The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later is a phenomenal script. Written as a follow-up to Tectonic Theater’s docudrama The Laramie Project (2000), the sequel’s premise is an exploration of how Laramie, Wyoming has changed a decade after the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard.
Referred to on the theater’s site as an epilogue, the printed work Perrette (and co) performed on Sunday is the end result of five members of Tectonic — founder Moisés Kaufman, accompanied by Andy Paris, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti and Stephen Belber — who sought out the same people they interviewed ten years ago for The Laramie Project and spoke with them again, along with new members of the community.
A portion of these accounts has been edited into a 10 minute clip posted on Tectonic Theater’s YouTube channel. (Link provided for those whom might be interested in subscribing…)
Otherwise, I’ve embedded it here:
In short, The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later posits regional questions, such as “Has Matthew’s murder had a lasting impact on [their] community?” and “How has the town changed as a result of this event?”
Moreover, the play addresses salient topics regarding the nation’s current social climate, through queries such as “What does life in Laramie tell us about life in America 10 years later?”
Now…
Insofar as my promise to post images from Sunday’s reading at Hollywood United Methodist Church, I encountered a bit of a roadblock on that venture—namely, several signs with the statement “There is no photography or recording (video or audio) allowed at this performance” that had been affixed throughout the structure, replete with a sentiment of “Thank you!”
In a different setting, for a different cause, and with a different cast–namely, one in which I don’t have such a formidable level of respect, let alone a personal relationship of any sort?
Truth be told, I probably would have considered it just another “Don’t So Delicious To Do.”
Nonetheless, in this case?
A group shot (courtesy of Richard Settle) will have to suffice, please.&.thanks:
Hey guys–this one’s time-sensitive, so please take note…
I’m attending and will have my own first-person account/commentary later, but want to share this article written by Adam Bryant (of TVGuide.com):
NCIS‘ Pauley Perrette and more of TV’s biggest stars are banding together for a one-time performance of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later to benefit the Matthew Shepard Foundation and stand up for gay rights.
The play is a sequel to The Laramie Project, which was based on the reactions of people in Laramie, Wyo., after Shepard, a 21-year-old gay college student, was murdered there in 1998. The new production revisits the townspeople a decade later and also portrays an interview with one of Shepard’s killers.
The new play began performances across the country on Oct. 12. Perrette said she was approached by a member of her church, Hollywood United Methodist Church, about putting together a reading of the play there. Pretty soon, Perrette’s NCIS co-star Michael Weatherly, The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki, House’s Lisa Edelstein, Dexter’s Julie Benz, Heroes‘ Zachary Quinto and Emmy winner Christian Clemenson were all on board.
“We have so many people from so many different shows, which is fun,” Perrette toldTVGuide.com. “Everyone we called was like, ‘I’m in.’ It’s really incredible. We’re just extremely excited, and it’s really amazing to have that many people come together to do something that’s important.”
(WARNING: POTENTIAL ANA “TRIGGER”!) :: O.K., if I told you who cut this video? Bet you guys wouldn’t believe me. Shit is DARK. :: What was intended as dark comedy ended up…well… :: Know this…1) No, anorexia isn’t “cool.” 2) Yes, I inhaled that entire effing can. My friend who shot the footage turned off the “auto-focus” option for whatever artsy-fartsy reason — NOT to blur footage so that I could “cheat.” As a result, I passed it off to someone else to edit. 3) Please don’t ask if this is auto-biographical, and/or to what degree. Take the message for what it is. (And what it is? What you get out of it…or what you don’t, conversely.)
O.K., scratch that Velveeta-laden alternate title, please.&.thanks…
One of my favorite people on the planet just celebrated a birthday, and–being the technologically-challenged Southerner (euphemism? slow) that I am–there’s other news-worthy blogature about her to be shared that’s embarrassingly long overdue…
Rewinding back to St. Valentine’s Day, 2009
Here’s an image Brian Gordon captured
of the gorgeous Pauley Perrette and her father:
The occasion? A wedding. A commitment ceremony.
In the words of this actress best known for playing the character Abby Sciutto on NCIS,
it was “A Celebration of Love.”
LENORA CLAIRE:
featuring SUPERNOVA OF THE SMALL SCREEN,
ANTOINE DES CAUNES
ON "ALLEZ A L.A.,"
A PROGRAM VENTURING
'ROUND THIS CITY OF SMOG & STARDUST
BY
CANAL PLUS T.V...
(DESCRIPTION POSTED ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL):
"European megawatt Antoine De Caunes explored this strange beast
we know under the name of 'Los Angeles,' and stumbled upon 'Future Cult
Icon' Lenora Claire in the process.
Because any fashion choice I
make should be considered The Law--yes, this is sarcasm, kiddies--I was
brought in to transform Antoine into the hip party-goer he's always
wanted to be...whether or not he knew it. After all, Lenora's birthday
soirée was just an "intimate little gathering" of her thousand most
fabulous friends at none other than the Houdini Mansion.
In other words, jeans and a t-shirt? Just WOULDN'T have cut it.
The hand-painted suit on Mr. De Coines is a one-of-a-kind creation by
TonyMech of TonyMech[dot]com, while the black-belt beauty crew
responsible for his phenomenal transformation via hair and make-up is
none other than Stacey Hummell, Face-Beater Extraordinaire, as well as
Irene Urias and Marc Mapile of Hairroin -- the virtual locale of which
is HairroinSalon[dot]com.
And on me?
Need I even mention
the shrunken top hat was made by Creepsuela Switchletto and my own
*subtle* ensemble another couture creation by Mssr. Jared Gold?
Or uh, you guys kind of...CATCHING ON by this point?
(Envision Appropriate Emoticon)
x o x o x
C l i n t"
