PURCHASE TICKETS

Triggered by a hate crime which brought attention to the lack of hate crime laws nationwide, The Laramie Project is a riveting contemporary drama that challenges the inhabitants of a rural American community. The Department of Theatre and Dance presents the play Feb. 22, 23, 24, 29 and March 1 at 7 p.m. and March 2 at 2 p.m. in the Main Theatre, Wright Hall.  

Written by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project including alumnus Greg Pierotti (M.F.A., dramatic arts, ’16), the drama chronicles the reaction to the 1998 murder of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming. The play’s text draws on hundreds of interviews conducted by the theatre project’s company with inhabitants of the town, company members’ own journal entries, and published news reports.

Warning: This play is based on a true story, and includes strong language and mature content that some may find upsetting, including descriptions of homophobia, violence and death.

The production will be directed by Scott Ebersold who recently served as artistic associate at New York’s Classic Stage Company. He directed the Off-Broadway premiere of the new musical The View UpStairs that was nominated for two Lortel Awards, three Drama Desk Awards, an Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical and for which Audelco/The Viv nominated him for a Best Director.

Adult tickets are $15, faculty/staff tickets are $12, and student/senior tickets are $5. Tickets may be purchased at the UC Davis Ticket Office, located on the north side of Aggie Stadium, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, by phone 530-752-2471 during the same hours, or online at arts.ucdavis.edu/theatre-and-dance.

The Department of Theatre and Dance’s 2023-2024 season includes a workshop of an original Hip-Hop musical performance work in March 2024, and an Outside the Lines dance concert and production of Our Town in the spring. 

The Department of Theatre and Dance is part of the UC Davis College of Letters and Science. For information about other department productions, visit theatredance.ucdavis.edu.