Thursday evening, April 17, I had the privilege to be in the audience for the closing night of The Laramie Project. I was familiar with both the play and the movie inspired by it when I sat down to view the live stage show, which I believe actually heightened my enjoyment of the production. The Laramie Project is an intensely written interpretation of a massive collection of dramatic interviews that were conducted in Laramie, Wyoming shortly after Matthew Shepard’s murder. This was, of course, no ordinary murder. Due to the horrifically violent nature of the crime and the fact that it was strongly suspected that the crime was motivated by the sexual orientation of the victim, the murder fell under the classification of hate crime. That classification was one of the things that made it so easy to sensationalize this tragedy. It was directly following a relentless media barrage, that Moises Kaufman chose take the Tectonic Theatre Project to Laramie, Wyoming in an attempt to set the story right.
What followed this investigation was a powerful play that does nothing less than reveal the truth of this horrific situation as it was experienced by those who were there, those who lived through it. When I discovered that the Plymouth Players and A.L.S.O. would be presenting this play, I knew that, regardless of how it was performed, staged, or directed, it would be an incredible show. Kaufman’s script is such that it could simply be read aloud at a microphone and it would move an entire audience. What I saw last Thursday night blew away any of my preconceived expectations. I knew that it would be a good show, but I didn’t realize how good until I was given a minute to catch by breath after the show, standing outside Hall, smoking a cigarette and unable to respond to anything besides hugs.
The cast poured its heart and soul into this production. This compliment is exaggerated when you stop to appreciate the fact that most of them were cast as multiple characters, characters who were often directly opposed each other throughout the controversy that surrounded Matt’s death. Although nearly all of the cast showcased their extraordinary versatility through this entire show, one of the best examples of these talents would have to Caitlin Waltzer’s performance. Caitlin was cast as both the feminist, lesbian best friend of the victim and the close minded, drug addict friend of one of the accused murders. The emotional shades that these actors, many of whom were cast similarly to Caitlin, were able to portray were simply stunning. The minimal cast contributed beautifully to the understated feel of the production and left plenty of room for the conveyance of the raw imagery that makes this play so strong. This minimalism was heightened by the set design, a black cube and a barb wire fence, the use of which was blocked so masterfully by Stage Manager Melissa Nelson and Director Francis Page, that these two set pieces served to create the entire setting of the play without out once losing the imagination of the audience.
All and all, I was thoroughly impressed, moved, and inspired by this performance. The emotional effect on the audience was audible and tangible throughout the night as we sniffled, wiped our eyes and leaned together to comfort each other. Having been given the opportunity to share this evening with so many people, I would confidently say that not a person left that theatre with their heart untouched by Matthew Shepard’s life. I would like to personally thank Director Francis Page and his cast for having the courage and talent to bring such an important performance to this campus. It was a tear-choked gasp that replenished the breath we had been holding for so long in apathy.