“The Laramie Project” Writer to Speak at Fisher
October 25, 2018
Stage and screenwriter Stephen Belber, known for his work as one of the writers of “The Laramie Project,” will deliver a lecture during St. John Fisher College’s 2018 Cavanaugh Reading Series.
Sponsored by the English Department, the event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7, Basil 135, and is free and open to the public.
Belber earned an Artist Diploma in Playwriting from Juilliard, and is renowned for his writing for both stage and screen. “The Laramie Project,” which received an Emmy nomination for writing, follows the murder of Matthew Shepard and its aftermath in Laramie, Wyoming —an American tragedy that unfolded 20 years ago this fall.
His plays—including “Dusk Rings a Bell,” “McReele,” “Fault Lines,” and “The Power of Duff”—have been produced on Broadway and in over 25 countries. He has written numerous films including “Tape,” and wrote and directed the feature films, “Management” and “Match.” He has written for television, including “Law and Order: SVU” and “Rescue Me,” and is a consulting producer and writer on season two of “The First,” a Hulu original series. He is currently at work on a film about the Kent State shootings.
The Cavanaugh Event will showcase clips from a range of Belber’s projects and a craft talk. Fisher student Oskarys Fermin will join Belber in performing a live scene reading from the play “Dusk Rings a Bell.”
In addition to delivering the Cavanaugh lecture, Belber will be the final speaker at the Fall 2018 Teach-In at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7, in Basil 135. In concert with the theme of “justice” for this year’s Teach-In, Belber will talk specifically about his work writing “The Laramie Project.” In advance of his talk on campus, Fisher faculty and staff will also perform a stage reading of “The Laramie Project” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6, in Cleary Family Auditorium.