Lincoln and the Emancipation at Ford’s Theatre

Last night, I saw the much anticipated The Heavens are Hung in Black, at the recently reopened and beautifully renovated Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. 

The historically accurate three-act drama, written by James Still, and staring David Selby as Lincoln, offers a rarely seen glimpse into what it must have been like as President Abraham Lincoln struggled to keep the country together, while attempting to come to grips with the issue of slavery and emancipation.

Taking place mostly in Lincoln’s White House office, overlooking Union troops encamped around Washington City, we hear regular explosions echoing from rebel cannons located across the Potomac.  Under threat of invasion, Lincoln faces the day-to-day quandary of trying to appease abolitionists, while not destroying the Southern way of life and their slave cotton economy.

He knows he cannot compromise on the slave issue, but is unsure of how to rally the Union behind emancipation, especially in the light of numerous recent Union losses.

Does he change the purpose of the war from being fought for state’s rights, into a battle for human rights? Did the framers of the Constitution, truly mean all men are created equal, or only British subjects living in the then colonies?

And what to do with slaves once freed? In the case of Dred Scott, the Supreme Court ruled that any person of African ancestry, was not a citizen of the United States. So might colonization be a viable option? And if the salve was freed, does freedom mean equality? 

While contemplating emancipation over a period of months, the president angrily discusses General McClellan’s inability to launch an attack against Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, with his Secretary of State William Seward and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton; yet a moment later he’s playing with his poorly behaving son.

A couple of times, we enter Lincoln’s surrealistic dreams as he has conversations with historical figures, such as abolitionist John Brown, Dred Scott, Uncle Tom, and Jefferson Davis as well as dreams the horrors of battle faced by soldiers.

Selby effectively portrays Lincoln as a man who’s conscious is guilt ridden due to the massive amounts of dead and wounded on both sides. So guilty, he cannot bear to add to the death tally by allowing Union deserters or captured Confederate soldiers and spies to be executed, and signs scores of pardons.

The playwright portrayed Lincoln in a human, sensitive and at times frail way, yet with strength and backbone to carry on.  The human side of the Lincoln character is allowed to tell humorous stories, the occasional joke, and get joy from playing with his son, while trying to cope with a dissolving Union, morning the loss of a son, while simultaneously watching his wife fight series bout of depression.

While this close to three-hour play may be too slow, long and drawn out at times for some theatergoers, as a fan of Civil War history and Abe Lincoln, I found Selby’s portrayal of Lincoln to be riveting and believable. Keeping the story historically accurate, allows for weaving in of exact quotes by Lincoln and provokes contemplation as he struggles with preserving the union.

The story managed to keep a group of a hundred schoolchildren from fidgeting in their seats, and at the conclusion, the crowd gave Selby a standing ovation. 

I would love to see a sequel to this story, set in the same venue, telling the story of the last months of the Civil War concluding with the assassination of Lincoln. It is yet another story of Lincoln that needs to be told.

The Heavens are Hung in Black
Ford’s Theatre
511 Tenth Street, NW, between E and F Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20004 (map it)

Dates and Times – Through March 8, 2009, most performances at 7:30 p.m. (except Mondays) with some matinees on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Tickets – $20.00 – $52.00 and are available online

Nearest Metro subway station –  Metro Center – Red, Blue and Orange lines, Gallery Place – Red, Green and Yellow lines and the Archives/Navy Memorial – Yellow and Green lines are all a short walk.

Parking -  Available on the street and in area garages.