The Laramie Project is a play based on a tragic true event and was created by Moisés Kaufman and the New York based Tectonic Theater Project, in response to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man in Laramie, Wyoming.
Kaufman and the other company members visited Laramie on six occasions in an attempt to understand what happened, and why. They were also interested in the possibility that theatre, more than any other medium, would allow people to engage with and reflect on the issues brought to public attention by Matthew’s murder, such as homophobia, hatred, intolerance and fear.
Three River Theatre (3RT) – utilising an entirely Launceston based cast, production team will be performing six public shows of ‘The Laramie Project’ at The Earl Arts Centre from Tuesday 20th August to Saturday 24th August 2024.
The production seeks to target, through the power of structured narrative live theatre—in an inclusionary and safe space—the broader themes of tolerance and inclusivity to all who live and dwell in Launceston and surrounds.
The project seeks to educate, entertain and inform those who regularly attend theatre and creative arts productions, those who may only attend a performance once a year—and in one sense, more specifically and purposefully, those who might not have ever attended a live performance before.
