The cast of the Laramie Project. Standing: Kathy Garofano (Morrisville, Pa.), Jeremy Robinson (Chesterfield), Melissa Abrahams (Chesterfield), Christian DiTullio (Lawrenceville), Laurie Hardy (Hamilton), Jennifer Nasta Zefutie (Cranbury) and Damian Gaeta (Hamilon). Kneeling: Judi Parrish (West Trenton). Not pictured: Brian Bara (Levittown, Pa.).
Actors from the James Tolin Memorial Fund are set to present a riveting staged reading of “The Laramie Project” Kelsey Theatre.
The performance, presented as as part of JTMF’s continuing Anti-Bullying/Anti-Suicide Campaign, is set to benefit the Tyler Clementi Foundation.
This performance marks the 15th anniversary of the attack on Matthew Shepard, an openly gay 21-year-old student who was kidnapped, severely beaten, tied to a fence, and left to die on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyo. Shepard died six days later on October 12, 1998.
Soon after his death, Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project began year-long interviews with 200 town residents. Born from those interviews, the play reflects on hate crimes and the bullying.
Following the performance, there will be a Q&A that includes Cathy Renna. A member of the Tectonic Playhouse Board, Renna is a nationally recognized LGBT activist who worked with GLAAD for many years and also worked with Judy Shepard, the mother of Matthew Shepard.
Directed and narrated by Judi Parrish of West Trenton, the cast includes Melissa Abrahams and Jeremy Robinson of Chesterfield, Brian Bara of Levittown, Pa., Christian DiTullio of Lawrenceville, Damian Gaeta and Laurie Hardy of Hamilton, Kathy Garofano of Morrisville, Pa., and Jennifer Nasta Zefutie of Cranbury.
The performance is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Oct. 6 at Kelsey Theatre on Mercer County Community College’s West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors, students and children.
More information is online at kelseytheatre.net.
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