The new season here at Alberta Theatre Projects has just begun but play development on the plays premiering at the 24^th Annual Enbridge playRites Festival of New Canadian Plays in February has been in full gear since the spring.   Following the Banff Playwrights Colony at The Banff Centre where playwrights and directors met to work on the four plays premiering at the Festival, I had a rare opportunity to explore the source of inspiration for one of those plays while in Washington, DC for a dramaturgy conference.

Quebec playwright Larry Tremblay’s play Abraham Lincoln Goes to the Theatre, receiving its English language premiere here in February in a translation by Chantal Bilodeau, follows a pair of actors and a director as they draw inspiration from the assassination of US President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre for a show they are creating.  A unique puzzle box of a play that investigates the excesses of American living and the shifting nature of our identities in a world that thrives on imitation, the play Abraham Lincoln Goes to the Theatre was inspired by Larry Tremblay’s trip to Washington, DC and what he encountered at the site of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination Ford’s Theatre. 

Places and artifacts often hold great insights into the stories we explore and the hold special significance in the world of Abraham Lincoln Goes to the Theatre so, with camera in hand, I took a tour of one of the most important buildings in American History to bring just a bit of the atmosphere back to the artists creating our production.  Here is a sneak peek just for you.

Ford’s Theatre: One of the most important sites in American History is in between contemporary tourist venues the Hard Rock Café and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in Washington, DC.

Across the street is Patterson House, the boarding house that Lincoln was carried to and where he died on the morning of April 15, 1865.  You can tour the house and see the bed Lincoln died in, pictured here.

Inside the basement of Ford’s Theatre, the museum is dedicated to Lincoln’s life.  But there is a little room under the stairs where visitors encounter the figures and artifacts associated with his assassination.  This statue of assassin John Wilkes Booth stands next to the small derringer pistol used to shoot President Lincoln on April 14, 1865.

Inside the theatre itself, Ranger Powell of the US Parks Service takes the crowd through a step by step description of the assassination.  Underneath the box where Lincoln was shot, he describes the plot of the comedy Lincoln watched that night, Our American Cousin, as being “kind of like the Beverly Hillbillies.”

Finishing the trip with a visit to the Lincoln Memorial was a perfect way to gain some insight into the world that inspired Larry Tremblay’s Abraham Lincoln Goes to the Theatre.

To see how the events and artifacts of Ford’s Theatre inspired one of Canada’s most inventive and entertaining new plays, join us in February as we premiere Abraham Lincoln Goes to the Theatre by Larry Tremblay, translated by Chantal Bilodeau. 

by Vicki Stroich, Artistic Associate - Festival

all photos by Vicki Stroich

As human beings struggle against their own darkness in the 21st century—when there are no gods to blame—how relevant, engaging, or important is tragic drama as a tool for the full exploration of our struggles? Renowned for creating work that braves dark questions and kindles meaningful engagement with audiences, Ms. Murphy’s address is an event not to be missed. Following the keynote address, rendezvous in the lobby and enjoy a complementary cocktail, hors d’oeuvres, and lively discussion.

There are three ways to purchase your tickets:

1. Purchase your ticket(s) in advance by calling 1-888-422-8160 (credit card payment only). Tickets can be picked up at the door.

2. Purchase your tickets online at www.theatrealberta.com (credit card payment only).

3. Purchase your tickets at the door (cash only).

Vicki Stroich - Artistic Associate - Festival Alberta Theatre Projects