2 0 1 7IMPACT

THEATR

ETheatre at Ford’s Theatre Society Preserving Lincoln’s legacy through one of the president’s favorite pastimes.The 2016-17 theatre season was a landmark year by every measure. The fall engagement of Come From Away was extended due to popular demand. Our annual production of A Christmas Carol enjoyed its highest attendance to date. Our production of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was designated as a Helen Hayes Recommended-Production by theatreWashington. Lastly, Ragtime, our spring musical, was one of the highest grossing productions in the history of Ford’s Theatre.

Come From AwayBook, Music and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein; Directed by Christopher Ashley September 2-October 16, 2016

Season Sponsors: The Home Depot and Chevron

A Christmas CarolBy Charles Dickens; Adapted by Michael Wilson; Directed by Michael BaronNovember 17-December 31, 2016

Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?By Edward Albee; Directed by Aaron PosnerJanuary 21-February 19, 2017

RagtimeBook by Terrence McNally; Music by Stephen Flaherty; Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens; Based on the Novel Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow; Music Direction by Christopher Youstra; Choreographed by Michael Bobbitt; Directed by Peter FlynnMarch 10-May 20, 2017

Craig Wallace and Barbara Pinolini in the 2016 production of A Christmas Carol.

Phot

o by

Sco

tt S

uchm

an.

The cast of Come From Away.

Phot

o by

Car

ol R

oseg

g.

Holly Twyford, Danny Gavigan, Maggie Wilder and Gregory Linington in Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

Phot

o by

Scot

t Suc

hman

.

The cast of Ragtime.

Phot

o by

Car

ol R

oseg

g.

The best musical I’ve seen all year and possibly ever. -Broadway World

One of Ford’s Theatre’s finest hours! -The Washington Post

This is the show we need right now. -Broadway World

2 0 1 7IMPACT

THEATR

E The Ford’s Theatre 2016-17 theatre season was the inaugural year of the Free First Preview, an initiative to promote theatre experiences for first-time audiences by removing cost barriers. For each production during the season, Ford’s offered a preview performance free to the public. Tickets were distributed via lottery through TodayTix, a mobile ticketing app. The initiative was a tremendous success; approximately 80% of Free First Preview ticketholders were first-time patrons to Ford’s Theatre.

Increasing Access

New in 2017, Ford’s Theatre hosted two “Instameets” with members of IGDC, a collection of some of D.C.’s best Instagram photographers. The events provided the group with VIP access to Ford’s Theatre productions to share with their followers.

During select performances of Ragtime, Ford’s Theatre launched a limited rollout of Snapchat banners to help reach younger audiences. Initial results were promising, with each banner share generating 41 additional impressions.

Ford’s Theatre hosted a variety of post-show events to deepen engagement with our audiences and community. These events include “meet and greets” with members of the cast and crew, panel discussions on relevant societal issues and events for young professionals. In addition to spurring important conversations around the theatre productions, these events provided an outlet to strengthen our relationships with current patrons and cultivate the next generation of Ford’s Theatre stakeholders.

Community Engagement

Last season, more than 113,000 patrons saw a production at historic Ford’s Theatre.

The cast of Ragtime.

Phot

o by

Car

ol R

oseg

g.Ph

oto

by N

icol

e G

lass

.

Ford’s productions contribute to the local economy: over the last four years, 93 percent of our actors were local to the D.C. area.

93%

113,000+