Rental partner Shakespeare + Friends will present a dramatic reading of The Laramie Project, a powerful and moving play based on the true story of the hate crime murder of a young gay man, Matthew Shepard, in 1998.

The play is an example of verbatim-documentary style theater, based on transcripts of interviews, court case transcripts, and the community’s reaction to the murder and surrounding media storm. It tells the stories of real people who lived in the maelstrom of one of this country’s most controversial hate crimes.

Directed by Catherine Gillet, the play is divided into three acts featuring eight talented local actors who will portray more than 60 characters in a series of short scenes. The New York Magazine described The Laramie Project as, “…nothing short of stunning…you will be held in rapt attention.”