The Laramie Project

The Laramie Project

by Moises Kaufmann

and the members of the Tectonic Theatre Company

 

In 2023, Deaf Austin Theatre will be partnering with Hypernovas Productions to produce the first professional ASL production of this powerful, award winning play. The project will include a live stage production during the fall of 2023 here in Austin.

Our stage production will be filmed and lived streamed through Broadway On Demand on October 12, 2023, in honor of the death of Matthew Shepard.

After our production, a copy of the recording will be included in a full curriculum package for Deaf and hard of hearing students and distributed to all of the Deaf schools in the United States.

Keep an eye on this page for more information about the show.

 Director: Jules Dameron

 

About this production…
black and white photo of a young white male in his early 20s. he has blond hair that is combed over. He wears a sweater and stands in front of a large window.

Matthew Shepard

Matthew was 21 years old when he was murdered in October of 1998. He was a student at the University of Wyoming in the small town of Laramie.  On the night of October 6, 1998, Matthew went to the Fireside Bar in Laramie where he accepted a ride home from Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney. Instead of driving him home, they drove him to a remote area of countryside, beat and tortured Matthew. They tied him to a fence and left him there to die. He was found sometime the next day by a biker and taken to a hospital in Fort Collins, CO where he died six days later on October 12, 1998. 

Message from DAT Artistic

Director, Brian Cheslik and DAT

Production Manager, Sandra

Mae Frank

The Matthew Shepard Story

(made for TV movie)

In this dramatization of an actual event, young Matthew Shepard (Shane Meier) is mercilessly slain by a pair of men who targeted their victim because of his homosexuality. Capital punishment looming, the killers’ fate lies in the hands of Matthew’s parents, Judy (Stockard Channing) and Dennis (Sam Waterston). As the grieving couple attempts to make the choice that will best serve Matthew’s memory, they recount his rocky adolescence, lifelong struggle for acceptance and personal views on life.

The Opposite of Hate is…

Laramie: A Legacy

“The Opposite of Hate Is…” premiered at “Laramie: A Legacy” on September 24, 2018 in NYC. “Laramie: A Legacy” was a history-making evening, with the original company of “The Laramie Project” joining stars of stage and screen to honor the progress made over the last 20 years to #EraseHate​.

Twenty years ago 21-year-old college student Matthew Shepard was murdered for being gay. Since then, the Matthew Shepard Foundation and Tectonic Theater Project have been fighting to #EraseHate​ around the world through theater and activism.

 

Image Description: An image of elevator buttons on the right in partial view. A woman's finger is pressing the up button. In front of that are the words written by Rob Roth and directed by Andres "Flash" Otalora. Below is the title Pushing Buttons. Text at the center shows "Written by Rob Roth" with a circular photo of a white male, wearing a shirt with large checkerboard squares. He is bald, clean-shaven, wears glasses and is smiling at the camera. Text underneath shows "Directed by Andres 'Flash' Otalora" with a circular photo of a Colombian native in mid 40’s, light tan skin, short dark hair, light salt and pepper beard man wearing a black sweater, and black glasses facing camera smiling. White wall background. On the upper right side of the image are the words: "Short Play Festival April 30- May 15 2021" Upper left image shows the Deaf Austin Theatre Logo: A black square with a thick white line bordering on all sides. Inside the border is a large white bat. The white text shows "DAT Deaf Austin Theatre"

Hypernovas Productions

We are excited to be partnering with another Deaf Queer own/operated company to produce this project. With Jules Dameron directing and Joshua Castille as assistant director, we know that the final product will be powerful and beneficial to the Deaf community. 

AUDITIONS…

3If you are interested in auditioning, please email your headshot and resume to info@deafaustintheatre.org by August 21st. We will then send you the audition packet. Audition video submissions will be due no later than September 20, 2021.

FAQs

  • Is this a paid job?
      • Yes, all actors will be paid. Union actors will be paid according to AEA rates. Non- union actors will be paid a stipend.
    • Is this a virtual production or in person?
        • This is an in person production. All translation work and rehearsals will be held virtually. We will then do 1-2 weeks of in person rehearsals before we open in the Summer 2023. 
        • The production will be recorded and then live-streamed for 1 night only on October 12, 2023 in honor of Matthew Shepard’s death.
      • Will this be filmed for educational use? 
          • Yes, the production performances will be filmed and included in a full curriculum guide designed for Deaf and hard of hearing students. 
        • What if COVID is still an issue?
            • We will be following COVID protocols set down by the CDC. We will require everyone to be vaccinated and tested regularly. 
          • Is the production team Deaf?
              • Yes, the production team is mostly Deaf. 
            • Is travel and housing provided?
                • For out of state actors, travel and housing will be provided. 
                • Meals and rental cars will not be provided.
              • Can hearing actors audition too?
                  • Yes but you must be fully fluent in ASL and be able to easily converse with Deaf people without the aid of an interpreter. 

                 

                 

                This production is supported by…
                Thick purple bar above a thick black shape. Overlayed is an image of the sun, all set on a grey background. Text states Matthew Shepard Foundation Erasing Hate since 1998
                Logo for Ground floor theatre. Three large rectangles stacked onto of each other, each one is smaller than the other. The smallest on top has a grey frame, with white text inside "Ground". The middle has a tan frame with tan text inside "Floor". The bottom is the largest, with a blue frame, and blue text "Theatre".
                Thick purple bar above a thick black shape. Overlayed is an image of the sun, all set on a grey background. Text states Matthew Shepard Foundation Erasing Hate since 1998
                Square Black and white logo. A diamond in the middle with a intersecting lines splitting the square into 4 parts. Each section has a letter. Top Left: G, Top Right: A, Bottom Left: F, Bottom Right D.

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