NBYT to Perform THE LARAMIE PROJECT

No Boundaries Youth Theater (formerly New Britain Youth Theater) will open its 2018-19 season this month with The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman and the Members of Tectonic Theater Project.

"The Laramie Project is the most serious drama that NBYT will produce to date," says NBYT Executive and Artistic Director Darren Farrington. "It's the story of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard, the two young men who targeted, viciously beat, and left him to die in a field in Laramie, Wyoming in October 1998, and the community that became suddenly synonymous with this hate crime. But it's not a story about Matthew Shepard being gay. It's about whether we let fear, hatred, and anger define us as a community. And it's a story that needs to be told now more than ever."

The play was developed and written by the Tectonic Theater Project, a New York Theater company whose members conducted interviews with more than 200 people of Laramie. The script is a collage of scenes and monologues that explore the aftermath of the attack and the reactions of the Laramie community. "Each of the twelve high school and college-aged actors in the cast plays several roles", says Farrington, "and the script not only tells an important story, but also showcases the actors' talents and commitment." Farrington has co-directed the production with NBYT Teaching Artists Nicki LaPorte. The Community Chest of New Britain and Berlin is sponsor of the production.

The Laramie Project will be performed at Raymond Hill School at the Klingberg Center, located at 370 Linwood Street Street in New Britain. Performances are Friday, October 19 at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, October 20, at 7:00 p.m.; and Sunday, October 21 at 2:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $13 for adults and $11 for children, students, and seniors. Tickets may be reserved by calling New Britain Youth Theater at 860-515-8115 or may be purchased online at www.nbyt.org.