We are told that manila bay is open. We are to take the rest of our cargo to manila where the railroad bat conference have set up shop to put them together. So we sail around the south china sea. There is so the rock. A proud and sorrowful memory. Of American History tv visited fords theatre in washington, d c where Abraham Lincoln was mortally wounded as he sat to in the president ial lose with his wife mary watching the comedy the american cousin. Commissioned it to mark the anniversary of lincolns assassination, this is about 30 minutes. Were at fords theater with james still and mary bacon. I want to ask both of you what it is like i will start with you, mary bacon, because i think this is a new experience for you, what it is like to produce a lincolncentered play in fords theater. With that flagdraped box right by you. What is that experience like . It is definitely, what is the word very aware of it. I am very aware of it. The first time i stepped into the theater, i was like, wh
History book shelf with the bestknown history writers. The president s, looking at the policies of the commanders in chief. Top College Professor delving into the past. And real america featuring are keisel government and films from the 1930s through the 1970. Cspan tv funded by your local cable or satellite provider. American history tv visited fords theater in washington, d. C. Where on the night of april 14th, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was mortally wounded as he sat in the president ial box with his wife watching a popular comedy. He died the next morning. We sat down with james still and mary bacon to talk about fords production of the widow lincoln, commissioned to mark president lincolns assassination about 150 years ago. This is about 30 mens. We are at fords theater with james still and mary bacon about the play, the widow lincoln. I want to start with you mary. What is it like to produce alingcentered play in ford theater with that flagdraped box . What is that experience like . W
The president ial box, watching the popular comedy our american cousin. He died the next morning. We sat down with playwright james still and actor mary bacon to talk about the production of the widow lincoln. This is about 30 minutes. Were at ford theater with james still and actor mary bacon about the play the widow lincoln. Before we get started about the particulars of the play i wanted to ask both of you, what it is like and i want to start with you, mary because i think this is a new experience for you. James still has been here before, but what its like to produce a lincoln centered play in ford theater with that flag draped box right in the room with you . Whats that experience like . Well its definitely whats the word . Very aware of it. Im very aware of it. The first time i stepped into theater i was like whoa. And i thought why this a picture of the president there . Because i dont know a lot of the specific history of the theater. I dont i just since my research into the ro
Morning across the street and we know that the country went into mourning. But in that earlier play in my research in that time i had really become attached. And that president lincoln himself would not really be a character. Although, of course, he looms large in the play. Playwright do it, tell us what the play is all about. So people understand what were talking about. What is the play about . The play is about the period of time that mary lincoln spent in the white house right after he was shot. Because she holed herself up in a room that she had not spent barely any time in for close to six weeks, 40 days, and did not leave. Even though johnson was waiting to move in with his family and start running the country from the white house. And thats how she dealt with it. How she dealt with her grief. And thats what its about. And everything thats happening in the country while shes there, and its i guess its about a womans insistence on mourning in her own way. Did the fords people imm
I am very aware of it. Im very aware of it. The first time i stepped into the theater i was like whoa. Why is there a picture of president washington up there . I dont know a lot of the specific history of the theater. I dont know just since my you know research to do the role. But also, i have to say for me, i have thought a lot about how we turn a place into a shrine because we know what happened there. There are a lot of places where we dont know what happened there, so it is a mixed thing. James has a line in the play, and a lot of lines from his play come to me. Where he says, you know, god gives us our beloved ones. We make them our idols and then they are taken from us. And i think about that when i look at the box. I think about making him we made him an idol, and of course you know, its a great idol. Its just that we have participated in that veneration. If that makes any sense. James youve had youve worked with the theater for awhile now. Youre accustomed to it to some degree