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Laramie Project: Ten Years Later
Oct. 25th, 2009 07:27 pmSo I should start out by stating that there aren't really any pics to go with the report. Photography was strictly verboten. There are a few pics here that someone took outside. I'll also be scanning in my program and posting it at some point. I also took some pics outside the church that I still need to upload.
A little background. This play is done in a reading style. That means that each of the performers sat and read from the scripts and they take on multiple roles in the play. The performers were:
James Cromwell - He served as narrator.
Christian Clemenson
Julie Benz
Lisa Edelstein
Johnny Galecki
Barrett Foa
Jim Parsons
Pauley Perrette
Zachary Quinto
Helen Shaver
Michael Weatherly
The play itself is about the return to Laramie, Wyoming. Laramie is where Matthew Shepard was taken, tied to a fence and brutally beaten in 1998 because he was gay. In the original Laramie Project the members of the Tectonic Theater Project interviewed the townspeople of Laramie about the murder. The play (like this one) is a reading of interviews and journal entries of with the members of the company.
The follow-up interviews with the townspeople, the police who found Matthew Shepard, the students at Wyoming University and even with the two assailants are extremely profound and insightful. It's an interesting look into how attitudes and some policies have changed in the ten years since the murder. It's also a look at how they haven't changed.
One of the most striking parts was the discussion about the 2004 20/20 interview that essentially put forth the idea that the beating wasn't motivated by Matthew's sexuality at all, but that it was a robbery gone wrong with drugs involved. Both the Police Chief and Sherrif at the time of Matthew's death refute the drug angle. 20/20 still presented it as a credible and even likely idea. Police Chief O'Maley (read by Michael Weatherly) talked about how he found an email that the 20/20 producers had left behind which showed they fully intended to downplay the Hate Crimes aspect of Matthew's murder.
The perpetuation of this mis-information was shown in the reactions of several of the townspeople who were interviewed as well. Sadly, it's human nature. It's easier to pass something off as a robbery gone wrong, while hyped up on drugs than it is to admit the pervasive social attitudes which lead to the kind of hatred involved in the crime.
The actors all did an amazing job in the reading. There were parts that were clearly emotional and difficult, but there was also a bit of humor in it as well. I'm not sure that I could even single out any of the actors as being a favorite for this (not even Michael even though he was phenomenal and has good looking hair again *g*). I will say that my respect and admiration for all of them has increased greatly.
Okay, and I was *really* impressed by Barrett Foa. I would absolutely go and see any of these folks in anything they do.
Judy Shepard (Matthew's mother) spoke and did a book signing afterwards. She's an amazing woman who turned a tragedy into a voice for positive change. For those who may not know it, the Hate Crimes legislation named after her son is headed for President Obama's desk for signature. Someone asked when he was going to sign it, and she said she was sworn to secrecy about the details. I'm hoping that means soon.
A little background. This play is done in a reading style. That means that each of the performers sat and read from the scripts and they take on multiple roles in the play. The performers were:
James Cromwell - He served as narrator.
Christian Clemenson
Julie Benz
Lisa Edelstein
Johnny Galecki
Barrett Foa
Jim Parsons
Pauley Perrette
Zachary Quinto
Helen Shaver
Michael Weatherly
The play itself is about the return to Laramie, Wyoming. Laramie is where Matthew Shepard was taken, tied to a fence and brutally beaten in 1998 because he was gay. In the original Laramie Project the members of the Tectonic Theater Project interviewed the townspeople of Laramie about the murder. The play (like this one) is a reading of interviews and journal entries of with the members of the company.
The follow-up interviews with the townspeople, the police who found Matthew Shepard, the students at Wyoming University and even with the two assailants are extremely profound and insightful. It's an interesting look into how attitudes and some policies have changed in the ten years since the murder. It's also a look at how they haven't changed.
One of the most striking parts was the discussion about the 2004 20/20 interview that essentially put forth the idea that the beating wasn't motivated by Matthew's sexuality at all, but that it was a robbery gone wrong with drugs involved. Both the Police Chief and Sherrif at the time of Matthew's death refute the drug angle. 20/20 still presented it as a credible and even likely idea. Police Chief O'Maley (read by Michael Weatherly) talked about how he found an email that the 20/20 producers had left behind which showed they fully intended to downplay the Hate Crimes aspect of Matthew's murder.
The perpetuation of this mis-information was shown in the reactions of several of the townspeople who were interviewed as well. Sadly, it's human nature. It's easier to pass something off as a robbery gone wrong, while hyped up on drugs than it is to admit the pervasive social attitudes which lead to the kind of hatred involved in the crime.
The actors all did an amazing job in the reading. There were parts that were clearly emotional and difficult, but there was also a bit of humor in it as well. I'm not sure that I could even single out any of the actors as being a favorite for this (not even Michael even though he was phenomenal and has good looking hair again *g*). I will say that my respect and admiration for all of them has increased greatly.
Okay, and I was *really* impressed by Barrett Foa. I would absolutely go and see any of these folks in anything they do.
Judy Shepard (Matthew's mother) spoke and did a book signing afterwards. She's an amazing woman who turned a tragedy into a voice for positive change. For those who may not know it, the Hate Crimes legislation named after her son is headed for President Obama's desk for signature. Someone asked when he was going to sign it, and she said she was sworn to secrecy about the details. I'm hoping that means soon.
