Ava Wahl
It’s a feeling like no other: the excitement as the lights dim and the curtains open as you sit at the edge of your seat, encapsulated. There’s something calling you- maybe it’s a quote, the setting, or the gleam in an actor’s eye as they reflect on the stage-but it’s a call nonetheless, and it’s one you’re meant to answer.
No matter how many times one sees a play, it never gets old. Each performance is a new world to explore, an opportunity to immerse oneself in the story and the message it tells. And such was the case on the opening night of this year’s fall play, The Laramie Project.
The Laramie Project was originally written in 2000 by Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project. The script is based on the aftermath of the 1998 murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard, who was brutally beaten by two men in the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming, and died in the hospital several days later. Members of the Tectonic Theater Project based in New York traveled to Laramie to interview the townspeople on their reactions to the horrible crime. Overall, they conducted over 200 interviews, and these transcripts eventually became the script for the production. It focuses on provocative themes such as discrimination, homophobia, and violence – themes which are, unfortunately, still quite relevant today.
The Laramie Project is a kind of show our theater department has never attempted before-it is not fun nor humorous, and includes very mature content. Our school’s decision to perform this play shows the dedication our staff and students have to telling important stories and conveying powerful truths, no matter how hard they may be.
The cast did an exemplary job of capturing the solemn, meaningful tone of the story, communicating its themes with sincerity and conviction. The vibrant collage of scenes painted a detailed picture of the event and the staggering ways it affected the community of Laramie. The small town was faced with incredible violence and tragedy, forced to tend with the media and the outcomes of the crime. Our actors passionately portrayed the citizens’ reactions to the sudden change in their lives and weaved together a very convincing, emotional narrative. I almost shed a few tears as I watched the stunning account unfold before my eyes, moved by the students’ poignant representation of the heartbreaking story.
Additionally, the occasional Southern accents and on-point costuming helped to develop the unique, authentic setting of the play. The imagery in both the set and in the script’s dialogue depicted the town’s atmosphere and beauty, adding even more depth to the performance.
Overall, the school’s production of “The Laramie Project” drew the audience in with a breathtaking, heartfelt narrative while conveying a powerful message about the impacts of hatred and violence on a community. Yet, even with the grief and the heaviness, I was able to understand the hopeful undertone: we, as a society, can grow, repair wounds, and ensure that devastating events like this do not repeat themselves. We have far to go, but with hard work and the determination of those willing to communicate these themes and preserve equality, progress will continue to be made.
The WHS theater department encourages the support of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, an organization committed to exploring the message of the play and fostering compassion and equality among communities. To find out more about the foundation, go to www.matthewshepard.org.
