Linfield College will present “The Laramie Project,” a play written by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project and directed by Jacob Coleman, on Wednesday, March 22, at 7 p.m. in the Richard and Lucille Ice Auditorium in Melrose Hall at Linfield.
The play depicts a community’s reaction to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyo., a brutal killing that became a rallying cry to combat hate homophobia and hate crimes. The play is based on more than 200 interviews gathered by Kaufman and members of the New York-based Tectonic Theater Project. The Laramie Project re-enacts the chronology of Shepard’s visit to a local bar, his kidnapping and beating, the discovery of him tied to a fence, the vigil at the hospital, his death and funeral, and the trial of his killers. It mixes real news reports with actors portraying friends, family, police, killers and other Laramie residents.
The play is free, open to the public and sponsored by the Gender Studies Program. For more information, contact Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt at 503-883-2485 or rdutt-b@linfield.edu.
