The Theatre Institute at Sage to Present “The Laramie Project”

In October 1998, a 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming was kidnapped, severely beaten and left tied to a fence in 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. His name was Matthew Shepard and he was the victim of this assault because he was gay. THE LARAMIE PROJECT is a breathtaking collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable.

One would have hoped that “The Laramie Project,” a fascinating and brilliantly constructed work of art that explores the wide range of attitudes of Laramie’s—and by extension America’s—citizens would no longer be relevant except as a history lesson. Sadly, bigotry is steeply on the rise again, as evidenced by an alarming uptick of new laws aimed at closing off freedoms, limiting discussion in schools and opening the door to attacks on the LGBTQ community, making this play an essential avenue of exploration for another generation.

Eileen Schuyler

THE LARAMIE PROJECT features Sage students Noah Dougherty, Kylee LaViolette, Elizabeth Broderick, Tyler Cardona, Zachary Ziperstein, Cameron Richardson, Regina Desrosiers, Amber Wheeler and Brandon Cataldo – none of whom were born at the time of THE LARAMIE PROJECT events, according to their director Eileen Schuyler.

“We live in a blue state, in a community that’s generally very accepting,” said Schuyler in a phone interview. “To suddenly be faced with this blunt cruelty is disconcerting for the students… it’s been a journey.”

Performances of THE LARAMIE PROJECT are April 1-3 at the James L. Meader Little Theater on Russell Sage College’s campus at 65 1st Street in Troy. The show is recommended for ages 14 and up.        

To purchase tickets, visit theatre.sage.edu. Ticket holders will be asked to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination and wear a mask.