In observance
of the 10th anniversary of Matthew Shepard's death,
his mother will host a reading of The Laramie
Project -- a stage production on the repercussions
of his homophobia-fueled murder -- in Napa,
Calif.
Judy Shepard,
Matthew's mother and the executive director of the
nonprofit Matthew Shepard Foundation, will be a guest
speaker at the event, which will be held at
the Napa Valley Opera House October 19. All proceeds
of the production will benefit the Matthew Shepard
Foundation as well as the Napa Valley College Drama
Department.
The Laramie Project was first presented in 2000
and has since been staged more than 5,000 times. Drawing on
thousands of interviews with people in Laramie, Wyo.
-- the town where the 21-year-old Shepard was
brutally tortured on October 7, 1998, leading to
his death five days later -- the play was a
critical smash. A 2002 film aired to acclaim on HBO.
The Laramie Project first premiered in Napa in
2002 and was directed by Jennifer King, who will also direct
this year's version. (Neal Broverman, The
Advocate)
