The Laramie Project – 2004 UC Davis and Town of Davis Community
The Laramie Project (2004) which I directed in the touring house Mondavi Arts in California, needed a good young cast and was complemented by panels (different every night of the production) of people from the northern California area who deal with homophobia, police work, social work, community leaders. These panels were integrated onstage to collaboratively co-create parts of the play every night, working with the cast and audience on opening out the ongoing implications of the homophobic incident explored in the play itself.
Panelists and Discussion Topics
Topic: ACLU Farmworker Discrimination Project; Moderator: Shelly Crouse-Monarez, KDVS, Davis Dykes; panelists from ACLU.
Topic: Mass Communications – Process and Product; Moderator: Jeff Hudson, Sacramento News & Review, Capital Public Radio, Davis Enterprise; Panelists: Charlie Peer, Outword Magazine, Casey Hutchins, UC Davis LGBT Grad Group, Matthew Burlingame and Tom Waller, Lambda Players and Queer Ragg.
Topic: Law Enforcement; Moderator: Shelly Crouse-Monarez, KDVS, Davis Dykes; Panelists: Greg Miraglia, Napa Valley College Officer Trainer and Matthew Shepard Foundation Representative, Sheriff Ed Prieto, Yolo County Teaching Tolerance Project, Joy Fergoda, Community Resource Liaison for the Davis Police Department, and Kierith Briesenick, Davis Police Department Officer.
Topic: K-12 Education; Moderator: Shelly Crouse-Monarez, KDVS, Davis Dykes; Panelists: Tina Reynolds, Uptown Studios and Sacramento Public Schools Campaign for Respect, Keltie Jones, Davis Joint Unified School District (DJUSD) Board of Education, Mikael Villalobos, UCD-DJUSD Diversity Liaison, Aja Bettencourt-McCarthy, UC Davis student, Davis High School alumna, former Davis Human Relations Youth Commissioner.
Topic: ACLU Racial Justice Project; Moderator and panelists from ACLU.
Topic: Youth Culture – LGBT Health and Education; Moderator: Keltie Jones, DJUSD Board of Education; Panelists: Dr. Mark Biernbaum, CSUS Professor of Child Development; Stephanie Lake, UCD Health Education and Promotions, Grace Pettygrove, Davis High School Gay Straight Alliance, Padraic Wheeler, Davis High School Gay Straight Alliance, representatives from Lavender Library and Cultural Exchange and Gay Lesbian Straight Educational Network (GLSEN).
Topic: Mass Communications – Process and Product; Moderator: Jeff Hudson, Capital Public Radio, SN&R, Davis Enterprise; Panelists: Sharon Ito, News 10, Casey Hutchins, UC Davis LGBT Grad Group, Eddie Carmona and Hector Hernandez, UCD Cross-Cultural Center, Kim Wallace, author & publisher of Foglight Press.
Topic: Family and Acceptance; Moderator: Shelly Crouse-Monarez, KDVS, Davis Dykes; Panelists: Jorge Sanchez, SFSU Family Acceptance Project; Ingrid Salim, DJUSD Junior High School Teacher; Sheri Atkinson, UC Davis LGBT Resource Center; Danielle Crain, Davis High School Gay Straight Alliance; Catrina Wagner, UCD Residential Life / Student Housing.
Topic: Marriage Equality and the Legislative System; Moderator: Shelly Crouse-Monarez, KDVS, Davis Dykes; Panelists: Shelly Bailes and Ellen Pontac, Yolo County Marriage Equality, Lisa Voelker, Davis High School Gay Straight Alliance, Whitney Kessell, Davis High School Gay Straight Alliance, Kathleen Montgomery, Greater Sacramento Parents Friends and Family of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).
Topic: Inter-Faith Dialogue on LGBT Issues; Moderator: Shelly Crouse-Monarez, KDVS, Davis Dykes; Panelists: Rev. Kirsten Klepfer, Cal Aggie Christian Association, Tina Campbell, Deacon, Trinity Cathedral, and others.
Topic: The Arts and Social Justice – Representation and Responsibility; Moderator: Shelly Crouse-Monarez, KDVS, Davis Dykes; Panelists: Lynne Perry, Theatre of the Oppressed, Les Light, KDVS Radio Theatre, David Van der Griff, Sacramento International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Denise Hoffner-Brodsky, Comedian, Nathan Jones, Sacramento/Black Art of Dance (S/BAD).
