WVU Parkersburg Theatre Department production

WVU Parkersburg Theatre Department to present "The Laramie Project" Nov. 30-Dec. 2, 2007.

CONTACT: Andrew Clovis, production director, 304-424-8301.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Said defendants left the victim begging for his life.” So ends the statement made by Judge Barton Voigt at the arraignment of Russell Henderson, one of two young men who were sentenced for the brutal beating and murder of a Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, in 1998.

The Theatre Department at West Virginia University at Parkersburg will present "The Laramie Project," this weekend (Nov. 30-Dec. 2). The non-fictional play explores the beliefs, attitudes, and perspectives of the residents of Laramie, Wyoming in response to Shepard’s murder.

Performances will be at 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday (Nov. 30-Dec. 1) and 2 p.m., Sunday (Dec. 2) in the college theatre.

The production is free. Seating is limited to 155 seats and will be on a first come, first serve basis. The theatre will open one-half hour before curtain time. The play is for mature audiences and runs approximately two-and-a-half hours.

"The Laramie Project" is a critically acclaimed work by Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project and consists of a series of “moments.” It is comprised of interviews with Laramie residents, journal entries by the interviewers, and “found text,” that were a matter of public record.

"The play is one of the richest works of the theatre that I have ever encountered," noted Andrew Clovis, director of the production. "It is a profoundly moving, thought-provoking, and challenging piece that forces you to examine your perceptions; to think about how and what we communicate and believe.”

Over seventy roles are performed in this production by an ensemble cast of WVU Parkersburg college students and community members who play multiple individuals. They include Veronica (Nikki) Fields, David Fosselman, Alaric Hammell, Nicole Knight, Rick Montalbano, Kermit Polan, Tara Polan, Katie Rowley, Delany Shannon, Tyler Simmons, Brenna Smith, Wendy Smith, Calvin Snider, Andrew Strock, Shielia Stacey, and Jim Vaughn.

The production is sponsored in part by the college's Social Justice Committee.

Additional information is available by contacting Clovis at the college.

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For additional information, contact:
Connie Dziagwa
WVU Parkersburg
Executive Director
Institutional Advancement
(304-424-8203, Office)
(304-424-8315, Fax)

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