The American Five at Ford's Theatre

The American Five

Ford's Theatre
511 Tenth Street, N.W. Washington

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his inner circle imagined a pluralistic society in which equality and justice is guaranteed for all. In the face of surveillance, intimidation, arrests and life threats, five giants form a powerful coalition to advance civil rights and shape a defining moment in American history. Together, Dr. King, Coretta Scott King, Bayard Rustin, Stanley Levison and Clarence B. Jones plan the March on Washington and craft the speech that would galvanize the nation and inspire generations to advance America's efforts to turn a dream into reality.

Thru - Oct 12, 2025

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Sat, Sep 27: 2:00pm & 7:30pm

Sun, Sep 28: 2:00pm

Tue, Sep 30: 7:00pm

Wed, Oct 1: 7:00pm

Thu, Oct 2: 7:00pm

Fri, Oct 3: 12:00pm & 7:30pm

Sat, Oct 4: 2:00pm & 7:30pm

Sun, Oct 5: 2:00pm

Tue, Oct 7: 7:00pm

Wed, Oct 8: 12:00pm & 7:00pm

Thu, Oct 9: 7:00pm

Fri, Oct 10: 7:30pm

Sat, Oct 11: 2:00pm & 7:30pm

Sun, Oct 12: 2:00pm

Show Type: Drama

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The American Five Reviews

Average Rating based on 2 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended

"...Not often in American theater — or not often enough — does a play come along like Chess Jakobs’ The American Five, now premiering at Ford’s. In dramatizing the making of a momentous mobilization for social justice (the 1963 March on Washington, during which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his historic “I Have a Dream” speech), Jakobs’ powerfully crafted play has the effect of galvanizing in its audience a response that is itself a catalyst for activism for hope and change. In rousing resistance to injustice and inspiring cohesion and connection, the play is a triumph of doing what it’s about."

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- John Stoltenberg

BroadwayWorld - Recommended

"...THE AMERICAN FIVE is an exciting start to a season at Ford’s filled with classics and new, audacious work. Though it doesn’t necessarily add new information to the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., it does ask its audience to consider the many identities of American citizens that saw (and continue to see) resonance in King’s struggle."

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- Jake Bridges

The American Five at Ford's Theatre