Palo Alto Players Presents THE LARAMIE PROJECT

Palo Alto Players continues its 2017-18 Season with THE LARAMIE PROJECT, the powerful drama originally developed by Moisés Kaufman and members of Tectonic Theater Project in the aftermath of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay student at the University of Wyoming. The play chronicles the reactions of the town of Laramie, Wyoming in the year after the murder, bringing to life the real people who lived at the epicenter of one of the nation's most heart-wrenching anti-gay hate crimes. THE LARAMIE PROJECT is directed by Lee Ann Payne and features a cast of eight local Bay Area actors, portraying more than sixty characters on stage. THE LARAMIE PROJECT runs January 19 - February 4 at the Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. For information or tickets, visit paplayers.org or call 650.329.0891.

When Matthew Shepard, a 21-year old gay student at the University of Wyoming, was brutally murdered in 1998, the residents of Laramie, Wyoming reacted to the anti-gay hate crime and surrounding media storm with anger, bewilderment, and sorrow. Their reactions were recorded by Moisés Kaufman and members of Tectonic Theater Project, who made six trips to Laramie in the year following the crime, and performed more than 200 documented interviews with the town's residents. The transcripts from the interviews, along with court records and personal journals, were masterfully spun into a piece of theatre as relevant today as it was twenty years ago. THE LARAMIE PROJECT portrays the seismic and deeply personal impact Matthew's death had on the small town of Laramie, Wyoming, while also demonstrating the power of the human spirit to triumph over bigotry and violence.

"At Palo Alto Players we like to entertain and inspire, but I believe it's equally important to present deeply moving theatrical pieces like THE LARAMIE PROJECT to show the profound impact a drama can have, especially when dealing with a heartbreaking true story such as this," says Artistic Director Patrick Klein. "Matthew's death deeply shook his community in Laramie, and started a monumental movement towards enlightenment and justice. By producing this play, I see it as our opportunity to relight a candle of remembrance, to state emphatically that we believe that hate is not an American value."

Lee Ann Payne makes her directorial debut at Palo Alto Players with THE LARAMIE PROJECT. Payne is a Bay Area actor, director, and choreographer who previously worked with Palo Alto Players as choreographer for last season's production of A DAY IN HOLLYWOOD / A NIGHT IN THE UKRAINE.

"THE LARAMIE PROJECT holds so much meaning to so many people, which is what initially drew me to this emotional story, that is still relevant today," says Payne. "As director, I also have the unique opportunity to work with actors challenged to create real people on stage, not just characters. Each one of the subjects gave their permission to be recreated on stage. That is a tremendous responsibility for me and for each actor, to portray each individual of Laramie, Wyoming with truth and care."

Payne directs a cast of 8 local Bay Area actors. The THE LARAMIE PROJECT cast features (in alphabetical order): Jeff Clarke, Josiah Frampton, Kelly Hudson, Judith Miller, Dana Cordelia Morgan, Roneet Aliza Rahamim, Brad Satterwhite, and Todd Wright.

The creative team also includes scenic design by Nikolaj Sorensen, lighting design by Patrick Mahoney, costume design by Melissa Sanchez, sound design by Jeff Grafton, and stage management by Rivka Kelly.

Tickets for THE LARAMIE PROJECT can be purchased online at paplayers.org, by phone at 650.329.0891, or by visiting the Box Office (Tuesday through Friday, 11 am - 4 pm) at the Lucie Stern Theater, located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Performances at the Lucie Stern Theater begin on January 20 and continue through February 4, with a preview performance on January 19. Performance times are Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Ticket prices range from $25 to $52. Discounts for seniors, educators, patrons under 30 (including children/students), and military are available for all performances except preview night. Special discounts of 20-25% for groups of 10 or more are also available.

Events taking place during the run of THE LARAMIE PROJECT include:

Opening Night AfterGlow Party

Saturday, January 20

Enjoy a post-show champagne reception with drinks and appetizers while meeting the cast, FREE with the purchase of a ticket for that evening's performance.

Post-Show Cast Talkback

Thursday, January 25

Enjoy our Talkback series with Director Lee Ann Payne and members of the cast following the performance, FREE with the purchase of a ticket for any performance during the run.

Staged Reading of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later

Wednesday, January 31 at 7 pm

Ten years after Shepard's murder, members of Tectonic Theater Project returned to Laramie to revisit the residents featured in the play. Those interviews were turned into a companion piece, entitled The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, which will be presented as part of Palo Alto Players' Staged Reading Companion Series. FREE admission. Reservations at paplayers.org or call 650.329.0891.

Post-Show Designer Talkback

Thursday, February 1

Enjoy our Talkback series with Technical Director Nikolaj Sorensen and members of the design team of the show following the performance, FREE with the purchase of a ticket for any performance during the run.

In cooperation with The City of Palo Alto, THE LARAMIE PROJECT and the shows of the 87th Season of Palo Alto Players are produced at the Lucie Stern Theater, located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto, California. Use of this facility is made possible through support from The City of Palo Alto, Community Services Department, Division of Arts and Sciences, and from our patrons.

About Palo Alto Players

Founded in 1931, Palo Alto Players is the San Francisco Peninsula's first theatre company. Based at the Lucie Stern Theater, built explicitly for Palo Alto Players in 1933, Palo Alto Players produces a season of comedies, dramas, classics, and musicals from September to June. Audiences and participants come from all over the Bay Area to be a part of Palo Alto Players' productions. Palo Alto Players is committed to providing a meaningful theatre experience for both audience and production participants. Intrinsic in this is the belief that theatre benefits the community-at-large and enhances the quality of life of those who are touched by it through education, enlightenment, and enrichment. Palo Alto Players is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established for public benefit.

For more information about Palo Alto Players and upcoming shows, please visit paplayers.org or call the box office at 650.329.0891. Follow Palo Alto Players on Twitter @PaloAltoPlayers or twitter.com/PaloAltoPlayers, on Instagram @PaloAltoPlayers, and on Facebook at facebook.com/PaloAltoPlayers.