Cal State L.A.'s Department of Music, Theatre and Dance, along with the Department of Communication Studies and the University Library, will present Circle Squared Collective's production of The Laramie Project by Moisés Kauffman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project at the State Playhouse on campus for three performances—April 15, 16, and 17.
Circle Squared Collective is a Los Angeles-based artistic ensemble that was founded in 2013 shortly after several of the ensemble members graduated from Cal State L.A.'s M.F.A. program in Television, Film, and Theatre. Ricky Pak (M.F.A. '12) is the ensemble's artistic director.
One Campus, One Book (OCOB) is an initiative designed to encourage a common reading experience and sense of community at Cal State L.A. The sixth book chosen for the OCOB series is The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman and The Members of the Tectonic Theater Project. Cal State L.A. faculty and staff have been encouraged to incorporate the book and related campus events into their curriculum.
The Circle Squared Collective's first performance was The Laramie Project, produced in October of last year, commemorating the 15-year anniversary of Matthew Shepard's death. Professor Meredith Greenburg approached the company about remounting their production on the Cal State L.A. campus as part of the One Campus, One Book series.
Pak has a personal connection to this story and to Matthew Shepard. As an undergraduate at Colorado State University, he was a member of a Diversity Educational Task Force established to train faculty and staff in incorporating diversity into curriculum, training staff in areas of multicultural sensitivity, and advising the University in reacting to any future hate-crime incidents. Pak was on call when Matthew Shepard was brought to the Ft. Collins hospital; he sat with him in ICU while his family traveled to be with him. He was there through the vigils, the funeral, the meetings and counseling sessions that followed.
"I am proud to present this production to CSULA, my graduate school alma mater. It is a culmination of 15 years of memories and experiences gained from acting, directing, and life," said Pak.
The cast of The Laramie Project includes recent graduates Jillian Pagan (M.F.A. '13), Ricky Pak (M.F.A. '12), Whitney Tenney (M.F.A. '13), Alicia Tycer (M.F.A. '12), Romiero Davis (B.A. TAD '13), Whitney LaBarge (B.A. '13), Mark Peterson (B.A. '12), Evan Tamayo (M.A. '13), current M.F.A. student Matthew Ryan Pest, M.A. theatre student Kevin Ezeh, and undergraduates Roxanne Aparicio, Nadine Bedrossian, Aspen Ford, Jeanette Franco and Adam Macias. The stage manager is Casey Carlson (M.F.A. '13), and lighting designer is undergraduate student Jennifer Castillo.
Tickets are free, but reservations are required. For ticket reservations, please email directly to [email protected]. For information, call (323) 343-4118.
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Working for California since 1947: The 175-acre hilltop campus of California State University, Los Angeles is at the heart of a major metropolitan city, just five miles from Los Angeles’ civic and cultural center. More than 20,000 students and 230,000 alumni—with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds—reflect the city’s dynamic mix of populations. Six Colleges offer nationally recognized science, arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and humanities programs, among others, led by an award-winning faculty. Cal State L.A. is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Jazz Orchestra and to the Honors College for high-achieving students. Programs that provide exciting enrichment opportunities to students and community include a NASA-funded center for space research and a forensic science program, housed in the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center. www.calstatela.edu