The Laramie Project opens tonight for a three-night run at Central College. Directed by Central senior Eric Bridges, the play was drawn from the events that followed the 1998 death of Matthew Shepard.  Shepard, a young gay man, was beaten, bound to a fence, and left to die outside Laramie, Wyoming.  The production draws a picture of the town, its inhabitants, and their reactions to the murder and events that followed.  Bridges says directing the play has been a challenging experience because of the ways that actors interact with each other and the audience.

Tickets are five dollars for general admission and three dollars for students and seniors, and are available at the Maytag Box Office.  The Laramie Project starts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights in the Kruidenier Center on the Central College Campus in Pella.