OLD DOMINION TROUPE AMONG FIRST TO PERFOM "THE LARAMIE PROJECT"

One of the nation's most heralded new plays, "The Laramie Project," will be presented by the Old Dominion University Theatre Nov. 16 to Dec. 2.

In October 1998, Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, was savagely beaten, tied to a fence outside of Laramie, Wyo., and left to die. Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project traveled to Laramie to interview the town's residents and create a theatrical production based on their findings. The play brings to life more than 60 characters and chronicles the impact of the murder and the trial on the Laramie community.

Old Dominion University Theatre will be one of the nation's first theatres to mount "The Laramie Project," which originally was produced Off-Broadway in 2000. Directed by faculty member Erlene Hendrix, the production will splice together testimony, video footage, local stories, and the experience of the actors themselves to create a powerful, deeply moving theatrical experience.

Show times are 8 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Stables Theatre. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $8 for groups and students with ID, and $5 for Old Dominion students with ID.

For more information or reservations call 683-5305.