On October 7, 1998, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming, was brutally attacked and tied to a fence in a field outside of Laramie, Wyo. and left to die, because he was gay. On October 12, Matt succumbed to his wounds in a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado. Over the next year, Moisés Kaufman and a team of writers and actors from Tectonic took six trips to Laramie, where they interviewed citizens of the town – some unconnected with the tragedy, and some intimately involved. The company created The Laramie Project, a stunning theatrical examination of the immediate reactions of Matt Shepard’s community to the murder and to the underlying bigotry and hatred that enabled it.

The Laramie Project is a docu-drama, comprised of the words of real people. 

It contains mature language and themes, and is not recommended for young audiences.

The Eleanor Roosevelt High School Theatre Department is a high school drama program committed equally to diversity and excellence. The mission of the Eleanor Roosevelt High School Theatre Department is to provide ERHS students with opportunities to develop their acting, singing, dancing, musical and technical theater skills, through rigorous course work, live performance, and high quality stage productions. We strive to be inclusive of the cultures in our community, and we take risks to address relevant social issues through theatre.​