On October 6, 1998, Matthew Shepard was beaten and left to die tied to a fence on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. His torture and murder became a watershed moment in American history that highlighted many of the fault-lines in our culture. A month after the crime, members of Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Laramie and conducted interviews with local residents. From these interviews they wrote The Laramie Project, which went on to become one of the most performed plays in America. Berkeley Rep's production featured the original cast, some of whom missed a few performances during that run to film the movie in Wyoming. The Laramie Project has now been seen by more than 50 million people around the world. Ten years later, these artists returned to Laramie to find out what had happened in the decade since Matthew's death. Did the murder have a lasting impact on that community? How has the town changed as a result of this event? What does life in Laramie tell us about America 10 years later? These are the questions this event will address.

The new work will be presented by four Bay Area theaters: Berkeley Rep in the East Bay, the Magic Theatre in San Francisco, Crystal Spring Players in San Mateo, and Arclight Repertory Theatre at City Lights Theatre in San Jose.