Laramie Project opens next Friday at TCR

by James E. Trainor III

Moises Kaufman's The Laramie Project, like many dramas, centers around a sacrifice that teaches us an important lesson. It would be apocalyptic and even messianic in its scope, if not for the sobering reality that grounds it. The tragedy of Matthew Shepard, after all, is not a dramatic fiction. It actually happened, right here in America.

Let's back up a minute, though. The town of Laramie, not Matthew Shepard, is the main character of The Laramie Project. The play opens by introducing us to this Wyoming community of 27,000, from the perspective of its inhabitants, and then from the perspective of the Tectonic Theater Project, who visited in 1998 to conduct the interviews that eventually became The Laramie Project.

The town was originally a "tent city," a place to rest and gather supplies for railway workers. In 1887, the University of Wyoming opened. Laramie stepped onto the national stage in 1998, when a young student named Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten and left for dead.

Kaufman's play deals with Laramie's reaction to the incident, from the discovery of Shepard's body (he was found tied to a fence) to the trial of the two perpetrators, Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney. The text consists entirely of interviews with Laramie's residents, interspersed with commentary from the members of the Tectonic Theater Project.

Though the beating and the subsequent media attention had a profound effect on the town, the tone of The Laramie Project is ultimately redemptive; Matthew, the young gay man who was tragically killed, becomes a symbol for peace, humility and hope for tomorrow. The individuals in the community, when faced with hate, violence and ugliness, choose to respond with love and compassion. Wyoming has recently pushed hate-crime legislation, due in part to the activism inspired by Shepard's death.

TCR's production of The Laramie Project opens on January 15th at TCR Lindale. This will be the last play at TCR Lindale, the temporary space the theatre has used since the Flood of 2008 damaged the Iowa Theatre building. Starting with Rocky Horror, TCR has produced 11 shows in this space. Its next show, The Producers, will be back downtown.

The Laramie Project runs January 15 - January 24, 7:30 pm on Thursday, Friday & Saturday, 2:30 pm on Sunday, at TCR Lindale (4444 1st Ave NE). Tickets are $20-$25 for adults, $15 for youth, $12 for rush. More information here.