For the week of April 16 - 22, 2003

‘Laramie Project’ reveals truths about small towns

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By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer

It could have happened here in our small community, though we shudder to think so. Instead, the fatal beating in 1998 of a gay college senior named Matthew Shepard happened in Laramie, Wyo. The worldwide media coverage turned Shepard into a martyr symbolizing random acts of violence.

Photo by Kevin Johnson

The Company of Fools, never one to shy away from a challenge, is presenting the docudrama "The Laramie Project," April 23 through May 11 at the Liberty Theatre in Hailey. Co-directed by COF’s members Denise Simone and John Glenn, the production is made possible by the Blaine County Teen Advisory Council and St. Thomas Episcopal Church.

"The Laramie Project" is not a rehash of the widely publicized crime. The play, instead, comes out of research done by Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project that began just four weeks after Shepard’s murder and continued through the trial of the second defendant more than a year later.

"One of the first things we noticed was that the diversity within our group turned out to be a great advantage," Kaufman said. "Some members wanted to know about the ranching community, others about the gay and lesbian community, others about Shepard, still others about the lives of the perpetrators. We began to hear a rich and varied collection of community voices."

The play opened in Denver in February 2000. Then it moved to The Union Square Theatre in New York City in May 2000. And in November 2000 it was performed in Laramie.

"The Laramie Project" re-examines Shepard’s murder within the framework of a portrait of the citizens of Laramie, their reactions to the tragedy and the effect of being in the eye of a media storm.

Simone finds the play surprisingly hopeful, even leavened with humor.

"A lot of that has to do with the BCTAC kids."

She said they choose projects to become involved in that they feel particularly strongly about, and any kind of discrimination is very close to their hearts.

"We adults get squeamish but it’s there, in our town. We need to stop staying it’s not."

Among its efforts, BCTAC has raised money to offset the cost of tickets for student matinees. It also is advocating the program in the high school and with their peers. They’ve written essays, which will appear in a study guide of the play as well as the program. They’re also building an interactive lobby at the Liberty, where audience members can add their voices to those of the Laramie voices. And there will be a typewriter set up for people to add to a continual story on hate and intolerance.

"It’s an amazing project for us to work on," Simone said. Indeed, for the first time a mostly new cast will be on the stage at The Liberty.

The cast consists of Lisa Beth Fox, John Glenn, Nick Green, Douglas Hanks, Renee Knappenberger, Christine Leslie, Noah Levin, Michelle nelson, Jennifer Jacoby Rush and Richard Rush.

COF Musical Director R.L. Rowsey is the 11th character, as he’ll respond to the monologues as a musical component, which will change nightly.

The set, which Simone described as "simple yet visually very striking," was designed by Denis Rexroad.

Wednesday, April 23, is a "Pay-What-You-Can" preview and an opening night party is planned for Friday, April 25. There will be a Fools Unplugged artist-audience encounter following each of the three Sunday matinees.

Tickets—$20 reserved, $15 students and seniors—are available though Company of Fools box office 578-9122.

 

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