Provincetown Theater's LARAMIE PROJECT Talks 'Safe Spaces' with Sen Julian Cyr, Top Chef's Tiffani Faison, and More

In conjunction with the 20th anniversary production of The Laramie Project at the Provincetown Theater (running now thru Oct 28th at 238 Bradford St. in Provincetown, MA), our free series of "Community Conversations" continues on Sunday, Oct 21st at 4:30pm, immediately following the 2pm matinee. As the series pertains to socially relevant themes which course through the veins of this modern American classic - revealing a community's response to the brutal murder of the openly gay college student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998 -- the "Community Conversations" topic on Oct 21st will focus on creating and maintaining "Safe Spaces" for LGBTQ people.

PANELISTS:

Our roster of distinguished panelists include:

• MA State Senator, Julian Cyr

• State Rep Sarah Peake

• Tiffani Faison, Celebrity Chef

• Students from the LGBTQ summer retreat program Camp Lightbulb

• Reuben Reynolds, director of the Boston Gay Men's Chorus

• Kate Wilkinson, Sr. Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Provincetown, MA.

The panel will be moderated by Joe Paprzycki, playwright and board member of the Tennessee Williams Theater Festival.

As one of the most searing questions The Laramie Project asks is, "How could this heinous act happen here?" As the play unfolds, what emerges is a lingering silent acceptance of homophobia that created an environment for such a heinous act to transpire.

In a town with a large LGBTQ population, Provincetown feels like a safe haven, but it could also become a target for violence. Indeed, a rash of anti-gay graffiti on cars and property of LGBTQ people last year in Provincetown raised some to question, "When do acts of property destruction lead to violence?"

The Laramie Project, directed by one of its creators Leigh Fondakowski, performs Thursdays thru Saturdays at 7pm, Sundays at 2pm till October 28, 2018 at the Provincetown Theater. Tickets can be obtained online at provincetowntheater.org.

The final "Community Conversations" during The Laramie Project will take place at 4:30pm on Oct 28th, immediately following the Sunday matinee -- onstage at the Provincetown Theater, 238 Bradford Street, Provincetown, MA 02657. The topic will be "Law Enforcement and Hate Crimes." A list of panelists is still in formation. Stay tuned for daily updates by following our us on Instagram and Facebook.

The "Community Conversations" series is presented in cooperation with Provincetown International Film Festival, Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, and the Matthew Shepard Foundation. They are open to the public, free of charge.

With a history inspired by the original Provincetown Players of 1916, the Provincetown Theater is owned and managed by the Provincetown Theater Foundation (PTF). The Provincetown Theater is a 501c3 not-for-profit performing arts institution, producing year-round live entertainment on the tip of Cape Cod at the Birthplace of American Theater. Sponsorship for the 2018 season is due, in large part, to generous support from Cape Air, WOMR, 102.3 Dunes FM, Hook, Strangers & Saints, Victor's, East End Market, Scott Allegretti, DDS, the Provincetown Tourism Fund, the Schoolman Trust, the Palette Fund, and in partnership with Provincetown Magazine.