The State University of New York at Fredonia Performing Arts Company will present "The Laramie Project," a powerful emotional journey through the aftermath of the October 1998 murder of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, on Friday, April 15 at 8 p.m. at Rockefeller Arts Center. The production can also be seen on Saturday, April 16, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 17 at 2 p.m. All shows are in Bartlett Theatre.
 
An award-winning film documentary by director Moises Kaufman of the New York City-based Tectonic Theater Project, "The Laramie Project" was originally conceived as a stage play that drew heavily upon the words and impressions of residents from the Wyoming capital in the days that followed Shepard’s lynching. The end result is an unflinching look at the struggle between tolerance and bigotry in America at the end of the 20th century.

The SUNY Fredonia production of "The Laramie Project" will mark the realization of a dream for Director Paul Mockovak, an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance. Enamored by Mr. Kaufman’s outstanding script and the compelling issues that surround the play, Mr. Mockovak noted that he has eagerly awaited an opportunity to bring "The Laramie Project" to SUNY Fredonia. "The ensemble nature of the piece made PAC an obvious choice to produce – they are a great organization and do a variety of innovative productions."
 
Although no hate crime as horrible as the act perpetrated against Mr. Shepard has been reported in the Western New York region, "The Laramie Project" contains an important, timely message for local audiences – the potential for great good and tremendous evil exist in even the most mundane of places.
 
"One of the recurring themes is that Laramie was/is an ordinary town, like many ordinary towns across the country," Mr. Mockovak wrote. "Awareness is always a goal of a production of this nature – awareness of the potential for discrimination or violence locally, awareness of human nature, both the dark side and the truly beautiful side, as well. "The Laramie Project" gives us a snapshot of a community, and it really is simply holding a mirror up to all of us."

The SUNY Fredonia production of "The Laramie Project" will star 10 students, each of whom will handle no less than five roles apiece. The cast include senior Musical Theater major Lauren Basler, senior Acting major Caitlin Genereux, sophomore Acting major Pete Giordano, senior Musical Theater major Anne McAlexander, senior Acting major Nora Grace Sanchez, senior Musical Theater major Brendan Schaefer, junior Theater/Media Arts major Chris Scherr, sophomore Acting major Jimmy Stadt, senior Acting major Katherine Varno and junior Theater/TV and Digital Film major Steve Walker.

The raw emotions and heartfelt honesty of "The Laramie Project" pose an interesting challenge for the young actors, many of who expressed a mixture of respect and confidence in regards to their approach to the play.
 
"There is this sense that you want to do the material justice, because this was based on real interviews and these are real people," said Ms. Basler. "It’s such a challenge, such a deep subject, but it also allows you to have powerful feelings about your subjects."
 
"This is going to help me become a better actor," added Mr. Scherr. "There has been a lot of work involved, a lot of in-depth research into the characters – I find myself asking, ‘how did this person do what they did? Why did this person act the way they acted?’ And you find yourself getting to care about the person. You find yourself working with pure emotion."
 
Tickets for "The Laramie Project" will be available at the door on the day of the performances or can be pre-purchased at the Central Ticket Office, located in the Williams Center at the corner of Ring Road and Old Main Drive at the heart of the SUNY Fredonia campus. Orders can also be placed by calling (716) 673-3501.
 
For more information about events and presentations at SUNY Fredonia, visit the university online at www.fredonia.edu.