'Laramie' spreads hope

"The Laramie Project" embraced IU's Wells-Metz Theatre this weekend with its message of love, hope and acceptance. The play examined the effects of Matthew Shepard's 1998 murder on the community of Laramie, Wyo., and the people involved. The small town of Laramie became a media circus after two men kidnapped Shepard from a bar because he was an openly-gay male, beat him severely and left him for dead in a remote location tied to a fence.\n"The Laramie Project" is a fast-paced acting marathon encompassing the voices of over 70 characters based upon Laramie citizens and others affected by the Shepard hate crime. After traveling to Laramie and conducting over 200 interviews, Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project originally wrote and performed this script. The play captures the spirit of a community trying to determine its identity after it is rocked by a malicious hate crime. \nThe script explores many different angles of thought people had about Shepard and his death. The reactions to Shepard's death ranged from shock and sympathy to skeptical voices wondering if Shepard provoked his murder. Some of the reactions showed the people who did not believe Shepard deserved the media attention the murder captured. Different characters pushed for hate-crime legislation to be passed, while others questioned how any murder can be considered anything less than a crime of hate. The play portrayed friends of the murderers talking about what great guys they were and praying they are not put to death. \nUnder the direction of Lynne Perkins, the cast of 10 did an effective job of keeping up the pace to play approximately seven roles a piece. There were definite differences between characters played by the same person that extended beyond costume changes and props. Actors took on different accents and mannerisms nearly flawlessly, conveying they had become a new person. With the number of character changes that take place, it is difficult to assign praise to individual members of the cast or even determine who was who. This was an ensemble piece, and as a whole, the acting was convincing.\nAs a result of this highly-effective script, the audience is left questioning who to blame and if there really is a bad guy when society seems to so easily accept anti-gay sentiments. Everyone in the play comes across as human, no matter how terrible their actions. The play is particularly moving because, over the course of three acts, it tracks the reactions of different characters associated with the event and their personal growth from coming from the experience. All of the characters come through the play transformed, with a new outlook on acceptance and hope. \nThe Department of Theatre and Drama has done an excellent job of bringing the thought-provoking and touching "The Laramie Project" to the stage. This play is a moving tribute to Shepard and other hate-crime victims because it questions the way people in society behave towards things they don't understand. "The Laramie Project" is worth seeing because the messages it contains affect all of us in this diverse community. \n-- Contact staff writer Jenica Schultz at jwschult@indiana.edu.