The president has been shot! The assassination of Abraham Lincoln April 2, 1865, put Ford's Theater and the play being performed that night in the history books. The comedy, Our American Cousin, has been restored for a modern audience and was presented on the Hoban stage April 4, 5 and 6 for about 400 guests.

Junior Dan Wilson was impressed with the performance.

"I loved it," he said. "Everyone played his or her part well. It was funny."

The curtain rose on a derelict Ford's Theater in 1890. The noise of the audience disturbed the night watchman (junior Rashaud Hannah), who began to tell of the theater's glory in the old days. As he spoke, the stage became the prosperous Ford's Theater of 1865. An actors' troupe appeared on-stage to rehearse Act I of Our American Cousin, the show being performed that night. Act II consisted of the original production performed for the president and 1865 audience.

Hannah liked the historical aspect of the play.

"The history adds a lot to it," he said. "I learned a lot just working on my lines."

The original Our American Cousin involves an aristocratic English family that invites their bumpkin American cousin (junior Derek Allen) to visit. Through his American ingenuity, he saves the English family from financial ruin. The students portraying the members of the troupe did extra work, putting on the show-within-the-show.

Sophomore Jessica Jansen portrayed troupe leader Laura Keene, and also leading lady Florence Trenchard. She noted the difficulty.

"It was confusing sometimes," Jansen said. "You got on-stage and asked, ÔWho am I?'"

The Thespian Society has been working since September on improvements backstage and recently used profits from the murder mystery to buy new gobos, or special plates used to create distinct lighting effects.

"The lighting effects were phenomenal," director Jason Anderson said. "They really added a lot to the production."

Senior C.J. Clem, who played the scheming Mr. Coyle, enjoyed being in his first show.

"Doing the show was like eating a five-course gourmet meal," he said. "It just kept getting better!"

Anderson was pleased with the show.

"Everyone who was involvedÑwhether in set construction, lighting design, makeup or performingÑdid a great job," he said.

When the president was shot in 1865, the actors never finished the play. For three nights, however, the show went on as a reminder of endurance in times of trouble. n