A remarkable restoration, a tragic figure, a lesson for all time

By Tim Hartman*

During the ‘90s I performed in a “Musical Christmas Carol” at the Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC. Though it was hard to be away from home during the holidays, the job itself was thrilling and afforded so many benefits outside of the obvious monetary considerations. I was able to spend a lot of time at the museums and memorials.

I am a bit of a political junky, and daily I would see or bump into some political figure. I literally tripped over Art Buchwald one day on Pennsylvania Ave. He was this cynical, old political commentator I had been watching on Sunday news shows my entire life. He had a kind of lateral lisp, and when I bumped into him he said, ”Excuthe me, thir” in that voice I had heard so many times on television. I giggled like a little girl.

A sense of history

But the best part of working at the Ford’s was the sense of history. Every day, walking into that building, you couldn’t help but think about what happened here and how it forced our country down a different path. The museum in the basement is fantastic! There are so many artifacts from the assassination. So many bits and bobs of historical evidence, laid out to give the visitor a complete picture of those chaotic, terrible days. 

But there is a disappointing aspect to the theater itself. It’s a fact that surprises a lot of folks. There is very little in the theater that is original to that time. After Lincoln’s death, the owner tried to make a go of it and keep the theater open, but folks were in no mood to see a show at a place where their beloved President had met his end. After the assassination, the theater was shuttered for decades. It was like the country was mad at the building for having a part in Lincoln’s murder.

It didn’t just fall into disrepair. It disintegrated. It collapsed. The only thing that was salvageable was the outside shell. When they decided to restore the theater, they had to start from the ground up. They used period photographs to recreate every detail. Balcony, chairs, woodwork, and molding were all remade from scratch. It’s pretty astounding how detailed the restoration is.

Misled by resentments

The only two items that remain from that time are a portrait of George Washington hanging on the front of the box where Lincoln sat and the back door of the theater out of which John Wilkes Booth escaped.

At the end of each performance of “Carol,” I used to stand by that door, my hands running over the old pitted bricks that arched around the thick wooden frame. John Wilkes Booth knew this door very well. He had acted in this theater. Maybe he ran his hands over the same bricks waiting for an entrance. He used the door as an actor and was careful to make use of it for his eventual final night on that stage. He believed he would be a hero. He thought his actions that night would lead to a rebirth of southern power. He believed he would escape through that door and the world would change forever with him as the protagonist of the story. 

Has there ever been a man so misled by his own resentments? An enormous ego and violent passions combined to kill any hope of reigniting the South. He could never have imagined his actions would destroy his dream instead. 

A deadly motivator

Self-righteousness is a powerful, deadly motivator. We can so easily judge Booth because his actions broke the heart of a nation, but the same attitudes of self-interest and resentment can easily poison our judgment as well. Evidence can be seen in countless failed marriages and scarred, hurting children.

Is it any wonder that Jesus was so concerned about the motivations of our actions? Guard my heart, Lord. Help me to keep my motivations pure in your eyes.

*Our guest columnist today is Tim Hartman, a native Pittsburgher and graduate of Milligan College, who has been professionally acting, singing, writing, cartooning, and storytelling all over the country since 1972. Though known primarily for his work on the stage, including appearances on Broadway in "A Tale of Two Cities" and the Tony-nominated "Finian's Rainbow,” Tim’s greatest joy is performing his own brand of freewheeling, stand-up comedy as well as storytelling for children and family audiences. Tim is also an award-winning political cartoonist, and pastor of worship at Emmanuel Christian Church in Pittsburgh, Pa. Learn more about him at timhartman.com

Pictures of Ford’s Theater courtesy of WikiMedia Commons

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