StageWest and The Des Moines Playhouse Present THE LARAMIE PROJECT: 10 YEARS LATER 10/12

StageWest and The Des Moines Playhouse present "The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later," at 7:00 PM, on Monday, Oct. 12, at The Des Moines Playhouse. Tickets are free, and may be picked up at The Playhouse ticket office, Noon-6:00 PM, Tuesday-Friday. There is a limit of four tickets per person.

Seating is general admission, and ticket holders are asked to arrive by 6:45 PM to guarantee a seat. Donations will be accepted that evening for Iowa's Matthew Shepard Scholarship Fund for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Iowa high school students, a project of the Eychaner Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Tectonic Theatre Project, the creators of the highly acclaimed play "The Laramie Project," which has been one of the most performed plays in America, will premiere a compelling and groundbreaking epilogue to the original piece on Oct. 12. Entitled "The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later," the play will be performed in New York at Lincoln Center's AlIce Tully Hall, at The Des Moines Playhouse in collaboration with StageWest Theater Company, and at more than 100 other theaters across the country.

The epilogue focuses on the long term effect of the murder of Matthew Shepard on the town of Laramie, WY. It explores how the town has changed and how the murder continues to reverberate in the community. The play includes new interviews with Matthew's mother, Judy Shepard, and Mathew's murderer, Aaron McKinney, who is serving dual life sentences, as well as follow-up interviews with many of the individuals from the original piece. The Des Moines cast, under the direction of Tom Perrine, will feature several cast members from the 2002 StageWest production of "The Laramie Project," including Tom Ahart, Jim Benda, Melissa Chavez, and Kim Grimaldi.

As part of the national community aspect of the evening, pre- and post- show events will be broadcast live from Lincoln Center's AlIce Tully Hall to all participating theaters. The pre-show portion will include an introduction by the Tectonic Theater Project writers -- Moises Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti, Andy Paris, and Stephen Belber -- as well as appearances from special guests to be announced. The post-show will consist of a question-and answer session in which questions will be taken from audience members in theaters around the country.

An online interactive community has been launched at community.laramieproject.org. There, participants can blog, upload video and photos, and share their stories about the play, and experiences in preparing and presenting the epilogue in their communities. The members of Tectonic Theater Project are active participants in the online community, offering participants feedback and encouragement.

"We are thrilled to bring this epilogue to 'The Laramie Project' to Des Moines audiences," said Ron Lambert, StageWest's producing artistic director. "This important piece of American theater tells a universal human story and has been a transformative experience for the cast and audience. Our hope is that the epilogue helps us better understand the impact of Matthew's death as well as provide truth and context as this piece of American history is retold to a new generation."

This is the third collaboration between StageWest and The Des Moines Playhouse. This winter, the two companies will co-produce "Beyond the Rainbow," a new musical about Judy Garland's life.

StageWest Theatre Company seeks to increase the understanding and enjoyment of life, society, and the world through the presentation of contemporary theatre; strives to cultivate new opportunities for artists and audiences in Central Iowa to experience the diverse world of American and World Theatre; aspires to a continuing pursuit of artistic excellence; and seeks to make the story of the play become the experience of the audience.

The Des Moines Playhouse is Iowa's oldest and largest producing theatre. Located at the 42nd Street exit of I-235, the theatre has presented a full season of shows since 1919 and also offers a wide variety of educational experiences including classes for ages 4 to adult, theatre trips to New York, and volunteer opportunities onstage and backstage.

For more information about "The Laramie Project," contact The Des Moines Playhouse ticket office at 515-277-6261.