Raritan Valley Community College’s Arts & Design department will present a student theatre production of The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the members of the Tectonic Theater Project, November 18-20, at 7 p.m. The performances, which are free of charge and open to the public, will be held in the Welpe Theatre at the College’s Branchburg campus.
The documentary play, under the direction of RVCC Professor of Theatre Dennis Russo, details the murder and trial of Matthew Shepard.
In October 1998, 21-year-old University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, robbed, severely beaten, and tied to a prairie fence outside Laramie, Wyoming, because he was gay. Shepard was discovered after 18 hours and died five days later in the hospital. The hate crime sparked a massive worldwide media storm and discussion about anti-LGBTQ+ violence.
In the wake of the murder, Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project made six trips to Laramie over a year and a half to create The Laramie Project. Their efforts included conducting more than 200 interviews with locals, friends, family members, clergy, and the perpetrators.
Set design and construction for the RVCC production is by Dave Porter and Kenny Savoy. Running time for the play is 90 minutes.
The cast and crew include:
Brooke Rogers – Milford
Grace Del Rossi – Stewartsville
Said Belfield – North Plainfield
Savannah Weaver – Piscataway
Ari Bowie – Bridgewater
Casey Hipsher – Basking Ridge
Jeremy Betros – Basking Ridge
Alex Estrella – North Plainfield
James Hall – Phillipsburg
Jacob Coslit – North Plainfield
Mikayla Johnston – Somerset
Violet Dunsavage – Bridgewater
Kelis Carey – Hillsborough
Isabella Scaglione – Lebanon
For further information, contact the Arts & Design department, 908-218-8876.
RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For additional information, visit www.raritanval.edu.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2026
PR #29
