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If you think about it, behind any headline in the newspaper or on television, there's a whole other story on how the event affected others.  The 1998 hate-motivated murder of Matthew Shepard gained unusually wide attention for its unmitigated brutality, along with the dragging death of James Byrd in Jasper, Texas, a few months earlier. The pair of hate crimes triggered the passage of hate-crime laws around the country (though not in Texas, where then-Governor George W. Bush vetoed it), and inspired playwright Moises Kaufman to take members of his Tectonic Theater Project to Laramie, Wyoming, to interview townspeople who were involved in the aftermath of the event with the intent of creating some sort of dramatic essay. "The Laramie Project" was the outcome.

The story is told through a series of interviews with the people who had to deal with the crime -- the boy who found Matthew Shepard, the policewoman who brought him in, the sheriff, the doctor at the hospital, Matthew's parents, TV reporters, the bigoted preacher Fred Phelps, and even the two young men who were responsible for the murder.

Maybe you are like me and not too enthused over the idea of seeing a serious play about a heavy subject.  I urge you to give this production a try!  It's not necessarily about gay issues--but how we as human beings treat others who are human beings.  Theatre Huntsville has done a great job of making this play real for the audience.  "Less is more" comes to mind when you see the stark stage and plain costumes that make this seem like the actors are really just talking to the audience and explaining how this horrid event that came to their small town has affected them.  They are just plain folks like us, trying to make sense of a horrific crime that has thrust their community into the limelight and caused everyone to step back and take a look at where society is going when hate is allowed to be tolerated and run wild.

The entire cast needs to be commended for their versatility and talent.  The nine-member cast adroitly handles multiples roles without skipping a beat.  Robbie Shafer brings us close to tears as she describes the Sheriff's experience in seeing the brutalized body of Matthew Shepard at the isolated fence.  Jim Zielinski's portrayal of Matthew's father at the trial of one of the murderers is maybe the most moving moment in the play.  But it's hard to single out just a few of the performances for the entire cast is great.  I urge you to go see this production.  It has a great message and is probably not what you expect to see when you hear about Laramie, Wyoming.  Its message is ripe for right here in Huntsville.

Cast members include:

Leslie Crow

Robbie Shafer

Cam Scales

Amy Patel

Geoffrey Evans

Stacie Wood

Phil Parker

Jim Zielinski

Charles Wood

Directed By:

Lee Deal
Assisted by Donny Becht

RECOMMENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES

"The Laramie Project" Photo Gallery

January 16-17 & 22-24 @ 7:30 pm
January 18 @ 2:00 pm
To purchase tickets or for more information,
call (256)-536-0807,
or visit the office at 1701 University Drive, Suite One, Huntsville
11 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday

 ©2003 Jean Brandau, licensed to About.com
Photo ©2003 Jean Brandau, licensed to About.com

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