It was a cold winter night when the Department of Music and Theatre Arts produced Moises Kaufman’s play, “The Laramie Project” on Thursday, Nov. 8. Rest assured, the audience’s mood in the Lauren K. Woods Theatre was quite the opposite.
This particular production follows Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project as they conducted hundreds of interviews with the people from Laramie, WY following the fatal beating of homosexual, University of Wyoming student, Matthew Shepard.
Many of the selected interviews range from eye-witness accounts to those affected personally by Matthew’s death. This analytical, yet touching perspective play examines the social and moral ramifications of the beating while delving into more widespread, controversial topics, which includes the obscene social stigma directed towards homosexuals. The cast, comprised of University students, carefully crafts the narrative through each individual’s interpretation of the interviewees.
To some, the subject matter that the production is based upon may make it seem a little dark and discomforting. That’s the beauty of the actor’s interpretation, the personalities in the play are portrayed as stereotypical and over-zealous to alleviate the seriousness. One particular character, named Doc O’Connor, played by junior Brandon Wiener, brings some humor to the stage as the elderly, east coast accented cab driver who babbles about the beauty of the mid-west while wearing his trademark flat cap. In regard to comedic content, his ability to work the audience is gold.
On another note, freshman Courtney Moore plays Marge Murray, the atypical WY housewife, to perfection. She mixes the sweetness of mid-western hospitality with the caustic words of a religious bigot in denial. The conflict between an old religious society and a modern, open one are emphasized through her somewhat subtle acting style. Ms. Moore emphasizes this quality with a slight pause, “As far as the gay issue goes…it doesn’t bother me.”
Don’t forget the fact that this is a perspective play, the fact that multiple roles are portrayed by each actor making it much more entertaining. “The Laramie Project” truly shows the versatility that a single person could possess and the suspension of disbelief that could be placed on an audience. Is that person an actor? Is he the narrator? Oh no, he’s the whole ensemble cast. A sophomore from the audience, Sarah Coff, had this to say on the matter, “The cast did an excellent job being able to juggle multiple roles and personalities.”
Although there were laughs all around, the production and audience didn’t forget about the serious side that the “live and let live” attitude of the inhabitants lacked. Many of the darker aspects of this play included the interviews and testimonies from Laramie’s low-key homosexual community and of those that were close to Matthew. The sadness and grudging acceptance expressed by those sentiments actually brought some audience members to tears.
What other performances could move an audience while instilling the values of equality and love to others? Kenny Bozarth, a freshman in the audience, remarked with a small grin, “I loved the performances in ‘The Laramie Project.’ They drove home the important idea of accepting others.”
There is something special that helps makes the production personal and even more enjoyable: the only static props are the mountainous set, the projected backdrop, and a small corner of a fence.
The artistic director and theatre professor, Dr. John J. Burke, and his staff used their limited resources wisely. They forced the audience to put an emphasis on the cast instead of the minimalistic setting. Whatever other props are used, are only for a specific scene.
The thing that sticks out is the audience’s ability to understand the concept of hope. It’s in every tragic work ever written. In this production, it is the antithesis to the violent nature of the crime being discussed. One of the overall messages that is being pushed through the religious imagery is the concept of forgiveness and maintaining faith.
Joe Schuld, a sophomore audience member, discussed the concept of hope: “It truly was a great performance. I really enjoyed ‘The Laramie Project’ and thought that, despite the heinous act of cruelty, people need to be looked upon with a positive perspective. People have the capacity to change,” said Schuld.
Although the play contains oodles of dialogue, the pace of the play compliments the cast’s abilities. The sheer amount of monologues and dialogues that had to be memorized is indicative of something that is worth watching. Each scene is equally timed in correlation to the importance to the plot. Every moment matters to the audience simply because it adds to the emotions that every person in the room could share.
The production itself isn’t that long. At a mere hour and forty-five minutes, it’s shorter than an average movie. People who aren’t fans of stage productions that seem scattered shouldn’t fret. “The Laramie Project” maintains focus. The whole play itself is like a coin operated spyglass, magnifying an image.
“The Laramie Project” opened on Nov. 7. Further performances will run from Nov. 13 until Nov. 16 at 8 pm in Woods Theatre. You can get tickets by calling the Box Office at 732-263-6885 or online at www.monmouth.edu/arts.
