Montana Western and Bank of Commerce Performing Arts Series Present “The Laramie Project”

The University of Montana Western’s Theatre Program and the Bank of Commerce Performing Arts Series are excited to present “The Laramie Project” on Monday, November 3, and Tuesday, November 4, in UMW’s Beier Auditorium.

In October 1998, a twenty-one-year-old student at the University of Wyoming was kidnapped, severely beaten, and left tied to a fence in the middle of the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming. His bloody, battered body was not discovered until the next day, and he died several days later in a nearby hospital. His name was Matthew Shepard, and he was attacked because he was gay.

Playwright Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project made six trips to Laramie over the course of a year and a half in the aftermath of the attack and during the trials of the two young men accused of killing Shepard. They conducted more than 200 interviews with people from the community—some directly connected to the case and others ordinary residents of Laramie. The breadth of these perspectives offers a fascinating and deeply human portrait of a town grappling with tragedy.

From these interviews and their own experiences, Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project created The Laramie Project, a moving theatrical collage that explores both the depths of cruelty and the heights of compassion within humanity.

Directed by Stephen Alan Seder, Beatrice Penn, Adeline Michels, and Kendel Puccinelli, the production is brought to life by students from THTR 276: Play Production, featuring members of the UMW Drama Club alongside students from THTR 120: Introduction to Acting. The show also includes Christina Scruggs, a former cast member of the Virginia City Players and the Brewery Follies, who plays Romaine Patterson and the Narrator. The Laramie Project features more than 40 cast members, including UMW students, faculty, staff, and Dillon community members.

Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, November 3, and Tuesday, November 4, in the Beier Auditorium located in Main Hall.

PG-13 Advisory: This production is recommended for audiences aged 13 and older. It contains mature themes, language, and situations that may be unsuitable for younger viewers. Parental guidance is advised.

To purchase tickets, please visit the BOC Performing Arts Series Box Office webpage: www.umwestern.edu/bank-of-commerce-performing-arts-series/box-office. Admission is $16 for general seating, $12 for seniors (65+), youth (18 & under), and military, $10 for UMW faculty/staff, and free for UMW students with a valid student ID.

For more information, please contact Assistant Professor of Theatre Stephen Seder at stephen.seder@umwestern.edu or 406-683-7038. To learn more about UMW Theatre and upcoming performances, visit www.umwestern.edu/bank-of-commerce-performing-arts-series/.