Channing, Lauper, Etc. Set for Laramie Project Reading

On December 1, 2006--the 30th birthday of the late Matthew Shepard--Moises Kaufman's acclaimed play The Laramie Project will be honored by the Matthew Shepard Foundation. The event will take place at the Town Hall Theater in Times Square, New York City.

The evening will consist of a celebrity play reading of The Laramie Project, directed by  Kaufman and featuring celebrities such as Stockard Channing, Judith Light, Robert Desiderio, Van Hansis of "As The World Turns", and Chad Allen. The evening will also include a special live performance by Cyndi Lauper. Additional names will be announced in the coming weeks.

As the pinnacle of the event, the Matthew Shepard Foundation will present Moises Kaufman and the members of the Tectonic Theater Project with its "Making a Difference" award for the creation and production of this groundbreaking play. Since its opening night almost seven years ago, the play has been produced over 5,000 times by schools, community theaters, faith-based organizations and mainstream theater groups around the world. "This play has become a powerful tool for communities to discuss and explore how hate impacts every part of their society," according to press materials.

"We could not be more thrilled or humbled to receive the Matthew Shepard Foundation 'Making a Difference' award," said Kaufman, "Since its premiere in New York in 2000, producing the Laramie Project has been an extraordinary experience for the Tectonic Theater Project," Kaufman continued.

"The Laramie Project's continued impact through the HBO film and thousands of performances around the world is a legacy that we're very proud of," Kaufman continued, "Being recognized by the Matthew Shepard Foundation and presented this award by Judy Shepard is deeply meaningful and we look forward to the event and special reading in December.

The Laramie Project has received international recognition for its portrayal of how a small town reacted to and dealt with one of the most publicized hate crimes in America. The play recounts the shock and confusion the citizens of Laramie felt after hearing the details of Matthew's assault. There was a strong desire to move forward and a great deal of introspection about what had happened to their idyllic town after this tragedy. At the same time, some residents were angry because they felt they were being misrepresented in the media."

Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard and Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, said: "This extraordinary play captures the stark reality that hate still lives in all our communities. I am continually inspired to see how participating in or even viewing 'The Laramie Project', invokes the kind of emotion and passion it takes to begin the process of erasing hate," concluded Shepard, who will be at the event to present the "Making a Difference" award.

Visit www.matthewshepard.org/TheLaramieProject.

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