Press Contact:
Dr. Brian A. Cheslik, Artistic Director of Deaf Austin Theatre
[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. (PRESS IMAGE ATTACHED)

CASTING COMPLETE FOR DEAF AUSTIN THEATRE’S THE LARAMIE PROJECT

Austin, TX – Deaf Austin Theatre (DAT) premieres the first American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken English production of The Laramie Project with a Deaf and Hearing Cast opens on September 7th-16th, 2023. A livestream event via Stellar debuts on October 12th, 2023 to a global audience in honor of the 25th anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s legacy. DAT’s production will be the first professionally staged American Sign Language (ASL) production of The Laramie Project.

The Laramie Project is a thought-provoking documentary play that explores the aftermath of the tragic 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay college student in Laramie, Wyoming. The play delves into the impact of the incident on the local community and raises important questions about prejudice, hate crimes and tolerance. DAT aims to promote inclusivity, accessibility, and awareness of these same experiences faced by the Deaf and LGBTQIA communities.

Director Jules Dameron, along with DAT’s Artistic Director Dr. Brian Cheslik and DAT Production Manager Sandra Mae Frank, from Broadway’s Spring Awakening Revival and NBC’s New Amsterdam, helm this production and have brought together a powerhouse of Deaf actors and hearing ASL fluent actors.

Cast features Joey Antonio (Dance Camp, ABC’s Zoey’s Extraordinary Play List), Joey Caverly* (Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, Olney Theatre Center’s The Music Man), Brian Cheslik** (Co-Director DAT & ZACH Theatre’s Cinderella, DAT & GFT’s The Last Five Years & Next to Normal), Jules Dameron (see below), Taylor Flanagan (Ensemble/Gabrielle’s voice in DAT & ZACH Theatre’s Cinderella, Judith et al in Judith with Hyde Park Theatre), Leila Hanaumi (Assistant DASL/Ensemble in DAT & ZACH Theatre’s Cinderella), Ashlea Hayes (ABC’s Switched At Birth, NBC’s Law and Order: SVU), Dickie Hearts* (Netflix’s Tales of the City & Grace & Frankie, Public Theatre’s Dark Disabled Stories); Amelia Hensley* (ABC’s Station 19, Broadway’s Deaf West Spring Awakening Revival); Justin Jackerson (Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet at Ophelia Jump Productions; The Perfect Match), Krissy Lemon (Gabrielle in DAT & ZACH Theatre’s Cinderella, Cathy in DAT & GFT’s The Last Five Years), Saul Lopez (ASL Jamie in DAT & GFT’s The Last Five Years), Heba Toulan* (DAT & ZACH Theatre’s Cinderella, SENSES, The Window Washer)

The creative team includes Director Jules Dameron (Director Møkkakaffe Norway TV series; Director of Crazy Town, Sesame Street ASL Series), Director of Artistic Sign Languag (DASL) Kailyn Aaron-Lozano (DASL DAT & ZACH Theatre’s Cinderella, Deaf Broadway’s Company at Lincoln Center, Hulu’s Reverse Polarity); Stage Manager Miriam Rochford*; Assistant Stage Manager Kelsey Moringy; Lighting Designer Jacqueline Sindelar; Sound Designer Rodd Simonson; Costume & Set Designers Dr. Brian Cheslik** & Jules Dameron; Graphic Designer Michael Epstein.

• denotes members of Actors Equity Association (AEA)
  **denotes members of Stage Directors & Choreographers Society (SDC)

The Laramie Project is funded in part by National Endowment for the Arts, Greater Austin Foundation for the Deaf, Matthew Shepard Foundation, BEA Investment Group, Ploeger ASL Interpreting, LLC; Dozanu Innovation, National Disability Theatre, Communication By Hand, Sorenson, True+Way ASL, Hypernovas Productions and SIGNmation.

OPENS ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2023
FINAL PERFORMANCE SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2023
Tickets, starting at $25, can be purchased online:
LIVE SHOW TICKETS

VIRTUAL LIVE STREAM THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12th, 2023
VIA STELLAR
STREAMING TICKETS

To donate or learn more about Deaf Austin Theatre’s production of The Laramie Project, please visit www.deafaustintheatre.org and https://donorbox.org/the-laramie-project-2#info

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