At the Beginning

This journey started in America's heartland, and ten years later it's here at Montclair State University.

Matthew Shepard was brutally tortured and murdered in October 1998 simply because he was gay. His life was wrongly taken from him for no reason, spurring movements all over the country that preached love, acceptance and tolerance. Matthew became a martyr for equality, and twelve years after his death we are still fighting the fight. Weeks ago the New Jersey Legislature denied the passage of a gay marriage bill, underlining just how relevant Matthew Shepard's story still is today.

There's so many things you can say about The Laramie Project; it's about human rights, communities, politics, love, hate, and so much more. The beauty in this story is that everyone can connect with different aspects of it, making it universal.

Spread love. Erase hate. Join us as we follow in the path of the Tectonic Theatre Project and open our hearts and souls to this wrenching story.

-Kristen, dramaturg