By Daily Press staff
A play chronicling the aftermath of Matthew Shepard’s murder comes to Santa Monica College in December.
The SMC Theatre Arts Department is presenting “The Laramie Project,” a work that chronicles and examines the aftermath of the tragic and brutal murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard outside Laramie, Wyo.
The theatrical piece by Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project, will be presented Friday through Sunday, Dec. 2 to 11. Friday and Saturday shows are at 7 p.m. and Sunday performances at 1 p.m. An additional matinee at 1 p.m. will be on Saturday, Dec. 10. Matthew Shepard Day is Dec. 1.
The play will be presented at the Hangar Stage, located at SMC’s Airport Campus, 2800 Airport Ave., Santa Monica. Parking is free.
“The Laramie Project” chronicles life in Laramie in the year following the Oct. 7, 1998 Shepard murder, using actors each playing several roles to embody more than 60 different people, from rural ranchers to university professors.
The piece is based on interviews with townspeople by Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project, who made six trips to Laramie over the course of a year and a half, conducting more than 200 interviews. The result is a portrayal that dispels the simplistic media stereotypes and explores the depths of humanity and the heights of compassion. “The Laramie Project” also was made into an HBO film.
Tickets are $11 and $8 for students and senior citizens. Call (310) 434-4393.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 24, 2005. Read the original PDF.