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Moisés Kaufman – Lecture: “Theater in 2018 - The Vicinity of Hope”
A public address by the author of “The Laramie Project”
Moisés Kaufman — playwright, director and author of the 2018-19 common reading book selection, “The Laramie Project” — will give a public address at Appalachian State University.
“The Laramie Project” is a play about the community of Laramie, Wyoming, in the aftermath of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, who was a gay student at the University of Wyoming. The murder, which was denounced as a hate crime, sparked a national debate.
“‘The Laramie Project’ represents a creative and illuminating response to an act of inhumane violence. The various perspectives about exclusion, violence, and community membership offered by ‘The Laramie Project’ are quite relevant for our incoming first-year students, whom we hope will engage in discussions about the issues that shape our community,” said Dr. Martha McCaughey, director of Appalachian’s Common Reading Program.
About Moisés Kaufman
Moisés Kaufman is the founder and artistic director of Tectonic Theater Project, a Tony- and Emmy-nominated director and playwright, and a 2015 recipient of the National Medal of Arts. Mr. Kaufman’s Broadway directing credits include the revival of “The Heiress” with Jessica Chastain, “33 Variations” (which he also wrote) starring Jane Fonda (5 Tony nominations); Rajiv Joseph’s Pulitzer Prize finalist “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” with Robin Williams; and Doug Wright’s Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning play “I Am My Own Wife” with Jefferson Mays.
His play “The Laramie Project” (which he wrote with the Tectonic Theater Project company) is among the most performed plays in America. Other credits include “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde” (which he also wrote), “The Tallest Tree in the Forest” (Mark Taper, BAM), “The Nightengale” (La Jolla Playhouse), “The Common Pursuit” (Roundabout), “Macbeth” with Liev Schreiber (Public Theater), “This Is How It Goes” (Donmar Warehouse), “One Arm” by Tennessee Williams (New Group and Steppenwolf Theatre Company), the opera “El Gato con Botas” (Puss in Boots) at the New Victory Theater, and “Master Class” with Rita Moreno (Berkeley Repertory Theatre). Kaufman also co-wrote and directed the HBO film adaptation of “The Laramie Project,” which received two Emmy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Writer. He is an Obie winner and a Guggenheim Fellow in Playwriting.
Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series
About the Common Reading Program at Appalachian
Since 1997, incoming first-year students at Appalachian State University have been asked to read a book as part of their orientation to the university. By participating in the Common Reading Program, students establish a common experience with other new students that will help develop a sense of community with their new environment and introduce them to a part of the academic life they are beginning at Appalachian. This program is an exciting facet in Appalachian's orientation of new students to life on campus. Learn more at https://commonreading.appstate.edu/about.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
