CCBC Essex Academic Theatre & Community Book Connection to Present THE LARAMIE PROJECT

Academic Theatre at the Community College of Baltimore County, Essex and the Community Book Connection present "The Laramie Project" 8 p.m., March 19, 20, 21; 10 a.m. March 23 and 1 p.m. March 24 in the College Community Theatre at CCBC Essex, 7201 Rossville Boulevard. Additional performances will be given at 12:45 p.m. March 26 in the Center for the Arts Theatre at CCBC Catonsville, 800 S. Rolling Road and at 12:45 p.m. March 31 in the John E. Ravekes Theatre at CCBC Dundalk, 7200 Sollers Point Road. Tickets are $8 general admission, $5 for students, seniors, and CCBC faculty, staff and alumni. Current CCBC students (with valid ID) are free. Tickets are available from the CCBC Box Office at 443-840-ARTS (2787) or online at https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2/team.asp?SponsorID=6413#.VPcndod0zct.

In October 1998 Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, severely beaten and left to die, tied to a fence on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. Five weeks later, Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project went to Laramie, and over the course of the next year, conducted more than 200 interviews with people of the town. From these interviews they wrote the play The Laramie Project, a chronicle of the life of the town of Laramie in the year after the murder. "The Laramie Project" is one of the most performed plays in America today.

The ensemble cast who perform in multiple roles for this play include: Ashley Saville of Baltimore, Md., William Meister of Parkville, Md., Giustino Puliti of Perry Hall, Md., Christian Fisher of Essex, Md., Lavonne Jones of Baltimore, Md., Thomas P. Gardner of Joppa, Md., Lashay McMillan of Baltimore, Md., and Yakima Lich of Baltimore Md. CCBC theatre professor Ryan Clark directs with scenic and lighting design by Terrie Raulie and costuming by James Fasching. Baltimore OUTLoud is the media partner for this event.

In conjunction with the play which is the Community Book Connection's 2014-2015 selection, Performing Arts at CCBC Essex will be hosting several events:

· March 19-24- Art exhibit - CCBC Students Respond to Hate Crimes - is a collaboration between students' in Professor Melissa Lane's criminal justice classes and those in Professor Sharon Trumbull's art and design classes.

· March 19 - Opening Night Reception at 7 p.m.

· March 21 - New Wave Singers, Baltimore's only LGBT choir, will be performing at 7:30 p.m. before the play. The choir will be performing "What Matters," a choral piece written in the memory of Matthew Shepard by singer/songwriter Randi Driscoll. For more information, visit www.matthewshepard.org/what-matters-and-love-is-love-by-randi-driscoll.

· April 28-29 -- Moisés Kaufman is scheduled to speak at 12:45 p.m. April 28 at CCBC Essex and 12:20 p.m. April 29 at CCBC Catonsville. This event is free and open to the public.

For information about other CCBC events related to "The Laramie Project," visit http://faculty.ccbcmd.edu/cbc/2014-2013_The-Laramie-Project/index.html.

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