The Laramie Project is more than just a play

Every once in a while, an event comes around that captivates the world. In 1998, that event was the one of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old college student who was murdered in his hometown of Laramie, Wyoming for being gay. The hate crime gripped the world, drawing in media and outsiders into the small mid-west community. The world was shocked that the life of this unassuming young man was taken at the hands of immature homophobic bigots.

17 years later, this story remains as important as ever. For every good story we get in the LGBTQ Society – like the news of the legalization of gay marriage or the emergence of gay characters in popular culture – we hear bad ones like presidential candidates discounting the supreme court ruling or hear of violence acts, like the one committed on campus a few weeks ago.

This is why senior Jesse Small and No Refund Theatre are bringing their rendition of The Laramie Project to the stage this weekend in the Flex Theatre at the HUB.

The Laramie Project is a play written by Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater company after a year and a half of conducting over 200 interviews in the town. From the back of the script: The Laramie Project is a breathtaking theatrical collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable.”

Many versions of this play are conducted with full costumes and a set, but NRT is adopting a black box style for this performance. The cast is made up of 12 people playing over 60 different characters.

“For me, it is not about the place, but about the message of the play,” said director Jesse Small. “I want people to think about Matthew and how it can happen not just in Laramie, but every where around the world.”

This is why this show is being performed in the Flex Theater. It is a more communal environment for a conversation to be started than the usual NRT home in the Forum Building. Senior Amy Tizio and cast member said: “Well, this is the first show in the Flex Theatre, so as far as NRT shows go, this is drastically different.  Being in a real performance space adds another element to this show.  The lighting and the area make the show seem more professional and I think the tone of seriousness will come through more easily.”

The tone of the show is dramatic and it fully comes to life when it hits the stage. Sophia McClennan is a professor here at Penn State and she teaches a class on Human Rights and Literature in which she has students read The Laramie Project. She teaches the play at the end of the semester after reading books from Japan and Chile to remind students “not be naïve that we have Human Rights issues at home.”

Professor McClennan remembers the weeks following Matthew’ attack in 1998. “For many of us there is something very particular about Matthews story that drove home… you know it’s funny it’s not like we don’t have examples where a gay man has been beaten up, but there were a number of things about that case that really made many of us… I still feel very attached to the story. I mean they left him there, there were so many things that they did that showed just an indifference to his life.”

Moment: The Fireside

This indifference to life has effected gay students here on campus even today. Cast member Alex Garip, a female sophomore who is openly gay, was drawn to the show to get the message out because she has felt personally victimized.

“I have felt unsafe and uncomfortable on this campus because of my sexuality. I’ve been verbally attacked by men, calling me slurs and saying inappropriate sexual things to me… I’ve mostly just had problems with the straight males on campus because they look at me as some girl-sex-machine and completely erase me as a human being containing any kind of depth besides sex with another woman, and men who call me a dyke or continuously try to harass me or hit on me thinking they can ‘turn me.'”

McClennan describes this type of violence as an “unbelievable demonization of gay sexuality.” Her quote is what opens this article and speaks to this demonization. The defendants Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson claimed that Matthew hit on him, and that was their justification for murder. In what community is that an acceptable excuse?

And although this play is about a gay man and homophobic hate crimes, the message translates to any minority group. African Americans, females, Asians, Hispanics, all have felt these human rights violations in our nation. And these are not just events that occurred in the 60s; racism, sexism and homophobia are still a problem today, and stories like this make sure we do not forget.

This does not mean that life isn’t better for gay people. Ryan Jacobs is a gay senior and is playing the role of author Moisés Kaufman, as well as others. When asked about the effects on the play, he reflected on the violence and thanked the people who came before him.

“It is easy to forget how life used to be for people who were gay decades ago. We are lucky in present day for the wide acceptance of any sexuality. People are realizing it doesn’t matter, love who you want, be happy. Granted not everyone is accepting, but still. This show reminds me of the pain and suffering that those who are like me had to endure in order for people to react and change how we are treated as humans. It is because of these horrific events that happened to others that I am able to live a comfortable life and be happy in my own skin.”

Moment: The Word

This drama brings to the stage the events of the real world. These actors are playing real people who are still alive today. It is more than just a play, but it is a chance for a conversation. “We have these different beliefs and different ways that we live our lives, and embracing and understanding these differences rather than using them as a tool for hate should always be our goal,” said senior Sean Gregory

Its time to end the hate. Because if there is one thing Matthew can teach us is that we are all connected, and all of our lives are important, and our stories need to be told.

SPA LateNight Present’s NRT’s: The Laramie Project on Thursday 10/29 Friday 10/30 and Saturday 10/31 at 9pm in the Flex Theater in the HUB.

For more information about Matthew Shepard, his foundation, please check out matthewshepard.org.