'The Laramie Project'

Controversial play to benefit theater students

By Crystal Hohenthaner, Journal staff | Saturday, February 16, 2008

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Taking an intense look at what crime and hate can do to a small rural community, the upcoming production of “The Laramie Project” is meant to educate, illuminate and raise funds for Central High School theater students.

Sponsored by the Advocates for Creative Theater Students, the show focuses on the reaction of the community of Laramie, Wyo., to the brutal death of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student who was found beaten and lashed to a fence on Oct. 6, 1998. Shepard died six days later after being transported to a Fort Collins, Colo., hospital. The murder and the hate-crime accusations that surrounded it soon became national news.

As a result of the coverage, playwright and director Moises Kaufman decided to take a group of actors, known as the Tectonic Theater Project, to Laramie to interview people involved in and affected by the crime in an effort to get to the bottom of the controversy. As a result, Kaufman and several other members of the company penned and performed “The Laramie Project.”

Productions of “The Laramie Project” have been staged across the United States, including a performance in Laramie in 2002. Because of the dark and intense subject matter of the script, productions of the show have sometimes caused controversy within the communities they are performed. Some productions have even been met with protest.

Director Justin Speck, who is also head of Central’s drama program, knows the play will raise some questions, but he is very excited about the educational opportunities “The Laramie Project” will provide.

“I’m well aware of the possible sense of outrage there may be in the community,” he said. “But I chose this show because I think it is time. Time has a way of softening issues and this year marks the 10th anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death — it’s time that we share Moises Kaufman’s vision of Laramie with the community here in Rapid City.”

Speck said he feels most of the controversy surrounding the show has to do with misinformation and fear.

“I think the biggest controversy behind this play is going to center around the alternative lifestyle Matthew Shepard led,” Speck said. “People may fear that we have some sort of agenda with regard to that lifestyle in performing this play — and that is false.”

But Speck asserts that the show is about Laramie, not Shepard.

“This tragedy could have happened anywhere,” he said, “and this show is about how the community dealt with all of the emotions and repercussions of the tragedy.”

Another fear Speck wants to assuage is that acts of violence or homosexuality will be depicted in the play.

“Some people may fear that the audience will be exposed to that kind of explicit visual content, and that is again, completely false,” he said. “Just talking about what happened to Matthew and how the community has to deal with it is upsetting and emotional enough. There’s no need to show such things to make (Kaufman’s) point.”

Another thing audiences need not fear is bias, he said.

“People are wondering if the story is going to be told in a biased fashion,” Speck said. “I want to let everyone know that we are not going to slant this. We will adhere to the author’s intent — and that is to tell the story to the best of his ability through the eyes of the community. I think Moises does a great job of keeping it unbiased.”

Even with the possible controversy the show could bring, Speck and the Advocates for Creative Theater Students board are quite confident in the piece. The board voted unanimously to produce the show, and Speck feels that if nothing else, curiosity will drive attendance.

“I am anticipating there will be an enormous amount of people who want to see the show — for whatever reason,” he said. “I think it is going to sell out simply because of curiosity.”

The show is sponsored fully by Advocates for Creative Theater Students, a parent and community support group designed to raise funds for and speak on behalf of theater students. The group is currently raising funds for a new performance space at Central and college scholarships for Central theater students. With “The Laramie Project,” the group is also raising money for a special project this summer.

Joey Lore, director of Advocates for Creative Theater Students and technical director for “The Laramie Project,” is also excited about the show and what the funds raised will provide.

“The funds raised from ‘The Laramie Project’ will help 20 students go to Athens, Greece,” Lore said. “The students will be taking the world’s oldest comedy, Aristophane’s ‘The Frogs,’ to be performed there.”

The trip, planned for this summer, is being coordinated with a group call Education First Tours and details of the trip are currently being decided. But some things are certain.

“Students can read about ancient Greek and Roman theater in books,” Lore said. “But during this trip, they will be able to walk on the ancient stages as Plato and Aristotle did.”

The group is also currently planning two extra days in Athens to publicize its production.

“The students are very excited about performing on the world’s oldest stages in Athens, Greece,” Lore said.

Aside from the monetary potential for the show, Lore sees value for the students in the issues addressed by “The Laramie Project.”

“This show does many wonderful things for students,” Lore said. “Dealing with such intense subject matter empowers young people to educate themselves and their peers, to allow one another to live and create in the same environment no matter what their differences.”

Because of the subject matter and the possible confusion and fears surrounding the show, Lore encourages people to research “The Laramie Project.”

“There are resource materials available that can help them understand things before they come to the show,” Lore said. “HBO produced a version of ‘The Laramie Project’ a few years ago and there’s some great information on their Web site: www.time.com/time/classroom/laramie.”

Lore also said that research is important, because there are some situations that parents may want to talk to their teenagers about before coming to see the sow.

“There are some very adult themes, and for younger kids, it may be inappropriate for them to view such a piece of theater,” Lore said.

Despite the controversy surrounding “The Laramie Project,” the fundraising goal of this piece of theater is clear.

“Come support the show and help the students going to Athens, Greece,” Lore said.

If you go

What: “The Laramie Project,” an intense emotional drama about a community’s reaction to a brutal crime committed by two men against a University of Wyoming student.

Who: Advocates for Creative Theater Students, or ACTS, is sponsoring the production. Members of the cast and crew of “The Laramie Project” come from the community, Central High School staff and some Central students and their parents.

Where: Central High School theater

When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21-23, 2 p.m. Feb. 23

Why: To raise funds for Central High School theater students traveling to Greece this summer.  

Tickets: All seats are general admission. Seats are $10 for adults and $5 for students with an ID. Tickets will go on sale one hour before performance; doors open one-half hour before performance.

Rating: The ACTS board recommends parental guidance. “The Laramie Project” contains scenes that may be unsuitable for children under age 13. Children younger than age 5 are not permitted.

Contact Crystal Hohenthaner at 394-8329 or crystal.hohenthaner@rapidcityjournal.com.