Theatre Wed Sep 23 2009

An Epilogue to The Laramie Project

In October, About Face Theatre will take on a one-night-only production of historic proportions. Just one month after the 1998 death of Matthew Shepherd, playwright Moises Kaufman and Tectonic Theater traveled to Laramie, Wyo. and created the Laramie Project based on what they learned, a play that was both a tribute and an artistic and political response to the tragedy. (Since 2000, more than 50 million people have seen the play, which was also made into an HBO film.)

A decade after the murder, Tectonic's artists returned to Wyoming and interviewed dozens of residents about the long-term impact of the killing. The result is The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later. According to the press release "it explores how the town has changed and how the murder continues to reverberate in the community. The play... includes new interviews with Matthew's mother Judy Shepard and Matthew's murderer Aaron McKinney, who's serving two consecutive life sentences. The writers also conducted many follow-up interviews Laramie residents from the original piece. "
(More in the New York Times.)

About Face will represent Chicago by performing a reading at The Goodman, simultaneously with Tectonic at Lincoln Center in New York, and more than 100 other theaters across the country. Mayor Daley acts as honorary chair of the event, and proceeds benefit About Face Theatre.

Performance details:

About Face Theatre presents
A one-night only world premiere reading
October 12, 2009
Reading begins promptly at 6:45pm Central time
VIP reception begins at 5:30pm
Owen Theater at the Goodman
170 North Dearborn Street
For ticket information, visit www.aboutfacetheatre.com or call (773)784-8565.

— Lindsay Muscato / Comments (0)