For Immediate Release Lauren Beyea November 20, 2008/Updated January 9, 2009 202.434.9543/LBeyea@fords.org

FORD’S THEATRE ANNOUNCESGRAND REOPENINGFOR FEBRUARY 2009Grand Reopening Celebration on February 11;George Lucas To Receive Lincoln MedalLincoln Bicentennial Commemoration on February 12Ford’s Theatre Open House and Lincoln Birthday Celebration on February 16;Launch of New Series Titled

Living Lincoln

Timed Entry Tours of Theatre Begin February 17Theatre To Reopen with

The Heavens Are Hung in Black

(World Premiere) and

The Civil War

;Ford’s Theatre Museum To Reopen in Spring 2009Renovations Include New Seats, Updated Staging Capabilities and Enhanced Accessibility

Washington, D.C.—Wayne R. Reynolds, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Ford’s Theatre Society, Paul R.Tetreault, Director of Ford’s Theatre Society, and Kym Elder, Superintendent of Ford’s Theatre National HistoricSite, announced today that Ford’s Theatre will reopen in February 2009 after an 18-month renovation. Ford’sTheatre will celebrate with one week of public and private events honoring Abraham Lincoln’s life and legacy. TheAbraham Lincoln Bicentennial Campaign, a $50+ million capital campaign to support the renovation of Ford’sTheatre and its museum as well as the building of the new Center for Education and Leadership, has raised over $48million to date.“In February, Ford’s Theatre will reopen its door to once again inspire visitors by celebrating the life and legacy of President Lincoln,” Reynolds said. “This is the most extensive renovation of the site since 1968, and we are excitedto offer visitors an enhanced experience that will educate them about Lincoln while letting them share in his love for the performing arts.”“We are thrilled that the reopening of Ford’s Theatre will coincide with the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth,”Tetreault added. “In honor of this event, we will reopen the theatre with the world premiere of

The Heavens Are Hung In Black

, a play about Abraham Lincoln in 1862, one of the most crucial years of his presidency. This play,along with many special events, will provide a magnificent tribute to our greatest president.”“Ford’s Theatre is in the midst of a major expansion project to enhance the visitor experience at this historic site,and we are immensely thankful to all of the donors who have supported our capital campaign,” said Rex W.Tillerson, Chairman of the Ford’s Theatre Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Campaign and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees. “In addition to renovating the theatre and the museum, we are expanding our education programming and preparing to build a new Center for Education and Leadership that will focus on the life and legacy of AbrahamLincoln. The reopening of the theatre is the beginning of an exciting new phase.”“We are very excited about the 40-year partnership between the National Park Service and Ford’s Theatre Society,which exemplifies the type of partnerships NPS desires to have with its collaborators,” Elder said. “We are pleased

with the progression of the renovations, and we are highly anticipating the reopening of the theatre and the museumas well as the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth.”

Grand Reopening Celebration

On the evening of February 11, Ford’s Theatre will host a special performance to officially reopen the Theatre.Filmmaker George Lucas will receive the Lincoln Medal in honor of his accomplishments, which exemplify thecharacter and lasting legacy of President Abraham Lincoln.

Limited space is available for press wishing to coverthis event. Press should contact Lauren Beyea at (202) 434-9543.Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commemoration

On February 12, Ford’s Theatre will commemorate Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday with a series of public programs. The day will begin with a morning wreath-laying by National Park Service Rangers. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Ford’s Theatre will present an array of performances in Lincoln’s honor. Area students will perform some of Lincoln’s great speeches, and the Federal City Brass Band will play some of Lincoln’s favorite music on Civil War-era instruments. National Park Service Rangers will offer interpretive programs commemorating Lincoln’s presidency throughout the day. The theatre will be open to the general public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ford’s Theatre Open House and Lincoln Birthday Celebration

On President’s Day, February 16, Ford’s Theatre will host an all-day open house. Events will include new Ranger-led interpretive programs, a reading of the new one-act play

The Road From Appomattox

by Richard Hellesen, a performance of

One Destiny

and songs from

The Civil War

. The theatre will be open to the general public from 9a.m. to 5 p.m.In the evening, Ford’s Theatre will launch its

Living Lincoln Series

, a free Monday-night series exploring the manyaspects of President Lincoln’s personality and life through lectures, panels, play readings and performances. Theseries begins Feb. 16 with

Lincoln Seen and Heard

words-and-images show that takes Abraham Lincoln from hisdays in Congress through the American Civil War. The Feb. 16 program will feature Sam Waterston and HaroldHolzer. On Feb. 23, there will be a reading of

The Rivalry

about the Lincoln-Douglas debates with special guestactors. On March 2, Conan O’Brien and Joshua Wolf Shenk will present

Lincoln as Humorist

. Ford’s Theatrecollaborates with the Shakespeare Theatre Company on April 13 for

Lincoln and Shakespeare on Freedom’s Stage

,a presentation exploring Lincoln’s love of The Bard. On April 20, Dr. Edna Medford will moderate a discussiontitled

Race and Emancipation in the Age of Lincoln

. On April 27, Ford’s will present

Oratory in the Age of Lincoln

.On May 4, storyteller Jon Spelman will present

Lincoln as Storyteller

. On May 11, author and historian JamesMcPherson will present

Lincoln as Commander In Chief

. The series will end on May 18 with

Lincoln in Love

, thereading of a new musical based on the film

Young Mr. Lincoln

. Free tickets can be reserved through Ticketmaster at(202) 397-SEAT or by visiting www.fords.org.

Theatre Tours

Beginning February 17, visitors to Ford’s Theatre will be able to take tours of the theatre daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.(except when the venue is closed for rehearsals and matinee performances). In an effort to shorten lines and waittimes, Ford’s Theatre has instituted a timed entry system for visitors. Each visitor two years of age and older wishing to enter the site must present a timed entry ticket.The Ford's Theatre Box Office will open at 8:30 a.m. for distribution of same-day, timed tickets on a first-come,first-served basis. Individuals are limited to six tickets per person for same-day tickets. Individual tickets are alsoavailable in advance for a $1.50 convenience fee through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster fees apply). Groups of 20 or more can reserve advance tickets by calling the Ford’s Theatre group sales office at (202) 638-2367 or by visitingwww.fords.orgto reserve tickets online through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster fees will apply).Advance timed entry tickets are currently available for February 17 through May 24, 2009.

The Heavens Are Hung In Black

World PremiereWritten by James StillDirected by Stephen RayneFebruary 3 to March 8, 2009To celebrate the grand reopening and the bicentennial of President Lincoln’s birth, Ford’s Theatre hascommissioned a new play,

The Heavens Are Hung In Black

by award-winning playwright James Still. Highlightingthe five months between the death of Lincoln’s son Willie and the issue of the Emancipation Proclamation,

Heavens

will offer audiences a glimpse into the person who was Abraham Lincoln. Faced with unbearable personal, politicaland historical pressures, Lincoln copes with the world around him and eventually, through an amazingtransformation of thinking, conquers it. This production made possible by: BAE Systems, Verizon, BP America,

Visa Inc., National Endowment for the Arts and the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Ford's Theatrestages Built by The Home Depot. Chevron, a 2008-2009 season sponsor.

Press Night: February 8

The Civil War

Book and Lyrics by Frank Wildhorn, Gregory Boyd and Jack MurphyMusic by Frank WildhornDirected by Jeff CalhounMarch 27 to May 24, 2009This Tony-nominated musical puts a human face on the greatest tragedy of American history. A musical landscapeof the people, voices and sentiments of the American Civil War, the show is inspired by the words of WaltWhitman, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth and Abraham Lincoln as well as the lives (as documented throughletters, photographs and journals) of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. This production made possible by: Nortel, Raytheon Company, ExxonMobil and Southern Company. Ford's Theatre stages Built by The HomeDepot. Chevron, a 2008-2009 season sponsor.

Press Night: April 1Museum Reopening

Scheduled to reopen in 2009, the newly renovated museum will use 21st-century technology to transport visitors to19th-century Washington. The museum’s remarkable collection of historic artifacts will be supplemented with avariety of narrative devices—environmental recreations, videos and three-dimensional figures.

Renovations to Ford’s Theatre

When the theatre reopens, visitors from across the nation and around the world will experience conveniences andluxuries previously not available at the theatre. These include: new seats; upgraded sound and lighting systems;improved heating and air conditioning systems; renovated restrooms; enhanced accessibility with elevators to thevarious levels; a spacious new lobby with concessions and an entrance to the theatre; a new “parlor” for specialevents; and updated stage capabilities for casts and crews. These upgrades will make the theatre more audience-friendly and will enhance accessibility.Renovations began in August 2007, when the 144-year old theatre and museum were closed to the public. InOctober 2007, Ford’s Theatre Society announced the

Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Campaign

to support therenovation and expansion of the Ford’s Theatre “campus.”The “campus” will consist of the renovated theatre, a reimagined museum, the neighboring Petersen House (wherePresident Lincoln died) and the new Center for Education and Leadership. The Petersen House has remained openthroughout the renovations and will continue to welcome visitors. The new Center for Education and Leadershipwill be housed in a building acquired in October 2007 by Ford’s Theatre Society at 514 Tenth Street NW, directlyacross the street from the theatre. Here, students of all ages will be able to explore and celebrate the life and legacyof President Lincoln. Meetings with architects and designers to discuss the plans for the new Center have beeninitiated and construction is expected to begin after completion of the renovations to the theatre and the museum.

Capital Campaign

The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Campaign

is a $50+ million capital campaign that will support the renovation of Ford’s Theatre and its museum as well as the building of the new Center for Education and Leadership, an educationcenter focused on the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. To date, the campaign has raised over $48 million.The Ford’s Theatre renovation and expansion project has been made possible primarily through donations from private sources—individuals, foundations and corporations—as well as $8.9 million in federal funding and a recent$10 million grant from the District of Columbia. As the lead corporate donor, ExxonMobil has awarded thecampaign a $5 million Leadership Circle grant and the State of Qatar has joined them with a $2.5 million gift. Morerecently, the Leadership Circle has expanded to include Ronald O. Perelman, Chairman and CEO of MacAndrews &Forbes Holdings Inc., with a $2.5 million pledge. BP America Inc. has provided a $2 million contribution, as wellas $1 million dollar donations each from AT&T, Foster Wheeler; Sheila C. Johnson, Founder of Salamander Hospitality, LLC; T. Boone Pickens Foundation; The Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation/Wayne and CatherineReynolds, David and Alice Rubenstein, The Paul Singer Family Foundation, Samsung and Toyota.The following corporations, individuals and foundations have also generously provided gifts of $500,000 or greater to this project: The Adelson Family Charitable Foundation, AT&T, American Airlines, BAE Systems, Carl andEdyth Lindner, General Dynamics, The Freed Foundation, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation,O’Melveny & Myers, Raytheon Company, Southern Company and Sunoco, Inc.