Theatre at Marietta College to Perform The Laramie Project

Live streamed event begins on Friday, February 12th

by Tom Perry

Marietta, Ohio (02/05/2021) — The Theatre at Marietta College is excited to announce the upcoming performances of The Laramie Project that will be live-streamed at 8:00 p.m. on February 12th, 13th, 19th, and 20th.

"The Laramie Project is the true story of a New York theatre company that traveled to Laramie, Wyoming, to interview its residents and tell the story of Matthew Shepard," said Casiha Felt, Director and Adjunct Professor.

In 1998, Shepard, a young gay man, was severely beaten and left tied to a fence outside Laramie. In the aftermath and during the trial of the men accused of killing Shepard, Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project conducted more than 200 interviews with people of Laramie, some directly connected to the case and other citizens of the town.

From these interviews and their own experiences in Laramie, Kaufman and Tectonic Theatre members created The Laramie Project, a breathtaking theatrical experience exploring the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable.

"This happened over 20 years ago, and it astonishes me just how relevant this play still is," Felt said. "We see a small-town struggle to recognize the underlying hatred and fear underneath the tolerance they preach. The students and I are honored to share this powerful and heartbreaking show with our community."

Marietta College students who make up the cast are Noah Anderson '23 (Pomeroy, Ohio), Natasha Didytch '23 (Cleveland, Ohio), Dylan Todd Brown '23 (Marietta, Ohio), Grace Tomasko '22 (Aurora, Ohio), Kyra Cutsail '23 (Laurel, Delaware), Sam Bartlett '22 (Marietta, Ohio), Robby Allen '21 (Beverly, Ohio) and Joan Owen '23 (Parkersburg, West Virginia). The stage manager is Sophie Wheeler '22 (Cambridge, Ohio) and the costume designer is Bayden Hoblitzell '23 (Marietta, Ohio).

Access to the live stream can be purchased through www.showtix4u.com/events/MCTheatre for a small fee to cover the cost of the streaming service. Marietta College students and employees will be able to see the show through Panopto on the performance dates.

Located in Marietta, Ohio, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Tracing its roots to the Muskingum Academy back in 1797, the College was officially chartered in 1835. Today Marietta College serves a body of 1,200 full-time students. The College offers more than 50 majors and is consistently ranked as one of the top regional comprehensive colleges by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, as well as one of the nation's best by Forbes.com. Marietta was selected seventh in the nation according to the Brookings Institution's rankings of colleges by their highest value added, regardless of major. Marietta College has also been named a Great College to Work For three consecutive years (2018-2020).

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