OWN IT.

As a part of The Laramie Project, the Theatre Department has designed a campaign called OWN IT.  The mission of Own It is to empower youth who face discrimination and support their journey to OWN IT. In a nation of differences, we are fighting to end hate crimes by accepting ourselves and others, owning up to our mistakes, and advocating for change in our communities and families: We will Own It. This campaign partners with organizations like SMYAL and DC Public Schools to help us identify talented young people who were victims of hate crimes or prejudice.  These young people will receive a scholarship to our Theatre Summer Intensive.  

THE LARAMIE PROJECT

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts Theatre Department will present their production of The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project on April 11-13. The Laramie Project addresses the brutal murder of openly gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard.  In 1998, Matthew Shepard was savagely beaten, tied to a fence, and left to die in the prairies of Laramie, Wyoming.  Revered as one of the most heartbreaking and captivating pieces of contemporary theatre, The Laramie Project exposes both the consequences of our prejudices and hatred and our capacity for empathy and love.

HOW CAN YOU HELP SUPPORT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE?
Purchase an ad for your business or simply write a personal note of encouragement to these young men and women.  If you'd like to purchase an ad, please click the Purchase an Ad button. You can also purchase an OWN IT. T-shirt or a Matthew Shepard bracelet (25% of the proceeds will support the Matthew Shepard Foundation). All funds raised from ads, t-shirts, and bracelets support the campaign to give young people the VIP treatment at The Laramie Project.

On behalf of the Theatre Department, the cast and crew of The Laramie Project, and the young men and women who will receive this opportunity, we say:

THANK YOU!! #OWNIT.