Photo by L-squared.

Tonight, the historic Ford’s Theatre was scheduled to host the opening night performance of The Laramie Project—the but due to the federal government shutdown, the production was forced to find a new location.

According to a press release, although past government shutdowns have not affected the theatre, because the “Ford’s Theatre Society is a private non-profit 501(c)(3) organization,” this time, it will be forced to cancel performances of The Laramie Project—the hit play that explores the life and death of Matthew Shepherd—and upcoming Lincoln Legacy Project events because it operates within the Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site, which is managed by the National Park Service—one of the many agencies affected by the government shutdown.

Because of that, they won’t be able to host the performances as planned. However, Ford’s Theatre says that they’ll be continuing their daily walking tour, Investigation: Detective McDevitt, and will stay open during normal business hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for visitors. It’s all a bit confusing, but because the Center for Education Leadership in Ford’s Theatre is actually owned and operated by the society, it’ll be able to stay open to host tours and visitors. According to the release, “the Center includes two floors of permanent exhibits about Lincoln’s assassination and legacy. It also includes one floor of temporary exhibits, currently showing Not Alone: The Power of Response, which features a selection of letters sent to Matthew Shepard’s family in order to explore the themes of empathy, community response and personal responsibility.”

Tonight’s performance of The Laramie Project will now take place at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre, with room only for the press. But the status of future performances is unknown: “As the shutdown progresses, we will be in touch with patrons regarding the status of future performances.”