It’s no slight understatement to observe that the whole of Illinois left no stone—or stovepipe hat—unturned to celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of the 16th President of the United States. Naturally, a great many Illinoisan academics and leaders came together under the interdisciplinary Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, including Ravinia’s team. Then president and CEO of the festival, Welz Kauffman brought a clear vision: “Lincoln is a figure of change. To celebrate Lincoln in a year that brought America its first Black president is more than serendipity; it’s reinforcement of the belief that our celebration should look toward the future. That means new work.”