Actors Bridge Stages 'The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later (An Epilogue)' on 10/12

Nashville's Actors Bridge Ensemble is one of more than 100 theatre companies throughout the United States who will present The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later (An Epilogue) on Monday, October 12.

One of the most performed plays in America since its debut in 2000, The Laramie Project is updated by its creators for a compelling and groundbreaking epilogue to the original piece. The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later will be performed at Nashville's W.O. Smith School of Music and at Lincoln Center's AlIce Tully Hall in New York City, as well at more than 100 locations around the country, on October 12. Writers of the play are Moises Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti, Andy Paris and Stephen Belber of the Tectonic Theater Project.

The Nashville performance at W.O. Smith School of Music, on the corner of Eighth Avenue South and Edgehill, will have its curtain at 7 p.m., and admission is free with reservation. To make reservations, email Actors Bridge at info@actorsbridge.org.

"The Laramie Project is a play with tremendous historical and cultural impact," said Vali Forrister, producing artistic director of Actors Bridge Ensemble.

"Actors Bridge was pleased to be the first theater company to bring this important work to Nashville back in 2002. And now, to be part of this nationwide unveiling of its epilogue is an honor, but also a reminder to ourselves, our audience and our community that Matthew Shepard's story still reverberates. Unfortunately, many of the issues the murder brought up are unresolved both at a local and national level."

The epilogue focuses on the long term effect of the murder of Matthew Shepard on the town of Laramie. It explores how the town has changed and how the murder continues to reverberate in the community. The play also includes new interviews with Matthew's mother Judy Shepard and Mathew's murderer Aaron McKinney, who's serving dual life sentences, as well as follow-up interviews with many of the individuals from the original piece.

Matthew Shepard was beaten and left to die on October 6, 1998, tied to a fence in the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. He died six days later. His murder became a watershed historical moment in America that highlighted the violence and prejudice lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people face.

A month after the murder, the members of Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Laramie and conducted interviews with the people of the town. From these interviews they wrote the play The Laramie Project, which they later made into a film for HBO. The piece has been seen by more than 50 million people around the country.

In tandem with the premiere, an online interactive community will be launched where participants can blog, upload video and photos and share their stories about the play, experiences in preparing and presenting the Epilogue in their communities. The members of Tectonic Theater Project will be active participants in the online community, offering participants feedback and encouragement.

For more information about Tectonic Theater Project, visit their website at www.tectonictheaterproject.org. For more about Actors Bridge Ensemble, visit their website at www.actorsbridge.org.

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