Kickstarter

Who we are:
An artistic community, an idea, with endeavors to inspire, inform, and give back.

What we are doing:
Presenting: "The Laramie Project," a production of Moisés Kaufman and Members of the Tectonic Theater Project. The performances will be held in Pasadena, California on the following dates: July 23, 24, 30, 31, 2010. Our goal is to stimulate social awareness about the troubling theme concerning the prejudices of sexual orientation in our society and to raise money for various Gay and Lesbian organizations stationed in the Pasadena area.

The Play:
In 1998, members of the Tectonic Theater Project from New York were compelled to visit the small town Laramie, Wyoming. The members followed a media circus which was sprung by the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, a local gay college student. Shepard was a 21 year old political science major who was described by his father as "an optimistic and accepting young man who had a special gift of relating to almost everyone." On October 7th, Shepard was robbed, pistol whipped, tortured, tied to a fence in a remote rural area, and left to die. He was found 18 hours later and died on October 12th from severe head injuries. Over the course of a year the members of the theater company conducted hundreds of interviews of people from the Laramie community in order to piece together Matthew's story. The result was the account of an entire town trying to pull themselves together from a horrific tragedy under a negative cloud by the publicity from undermining media.

Our purpose:
"The Laramie Project" is a non-profit production. Once Milestone Theatre Company has covered all of our costs our goal is to donate all proceeds to local charities and organizations in the Pasadena and Los Angeles area that are dedicated to the safety and awareness of the Gay and Lesbian community.

Why we need your help:
Donations for our project will help us in paying royalties to the play's publishers; renting out a theater space, production equipment; printing and advertising for this production, and help establish ourselves for further creations that will benefit our community.
The initial amount we are asking for will help us pay for royalties and rent. Continued support will help us make the event stronger!

After this production closes we will begin the process again by creating another project that will benefit another grand social cause in our community.