Local Piedmont students perform in ‘The Laramie Project’ Production

Tyler Pellegrino and Ethan Spinks in The Laramie Project. Contributed photo

DEMOREST, GA (10/17/2024)– The Piedmont University Theatre Department launched its 2024-25 Mainstage season with The Laramie Project Oct. 3-6. One of the most frequently produced plays in the U.S., The Laramie Project depicts the aftermath of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man in Laramie, Wyoming. The play aims to promote dialogue about equality, acceptance, and tolerance.

On Oct. 6, 1998, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, beaten, and left to die outside Laramie, Wyoming. His murderers targeted him because he was gay. Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project traveled to Laramie to chronicle the reaction of the community to such a horrendous hate crime. They conducted 200 interviews over the span of two years uncovering reactions and opinions surrounding Matthew’s murder. The New York-based theatre group then used these interviews to create The Laramie Project.

Piedmont Theatre Professor Bill Gabelhausen directed The Laramie Project. 

“The characters you see on stage are based on real people unraveling their thoughts and feelings about the tragic death of Matthew Shepard and what it means for the future of their community. It is easy to slap a bumper sticker on your car that says, No Hate In My State, but can we support those words with our actions?”

Junior Kattie Smith was the stage manager. Other artistic team members included Hunter Reum (Naples, Florida), assistant director/dramaturg; Dakota Rose Chen (Bogart, Georgia), costume designer; and John Spiegel, scenographer. 

Leading Players

• Haylie Collins (Narrator 1) (Grayson, Georgia)
• Shelby Armentrout (Narrator 2) (St. Marys, Georgia)
• Parker Skillen (Dacula, Georgia)
• Laurana Layton (Valdosta, Georgia)
• Willow Cannon 
• Amanda Baker (Gainesville, Georgia)
• Tyler Pellegrino (Kingsland, Georgia)
• Josh Farmer (Peachtree Corners, Georgia)
• Ethan Spinks (Kingsland, Georgia)
• Gabe Richman (Dallas, Georgia)
• Clayton Maddox (Monroe, Georgia)

Production Team members also included Aubrie Burrell (Dallas, Georgia), Ava Kerpicks (Lawrenceville, Georgia), Gracie Tipton (Gainesville, Georgia), Shelby Mowbray (Gainesville, Georgia), Meredith Fell (Winterpark, Florida), and Eleanor Quinlan (Atlanta, Georgia).

The Laramie Project was performed in the Swanson Center Blackbox Theater on the Demorest campus. The department’s next productions are “9 to 5 the Musical” in February and “Steel Magnolias” in April. Get more information about fine arts events at Piedmont University at piedmont.edu/fine-arts.

About Piedmont University: Founded in 1897, Piedmont University is a private, comprehensive liberal arts institution offering a personalized higher education experience focused on student success, academic achievement, and professional development. Offering a variety of career-oriented majors in the arts and sciences, business, education, and nursing, Piedmont’s supportive learning environment is defined by small class sizes, with a 12:1 ratio, that allow students to create meaningful relationships with their professors, classmates, and the campus community. Piedmont’s idyllic, 390-acre residential campus is nestled in the foothills of the north Georgia mountains, with a satellite campus situated in the heart of downtown Athens. For more, please visit www.piedmont.edu, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter/X.