The Laramie Project: A Staged Reading
Niagara Pride is honored to bring The Laramie Project to Western New York. We are partnering with Western Door Playhouse to hold staged readings on August 16, 2024 and August 17, 2024 at the Niagara Arts & Cultural Center, Niagara Falls, NY.
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2024 marks the 15th anniversary of the passage of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Act. Niagara Pride and Western Door are commemorating this important law via these performances.
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The Laramie Project is a play by Moisés Kaufman. The play explores a community’s reaction to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, in Laramie, Wyoming. The play is constructed from hundreds of interviews with residents of Laramie and published news reports.
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The murder of Matthew Shepard was a pivotal event that brought national attention to the issue of hate crimes and the absence of hate crime laws in various states, including Wyoming. The play has been performed across the United States and internationally, often used as an educational tool to discuss prejudice and tolerance. It has also inspired efforts to combat homophobia and has been involved in grassroots movements.
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The Laramie Project: A Staged Reading
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Dates and Times:
Friday, August 16, 2024 at 7:30pm
Saturday, August 17, 2024 at 7:30pm
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Location:
Niagara Arts & Cultural Center
1201 Pine Ave, Niagara Falls, NY 14303
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Ticket Costs:
$18 if purchased online
$20 if purchased at the door
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This event is a fundraiser for Niagara Pride. A portion of ticket sales as well as proceeds of the basket raffle held both evenings will go to Niagara Pride to support critically needed LGBTQ+ services in Niagara County and Western New York.
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The Matthew Shepard Foundation’s mission is to amplify the story of Matthew Shepard to inspire individuals, organizations, and communities to embrace the dignity and equality of all people. Through local, regional, and national outreach, we empower individuals to find their voice to create change and challenge communities to identify and address hate that lives within our schools, neighborhoods, and homes.
Our work is an extension of Matt’s passion to foster a more caring and just world. We share his story and embody his vigor for civil rights to change the hearts and minds of others to accept everyone as they are.
Matthew Shepard (born December 1, 1976, Casper, Wyoming, U.S.—died October 12, 1998, Fort Collins, Colorado) was an American college student who was severely beaten because of his sexual orientation and was left to die in 1998. He was discovered and hospitalized, though he succumbed to his injuries. His death, which was evidence of the physical danger that LGBTQ+ individuals still sometimes faced in the United States, played a key role in the 2009 passage of legislation that expanded federal hate crime law to include violence committed because of the sexual orientation of the victim.
