to present:
A detailed look at the effects of one of the nation’s most famous hate crimes is the subject of the next Country Gate Players production, The Laramie Project. The show will be staged at the Country Gate Playhouse, 114 Greenwich Street, Belvidere, New Jersey. Performances are September 24, October 1, and October 8, at 8:00 p.m., as well as, October 9, at 2 p.m. The production is presented with the support of the Warren County Human Relations Commission. A panel discussion and audience talkback will be conducted following the final performance.
A highly acclaimed play that was adapted into an HBO movie, The Laramie Project, is based on the 1998 slaying of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, who was murdered for being openly gay. Playwright Moises Kaufman, along with members of the Tectonic Theater Project (TTP), went to Laramie, Wyoming, shortly after the crime, investigating the incident and conducting interviews with the surrounding community. The group made six trips to Laramie in one year and performed more than 200 documented interviews.
From these interviews, along with court records and personal journals,
the group was able to create an inspiring re-production of the struggles
and individual thoughts of a community undergoing the event’s aftermath.
The Laramie Project chronicles the life of the town of Laramie in the year
after the murder, using eight actors to embody more than sixty different
people in their own words-from rural ranchers to university professors.
The result is a complex portrayal that dispels the simplistic media
stereotypes and explores the depths to which humanity can sink and
the heights of compassion of which we are capable.
A company of four men and four women will play the many residents
of Laramie in the Country Gate production. Craig Evans, of Blairstown,
has been featured in many Country Gate productions.
They include Man of La Mancha, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,
and most recently, Annie Get Your Gun. Mr. Evans is the theatre
director at Blair Academy, where he will direct his own production
of The Laramie Project, later this Fall. Vinny Foti, of Stewartsville,
has been an active participant at Country Gate for many years. He is
currently featured in the original production, Jersey Diner, and
appeared this summer as Zach, in A Chorus Line. Bill Scurato, of
Harmony Township, is the Artistic Director of Country Gate. His
most recent stage appearance was as Pharaoh, in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Kelvin Godshalk, of Long Pond, is a relative newcomer to community theatre.
Godshalk recently appeared as Bobby in the Country Gate production of A Chorus Line.
JoAnn Mazza resides in Stroudsburg and was seen by audiences most recently in
Country Gate’s spring production of Barefoot In The Park. Another “Barefoot” alumnus is Chelsea Scurato,
of Phillipsburg. Miss Scurato has also appeared in many Country Gate productions,
including Steel Magnolias, in which she played the role of Shelby.
Juliet Dunham, of Pocono Pines, is a familiar face at Country Gate.
She recently choreographed A Chorus Line, in which she also portrayed Sheila.
The production is under the direction of Gina Scurato, of Harmony Township. David Miller of Hellertown is the production designer.
All seats for The Laramie Project are reserved at $15.and are available by calling Country Gate at (908) 475-1104 or by logging onto the theatre website at www.countrygate.org
According to director Gina Scurato, of Harmony Township, the show is "fun, fast, and full of laughter," but makes a strong statement about the times in which Charles Dickens lived. Dickens' observations of British society in the Victorian era reveal a harsh class system and the callousness of many in the upper classes who believed that charity encouraged idleness and that misfortune was the result of personal failings. Dickens' enduring message – that one man's moral rebirth can help make the world a better place – continues to resonate with today's audiences and serves as a powerful reminder, especially in the Christmas season, of the rewards of charity. The Country Gate cast is comprised of a versatile collection of performers.
The role of Ebenezer Scrooge, the quintessential Christmas party-pooper, is shared by four actors. Joelle and Jenna Tshudy, of Belvidere, portray Scrooge at ages eight and twelve, respectively. Matt Christie, of Tobyhanna, plays Scrooge as a young man, while Bill Scurato, of Harmony Township, renders the bitter Scrooge of advancing years. Stan Wilkens, of Belvidere, and Stacy Higgins, of Washington, are cast as Mr. And Mrs. Bob Cratchet, while Carolyn and Daniel Wilkerson of Belvidere portray Martha and Tiny Tim Cratchit. David Miller of Hellertown, plays Scrooge's deceased business partner Jacob Marley. The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future are played respectively by Jessica Attinello, of Phillipsburg, Steve Matuszek, of Great Meadows, and Juliet Dunham, of Pocono Pines. Vinny Foti of Stewartsville, and Deb Jacoby of Easton are cast as Mr. And Mrs. Fezziwig, while Dean Tshudy, of Belvidere, plays Scrooge's nephew, Fred.
The show enjoys a deep supporting cast that includes: Dan Wilkerson, Meredith Wilkerson, Meg Wilkens, Marilou Tshudy, Hannah Yeley, Nicole Palmerano, Alicia Stemler, and Erica Riley, all of Belvidere. Also included are Leslie Peters, Roy Bjellquist, and Bobbi Jo Meyers, of Phillipsburg. The Easton area is represented in the Country Gate company by Melissa Molinari, as well as Gary, Beth, and Scott Crivellaro. Others members of the company are JoAnn Mazza of Stroudsburg, Jim Miller, of Washington, and Gwenn O'Donnell, of Annandale. Musical direction for the production is provided by Tierney Jory, of Bangor. All seats for A Christmas Carol are reserved at $15. and are available by calling Country Gate at (908) 475-1104 or by logging onto the theatre website at www.countrygate.org