BDTStage Announces Staged Reading of THE LARAMIE PROJECT

BDT Stage will be observing the 20 year anniversary of the savage murder of Matthew Shepard with a staged reading of THE LARAMIE PROJECT. With help from the immense talents of John Ashton, Sam Gregory, Wayne Kennedy, Michael J. Duran, Greg Moody, Chris Parente, Sue Leiser, Alicia King Meyers, Nick Sugar, Tim Howard, Eden Lane (and more TBA) local actors are using the platform they know best to acknowledge and encourage the work being done to eradicate hate. According to BDT Stage producing artistic director Michael J. Duran, "BDT Stage stands firm in the belief theatre and the arts have a responsibility to foster inclusion and compassion by inviting audiences to experience life from another's perspective." The performance is October 8, 2018, doors open at 6:15 pm. This is a one night only special event with limited seating. $5 general admission tickets can be purchased online at bdtstage.com, via phone at (303) 449-6000, or in person at 5501 Arapahoe Avenue, in Boulder. Donations are being collected for Matthew Shepard Foundation, Out Boulder County, and Denver Actors Fund to further the mission of the performance.

In October 1998, 21 year-old University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, severely beaten, and left tied to a fence in the middle of the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming. His bloody, bruised, and battered body was not discovered until the next day, and he died several days later in an area hospital, the victim of this assault because he was gay. Moise?s Kaufman and fellow 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 beating and during the trial of the two young men accused of killing Shepard. They conducted more than 200 interviews with the people of the town. Some people interviewed were directly connected to the case, while others were citizens of Laramie, and the breadth of the reactions to the crime was fascinating. Kaufman and Tectonic Theater members have constructed a deeply moving theatrical experience from these interviews and their own experiences in Laramie. BDT Stage is presenting a staged reading, meaning actors will be reading scripts on stage with basic blocking, props and set.

BDT Stage is partnering with three non-profit organizations working around the clock to foster inclusion, education, and support from within the Front Range community. Though BDT Stage will have cash/check donation baskets in the lobby, everyone is encouraged to learn more about each organization and donate directly on their websites.

Matthew Shepard Foundation empowers individuals to embrace human dignity and diversity through outreach, advocacy and resource programs. Striving to replace hate with understanding, compassion, and acceptance, Matthew Shepard Foundation shares Matt's story and embodies his vigor for civil rights to change the hearts and minds of others to accept everyone as they are. Visit www.matthewshepard.org to erase hate.

Since 1994 Out Boulder County has educated, advocated and provided services, programs and support to Boulder County's Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) communities. Out Boulder County offers 360 degrees of support to Boulder's LBGTQ+ community and allies, but one of the areas they are working to improve for everyone is the reporting and prosecution of hate crimes and providing ongoing support services to victims. Visit www.outboulder.org to fund inclusion in our own backyard.

Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate relief when members of the Denver theater community find themselves in situational medical need. The Denver Actors Fund offers both financial and volunteer assistance. To date, The Fund has distributed about $62,000 to help recipients with medical bills, insurance, co-payments, supplies and more. Action Teams, an army of more than 60 volunteers, run errands, provide rides, meals, child care, construction, pet-sitting, personal company and more. Volunteers have donated more than 400 hours of service since 2013. Visit www.denveractorsfund.org to help fix some broken legs.

BDT Stage presents four Broadway-quality musicals each season, and has been recognized locally and nationally for commitment to theatrical excellence. Boulder's Daily Camera praises BDT's "consistency in technical achievement, performance and overall production level as it sets a high standard for theatrical professionalism." BDT Stage presents its 41st season beginning Fall 2018 with I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, followed by A Christmas Story: The Musical, a return of the popular shows Disenchanted and Motones vs Jerseys in the spring, and Disney's Beauty and the Beast rounding out the season. Tickets to all performances are on sale now at www.bdtstage.com.