Montgomery County Community College’s Drama Club and Theatre Arts program are proud to present ‘The Laramie Project’ by Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project. The play is a drama based on the real-life testimonies and accounts of the community of Laramie, Wyo., in response to the murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998. Show dates are April 3, 4, and 5 at 8 p.m.; April 5 and 6 at 2 p.m.; and a special lunchtime performance Friday, April 4, at 12:30 pm. All performances will be held in the College’s Blackbox Theater, Science Center 107 (lower level) at the College’s Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell, PA.
In October 1998, a 21-year old college student was kidnapped, brutally beaten, and left to die on the prairie outside of Laramie, Wyo. ‘The Laramie Project’ tells the story of this hate-crime, and the affected community, by drawing on published news reports and hundreds of interviews conducted by the Tectonic Theatre Company with inhabitants of the town. This pioneering work of theatrical reportage looks at the murder through the eyes of the world watching the events unfold…and the community struggling with a violence it has to face.
‘It is very clear now more than ever this is a story that needs to be heard. Good can come out of this tragedy, but only if we are willing to listen,’ says director Tim Gallagher. This production contains adult themes and language.
Directed by Gallagher, assisted by Alex Haufler, the cast of ‘The Laramie Project’ includes Brian Shim, Britney Brunswick, Dan Nguyen, Hyresh Corbin, John Lawrence, Julia McIntyre, Kelly Maguire, Khadijah Graves, Lydia Crush, Mackenzie Walters, Matt Nitchke, Phoebe Gavula, Sasha McDermott, Tim Odom and Tyler Sanderson.
The production is stage managed by Steven Buck; Mila Romero Dos Santos serves as production manager. The production is designed, produced and presented by the students of the Drama Club and Theatre Production Workshop, under the guidance of Tim Gallagher and Michael Whistler.
Additionally, on Thursday, March 27, from 12:45 to 2:15 p.m, Montgomery County Community College will feature Judy Shepard, mother of the murdered college student and subject of ‘The Laramie Project,’ in the College’s annual Presidential Symposium on Diversity, in a presentation entitled ‘The Meaning of Matthew.’ This program is free and open to the public, but reservations are required and can be made by calling 215-641-6518.
‘The Laramie Project’ plays Thursday through Saturday, April 3, 4, and 5 at 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6 at 2 p.m.; with a special lunchtime performance Friday, April 4, 12:30 p.m. All performances are in the Blackbox Theater, Science Center 107, at the Montgomery County Community College Central Campus. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors. To purchase tickets, visit mc3.edu/livelyarts or call 215-641-6518.
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