Sign in to your TheaterMania account

Chad Allen, Stockard Channing, Robert Desiderio, Van Hansis, and Judith Light are among the stars set to participate in a special reading of The Laramie Project on Friday, December 1 at The Town Hall as a benefit for The Matthew Shepard Foundation. The event will be directed by Moisés Kaufman, who helped create The Laramie Project, and will feature a special live performance by singer-actress Cyndi Lauper. Additional performers will be announced at a later date.

The Laramie Project was created in the wake of Shepard's murder near Laramie, Wyoming in 1998, as Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project interviewed residents of Laramie about the crime. The work premiered in Denver in 2000, followed by a critically acclaimed Off-Broadway run. An HBO film version featuring many celebrities was first telecast in 2002.

At the December 1 event, Matthew's mother, Judy Shepard, will present Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project with the group's "Making a Difference" Award. Tickets range in price from $55 to $500. For more information, click here.