Yesterday afternoon David and I attended a theatrical reading/performance of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, An Epilogue which is a sequel of sorts to the critically acclaimed play The Laramie Project which chronicled the year after the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard took place in Laramie, WY. Laramie: 10 Years Later picks up 10 years after Shepard‘s brutal murder and chronicles the ways Laramie has changed and not changed in that time. Yesterday’s performance took place at the Hollywood United Methodist Church and featured an all-star cast of players … Julie Benz (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dexter), Christian Clemenson (CSI: Miami), James Cromwell (Babe, The Queen), Lisa Edelstein (House, M.D.), Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory), Barrett Foa (NCIS: Los Angeles), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), Pauley Perrette (NCIS), Zachary Quinto (Heroes, Star Trek), Helen Shaver (The L Word), Michael Weatherly (NCIS). Here is a photo of the cast, taken by Richard Settle from the United Methodist Church, and an interview with actress Pauley Perrette about the performance:

NCIS’ Pauley Perrette and more of TV’s biggest stars are banding together for a one-time performance of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later to benefit the Matthew Shepard Foundation and stand up for gay rights. The play is a sequel to The Laramie Project, which was based on the reactions of people in Laramie, Wyo., after Shepard, a 21-year-old gay college student, was murdered there in 1998. The new production revisits the townspeople a decade later and also portrays an interview with one of Shepard’s killers. The new play began performances across the country on Oct. 12. Perrette said she was approached by a member of her church, Hollywood United Methodist Church, about putting together a reading of the play there. Pretty soon, Perrette’s NCIS co-star Michael Weatherly, The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki, House’s Lisa Edelstein, Dexter’s Julie Benz, Heroes’ Zachary Quinto and Emmy winner Christian Clemenson were all on board. “We have so many people from so many different shows, which is fun,” Perrette toldTVGuide.com. “Everyone we called was like, ‘I’m in.’ It’s really incredible. We’re just extremely excited, and it’s really amazing to have that many people come together to do something that’s important.” The reading is planned to coincide with a book signing and speaking appearance by Shepard’s mother, Judy. All proceeds go to benefit the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which promotes antiviolence toward the gay and lesbian community. Perrette, who describes herself as an “outspoken civil rights activist who never shuts up,” says it’s important for people to stand up and be heard. “With so much going on with Prop. 8 and everything else right now, LGBT civil rights activism is what’s most necessary,” Perrette said. “In the women’s movement, women needed men to stand up and say this isn’t right. In the civil rights of the ’60s, it took people of all color to demand equal rights. And in this case, it takes straight chicks like me to demand equal rights for everybody.” Perrette also said it is incumbent on the government to make changes. “I believe that what is legislated bleeds down into everything,” she says. “So if the legislation continues to uphold anything that doesn’t support equal rights and civil rights, that bleeds down into Matthew Shepard being murdered.” Coincidentally, moments after we interviewed Perrette, news broke that the Senate passed a hate-crimes amendment that was partly inspired by Shepard’s murder.

The performance yesterday was … stunning. I was not fully prepared for the emotion that overwhelmed me as I heard the works spoken on that stage. It’s pretty incredible to know that it’s been 10 years since Matthew Shepard was brutally murdered for being gay and so much remains unchanged in that time. I cannot for the life of me imagine what it must feel like to endure that kind of loss … hearing the words spoken from the people of Laramie really hit me hard. Kudos goes out to the cast and crew of this extremely powerful performance. I urge all of you to read The Laramie Project and, if possible, see a performance of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, An Epilogue and be reminded that hate crimes are still as prevalent in this country today as they were 10 years ago … and earlier. I’m encouraged that the Senate finally passed a hate crimes amendment … it is a great step forward in policing the safety and protection of all US citizens.

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