LA GRANDE — The Rural Engagement and Vitality Center is hosting the first public reading of the Urban Rural Theater Project on April 25-27, according to an April 8 press release.

The play is written by Sarah Greenman and co-produced with Jack Greenman, according to the REV Center’s webpage on the project. The theater artists worked with students at Eastern Oregon University to collect and share stories that “excavate and deepen our collective understanding” of the urban-rural divide in Oregon.

The Urban Rural Theater Project is a collaboration between the REV Center, Eastern Oregon University and the Wallowa Resource Center.

The aim of the project is to give a voice to unheard narratives, honor the stories of the interviewees and start a conversation about the underlying issues of the divide, according to the REV Center. This includes topics like community and connection, myth and lived experience, and harm and progress.

The readings will take place at 7 p.m. in the McKenzie Theatre in Loso Hall at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. Admission is free.

Audience members are invited to join a dialogue session following the reading of the script. The discussion will focus on what creates a sense of belonging within Oregon communities.