TheatreWorks New Milford Presents Free Staged Reading of ‘The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later’

On Thursday July 25th, 2019 at 8 p.m., TheatreWorks New Milford’s Page 2 Stage series presents a special free staged reading of ‘The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later’, featuring many members of TheatreWorks’ 2003 production of it’s predecessor ‘The Laramie Project’ reprising their roles and is directed by the production’s original director, Jane Farnol.

The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later is written by Moises Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti, Andy Paris, and Stephen Belber (Tectonic Theatre Project).

On October 6, 1998, gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard left the Fireside Bar with Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. The following day he was discovered on a prairie at the edge of town, tied to a fence, brutally beaten, and close to death. Six days later Matthew Shepard died at Poudre Valley Hospital in Ft. Collins, Colorado. On November 14th, 1998, ten members of Tectonic Theatre Project traveled to Laramie, Wyoming, and conducted interviews with the people of the town. Over the next year, the company returned to Laramie six times and conducted over 200 interviews. These texts became the basis for the play The Laramie Project. Ten years later on September 12th, 2008, five members of Tectonic returned to Laramie to try to understand the long-term effect of the murder. They found a town wrestling with its legacy and its place in history. In addition to revisiting the folks whose words riveted us in the original play, this time around, the company also spoke with the two murderers, McKinney and Henderson, as well as Matthew’s mother, Judy Shepard. THE LARAMIE PROJECT: TEN YEARS LATER is a bold new work, which asks the question, “How does society write its own history?”

The cast consists of eight local favorites, including Matt Austin, Adam Battelstein, Noel Desiato, Keir Hansen, Ron Malyska, Sonnie Osborne, Monica Rodriguez and Vicki Sosbe.

Page 2 Stage series coordinator, Matt Austin, says of the piece “Matthew Shepard’s story, and the stories of the residents of Laramie, remain timely and important. In a time now when people are quick to make assumptions based headlines without all the facts and stories spread so quickly via technology – what is true? History is stories. Who gets to decide our history? The people with the facts or the stories that grab attention. How does our history (factual or otherwise) impact our future?”

The cost of the reading is free, but reservations are recommended. Tickets can be acquired online at theatreworks.us or by calling the box office at 860.350.6863. Also, as part of TheatreWorks’ fundraising efforts,, donations will be accepted, both online at theatreworks.us, and at the Theatre.

TheatreWorks is an award-winning, non-Equity theatre company, named Best Community Theater in Connecticut by Connecticut Magazine. TheatreWorks is located on 5 Brookside Avenue , just off Route 202 (next to the CVS), in New Milford , CT.