connect the lasting significance of the Declaration of Independence with the ideals that have shaped our nation’s history,” said Ford’s Theatre Director Paul R. Tetreault. “President Abraham Lincoln, who saw the Declaration as the cornerstone of American values and human rights, considered it the foundation of his fight against slavery.
“From the Declaration to Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and the Civil Rights Movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to today, we trace the arc of America’s ongoing journey toward liberty and equality.
As Ford’s Theatre presents its 2025-2026 season, we look forward to being part of this milestone 250th celebration, reflecting on our shared history and the enduring power of freedom. This commemorative season honors the courage, conviction, and progress that continue to define our nation.”
Free Preview and Discounts
Ford’s Theatre continues its commitment to offer free and discounted performance tickets to the company’s mainstage productions during the 2025-2026 season. All tickets to the first preview performances of The American Five and 1776 will be offered free of charge via a TodayTix ticket lottery, and at least 100 free tickets will be made available for a preview performance of A Christmas Carol. The Free Preview initiative seeks to remove price barriers and build audiences in a more inclusive way, by inviting those who live and work in the Washington community who might not otherwise consider participation in the arts. Since the program launched in 2016, more than 10,300 tickets have been provided to Washington, DC audiences.
Discounts are available for groups, senior citizens and military personnel. Learn more about discounts and Free Previews here. To purchase tickets for a group, contact Group Sales at groups@fords.org.
Student Matinees and Teacher Preview Workshops
Ford’s Theatre is committed to serving local DC students and teachers and offers weekday student matinees and tailored lessons to complement educators’ curriculum. A limited number of free tickets to select weekday matinee performances are available to DC public and public charter schools, Title I schools, and schools that have 40 percent or more students eligible for Free and Reduced Meals. Schools located within the Capital Beltway may also qualify for free bus transportation. Ford’s Theatre offers a free workshop and free tickets to a preview performance of each of the company’s mainstage productions to Washington-area teachers before they bring their students. Since the program launched in 2009, more than 13,500 tickets have been provided to local students. Learn more on our student matinees webpage.
Accessibility
At Ford’s Theatre, we are committed to ensuring visitors of all abilities can experience the performances, exhibits, history and programs our site has to offer. We offer sensory-friendly, audio-described, ASL-interpreted and GalaPro closed captioned performances. Accessible seating and chair rental, assisted listening devices, large print programs and Braille programs are available upon request. Find all performance dates and learn more about our accessibility offerings.
Since 2018, Ford’s Theatre has offered relaxed sensory-friendly performances, providing theatrical experiences for people with sensory sensitivities. Sensory-Friendly performances are scheduled for A Christmas Carol on Saturday, November 23, 2025 and for 1776 on Saturday, April 25, 2026. These performances are designed for patrons with sensory sensitivities, including individuals with autism or other developmental disabilities. Learn more here.
Member presale for The American Five, A Christmas Carol, and 1776 begins April 21, 2025; tickets go on sale to the general public April 28.
The 2025/26 Season
The American Five
By Chess Jakobs
Directed by Aaron Posner
September 19–October 12, 2025
Five Giants of the Civil Rights Movement
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
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Michael Wilson
Directed by Michael Baron
Featuring Craig Wallace as Ebenezer Scrooge
November 20–December 31, 2025
A Must-See 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. 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
Free Ticketed Event; Registration Dates and Titles to Be Announced
January 2026
Witness the Power of The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions
Featuring new plays that explore 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 playwrights.
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. Learn more about the initiative.
1776
Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards
Book by Peter Stone
Music Direction by Clay Ostwald
Directed and Choreographed by Luís Salgado
March 13–May 16, 2026
The Argument for Independence
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.
One Destiny
By Richard Hellesen
Directed by Mark Ramont
March–May 2026
Learn about Lincoln’s assassination from two men who were there. This 35-minute stage play at Ford’s Theatre explores the key facts of the assassination while capturing the emotions of that fateful night in 1865, as told through the eyewitness accounts of actor Harry Hawk and Ford’s Theatre co-owner Harry Ford, among others. As they reconstruct the sequence of events, they grapple with the question: Could John Wilkes Booth have been stopped? One Destiny was honored with The Washington Post Award for Innovative Leadership in the Theatre Community in 2011. Performance times for spring 2026 to be announced. Learn more about One Destiny.
The One Destiny: On Demand streamed performance, featuring original actors Michael Bunce and Stephen F. Schmidt, continues to be on sale.
History on Foot Walking Tours:
Investigation: Detective McDevitt
By Richard Hellesen
Directed by Mark Ramont
March–October 2026
Join Detective McDevitt as he re-visits and re-examines the sites and clues surrounding the assassination of our nation’s 16th president. Performance dates and times for 2026 to be announced. Learn more about History on Foot.
Ford’s Theatre Society
One of the most visited sites in the nation’s capital, Ford’s Theatre reopened its doors in 1968, more than a hundred years after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Operated through a partnership between Ford’s Theatre Society and the National Park Service, Ford’s Theatre is the premier destination in the nation’s capital to explore and celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s life and legacy.
Ford’s Theatre Society was founded under the guidance of executive producer Frankie Hewitt, who, during her 35-year tenure, established Ford’s as a living, working theater producing performances that highlighted the diversity of the American experience. Since the arrival of Paul R. Tetreault as Director, critics and the theatergoing public have recognized Ford’s for the superior quality of its artistic programming. With works from the Tony-nominated Come From Away and the nationally acclaimed Big River, to the world premieres of Grace, Meet John Doe, The Heavens Are Hung In Black, Liberty Smith, Necessary Sacrifices, The Widow Lincoln and The Guard, Ford’s Theatre is making its mark on the American theater landscape. Under the current leadership of Board of Trustees Chairman Phebe N. Novakovic and through the lens of Lincoln’s leadership and legacy, Ford’s today endeavors to advance Lincoln’s “unfinished work” with programs and performances that cultivate empathy, encourage dialogue, and bridge divides in American life.