February 2016
Performances:
February 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20
Fri/Sat @ 8:15pm | Sun @ 2:00pm
Written by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project
Directed by John Nunemaker
Location:
Kensington Town Hall / Armory
3710 Mitchell Street, Kensington, MD 20895
In October 1998, twenty-one-year-old Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, severely beaten, and left tied to a fence in the middle of the prairie outside of Laramie, Wyoming. His bloody and battered body was not discovered until the next day. Several days later, he died. He was the victim of this assault because he was gay. THE LARAMIE PROJECT is a breathtaking theatrical collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable.
CAST
 | Taylor Bono (Ensemble Member) is extremely stoked to be making her KAT debut. She is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington with a double major in Environmental Science and Spanish where she filled her (sort of) free time with a cappella, one act shows, improv comedy, and controlled debauchery. Favorite previous credits include Talking With (Handler) and Pippin (Narrator). Thank you to the cast for being so welcoming and awesome. |
 | Francisco Borja (Ensemble Member) is currently a Theatre Major at Montgomery College, and is excited to join KAT for this production. Previous roles: Protean in A Funny Thing...Forum (Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre), Truffaldino in Servant of Two Masters (Montgomery College), Ensemble Member in RENT (Montgomery College), and Romeo in Romeo & Juliet with Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Young Company. He thanks the cast, the crew, and the creative team for all their continued work and support. |
 | Zoe Bulitt (Ensemble Member) is very excited to be in her second show here at KAT after being in JCS and even more excited to be a part of their first straight play. She is a recent graduate of Monmouth University with a BA in Theatre Arts. Credits from Monmouth include Mimi in RENT, Hope in Urinetown, Emily in Our Town, and Antonia in Twelfth Night. She was also in The Laramie Project at Monmouth and can’t express how much this show means to her. She would like to dedicate this performance to Matthew and to all the people of Laramie. I hope we told it right. |
 | Lynnette Franklin (Ensemble Member) is proud to be a part of her first production with KAT. Most recently, she had her first experience as an AD for Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some) at SSS. Previously, she was a part of the play Boxes at Bowie Center for the Performing Arts. She was seen as The Lady in Orange in For Colored Girls at LMP, a theatre that she has worked with several times. She thanks her family and friends for all the love and support, and she thanks KAT for the opportunity to be a part of this important story. |
 | Bob Harbaum (Ensemble Member) is honored to be participating in such a powerful and meaningful play, and is delighted that KAT chose this production as its maiden voyage into the world of non-musicals. He appeared in God of Carnage at SSS a few years ago, which ended a 10-year acting hiatus. Before that he did many shows in and around New York City. As always, he thanks The Boss (No, not Bruce Springsteen! The real Boss: His wife, Maria, of course!) for allowing him to leave the house at night for this important project. |
 | Natalie McManus (Ensemble Member) is thrilled to be part of KAT’s first non-musical production. Natalie has been active in the theatre world for many years (acting, directing, producing, teaching). Significant roles locally: PMTC – Ruth (Collected Stories), Sue Bayliss (All My Sons); SSS – Lottie (Enchanted April), Nurse Ratched (One Flew…Cuckoo’s Nest), Henrietta Iscariot (The Last Days of Judas Iscariot); RLT – Miss Maudie (To Kill a Mockingbird), Mrs. Birling (An Inspector Calls); PTC – Mollie (Mousetrap). Other roles include Cookie in Rumors, and Dawn in All in the Timing, with the NSP in MA. Natalie thanks her husband for his encouragement and support. |
 | Susan S. Porter (Ensemble Member) is delighted to be in her first KAT production. Favorite roles: Yenta, Fiddler; Edith Frank, Diary of Anne Frank (Toby’s); Mrs. Gardiner, Pride and Prejudice; Marcellus/Player Queen, Hamlet Tour (Chesapeake Shakespeare); Cyn, The Relevation of Bobby Pritchard (Iron Crow); Cunningham, Last Days of Judas Iscariot (NCDA); Lee Green, Tale of the Allergist’s Wife; Shirley Kaplan, Street Scene (Fell’s Point); Norma Hubley, Plaza Suite (Cockpit in Court); Maddy, Mamala (Spotlighter’s); Lorenzo/Coachman, Pinocchio (RBT); Doris, Lemonade Dreams (Fringe);Training: National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. |
 | Stuart Rick (Ensemble Member) last performed with KAT nine years ago in another show that had actors playing multiple roles: the K2S production of The Dining Room. More recently, he’s performed at RLT in To Kill a Mockingbird as Atticus Finch (DCMTA Best Actors), Third as Jack Jameson (DCMTA Best Supporting Actors), and The Little Foxes as Ben Hubbard (WATCH nominee – Outstanding Featured Actor). His other roles include Reverend Brown in Inherit the Wind (LMP), Lucio in Measure for Measure (GAC), and Ernie in the one act play Saves the Day (MP) (ESTAFest Outstanding Achievement in Acting). |
 | Shaquille Stewart (Ensemble Member) is much more than ecstatic to be joining his fellow cast mates onstage at KAT for the first time. Previous acting credits: Unmentionables (The Doctor), The Rise of Arturo Ui (Dogsborough), Big Love (Leo), Last Days of Judas Iscariot (El-Fayoumy) at Robert E. Parilla PAC; The Color Blue (Greg), Nighthawks (Wray), The Dumb Waiter (Gus), Words, Words, Words (Swift) at MP; The Good Doctor (Peter) at The Black Rock Center of the Arts; Flock 01 Paradise (Ensemble) at the Smithsonian Museum of African Art. Many thanks to the cast/crew and all my love to Awa for keeping me sane, grounded, and centered. |
 | Brianne Taylor (Ensemble Member) is making her debut at KAT and in the DC/Baltimore area. Recently having graduated from West Virginia University with an MFA in Acting, she moved to DC with her husband last fall. Professional Credits: We Are Pussy Riot, Everything You Touch u/s (CATF); Grad school credits: Arsenic and Old Lace, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Seminar, Henry IV, Cabaret, Carmen, The Cherry Orchard, Blood Wedding. In June 2016, she will begin certification as a Fitzmaurice Voice Teacher in Barcelona. She is grateful for the opportunity to work with KAT! |
 | Elizabeth Weiss (Ensemble Member) is ecstatic to make her KAT debut! Most recently seen in Britches and Hose production of Henry IV Part 1 (Lady Percy), she has recently appeared in MP's The Reluctant Dragon (Sir Wombat) and prior to that, in RLT’s To Kill a Mockingbird. She is so excited to be involved in a pivotal production such as The Laramie Project, and is grateful that KAT has added plays to their repertoire of fantastic productions! |
 | Lena Winter (Ensemble Member) is a graduate of the Honors Conservatory at the Theatre Lab School of Dramatic Arts. This is her first show at KAT. Previous work: THEATRE J – Boged. SSS – Orson’s Shadow (Joan Plowright), Private Lives (Louise). RLT – The Great Gatsby (Myrtle), An Inspector Calls (Sheila), The Miser (Elise). TRM – Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), The Taming of the Shrew (Bianca), King Lear (Regan). PMTC – Collected Stories (Lisa). Lena also voices several characters in the sci-fi audio comedy, EOS 10. |
 | Clancey Yovanovich (Ensemble Member) After rocking out every night in JCS, Clancey is ecstatic to be returning to KAT for this very different show! The Laramie Project has been a dream show for her for many years, and she is extremely grateful to John for giving her a chance to take on this important piece of theatre. Clancey is a proud 2015 American University graduate, where she appeared in How We Got Here, Rashomon, The Rez Sisters, The Rocky Horror Show, The Skin of Our Teeth, and Guys and Dolls. Love goes to her Barcelona fam, for letting her skip out on work for rehearsals; and her amazing friends and dad for their constant support! |