The Laramie Residency

Nov. 11-13, $20-$50, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St., 215-898-3900, annenbergcenter.org.

by Mark Cofta

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Published: Nov 10, 2010

[ theater ]

Twelve years ago last month, the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard in the tiny town of Laramie, Wyo., shocked the nation: a gay college student, lured from a bar, beaten and left to die, draped Christ-like on a fence along a cold country road. His death, explored in the play The Laramie Project, forced us to examine our culture's hatred and fear of homosexuals. Tony- and Emmy Award-winning playwright/director Moises Kaufman traveled from New York City to Laramie with eight Tectonic Theater Project actors to immerse themselves in the town, conducting hundreds of interviews with residents and shaping them into a groundbreaking ensemble drama. The 2009 sequel, Ten Years Later, shines light again on the now-infamous, forever-changed town. Tectonic, in residence this week at UPenn's Annenberg Center, performs both plays together for the first time anywhere Thursday through Saturday, with pre-show chats and post-show talkbacks that are sure to be cathartic.

A Place at the Table
Forever Tango
Fools Russian
Kaleidoscope
Talk Sense
Mazowsze
The Raw Edge
A Sailor's Grave