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Bismarck State College Theatre presents 'The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later'

Presented by Bismarck State College at Bismarck State College's Sidney J. Lee Auditorium

October 12, 2009

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Bismarck State College Theatre, in collaboration with Gay Straight Alliance and Dakota Outright, premieres The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later with more than 120 presenters worldwide and linked to an Internet audience. BSC joins the event at 7 p.m. Oct. 12 in tandem with New York City's Lincoln Center and theaters in 50 states, Canada, Spain, Great Britain, Hong Kong and Australia. The staged script reading is the epilogue to The Laramie Project, the 1999 groundbreaking play about the beating murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming man. Created by New York's Tectonic Theater Project, the original play sparked national discussion on what was deemed a hate crime against homosexuals.

In 2001, BSC was among the first colleges nationwide to perform The Laramie Project and the production received several regional awards. Since then, it has become one of the most performed plays in America. For the epilogue, Tectonic Theater members returned to Laramie in June 2008 to explore the long-term effects on a town hurled into the spotlight by a brutal crime. They did new interviews with Matthew's mother, Judy Shepard, and his killer Aaron McKinney, who is serving two life sentences. Writers also conducted follow-up interviews with Laramie residents in the first play. That process raised questions about how to measure change in a community and how people construct their history.

BSC Theatre Director Dan Rogers said local production plans were developed in conference calls with the Tectonic playwrights, whose script is still in process. "I am awed by their audacity and courage to trust us all with an unpublished script and to be part of creating it," Rogers said. "This has never been done before." Eight of BSC's original cast members are returning for the staged reading in Sidney J. Lee Auditorium. Reprising their roles are Phaidra Yunker, Tony Reinfeld, Crystal Hust, Stephanie Storhaug, Mike Jacobson, Brian Grey, Travis Sorch and Erin Entzminger. Current students are Monte Arso, Derek Harper and Gentry Lee. The Oct. 12 event begins with a live satellite Web cast from Lincoln Center and introduction by Mois's Kaufman, Tectonic Theater Project artistic director. Then, the Tectonic players in Lincoln Center and theater partners and affiliates worldwide stage their readings. Afterwards, the live feed hooks up again so viewers can participate in a nationwide discussion with members of Tectonic Theater Project and main character actors in the "The Laramie Project" movie version. During the premiere, an online interactive community will launch for viewers and participants to blog, upload video and photos and share their stories about the play and preparing it for their communities.

The BSC staged reading is free but a ticket is required due to limited seating. Tickets will be available at the Schafer Hall box office from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays Oct. 5-12 or call 224-5511 to reserve with pickup by 6:30 p.m. Oct. 12. For more information, visit www.laramieproject.org.