This year marks the 15th anniversary of the tragedy against a member of the LGBT community, Matthew Sheppard, which took place in Laramie, Wyoming. In recognition of the anniversary, The Department of Music and Theatre Arts presents “The Laramie Project” as this year’s fall play.
“The Laramie Project” is a collection of interviews, gathered by members of the Tectonic Theatre Project, of family members, friends, neighbors, and more that were affected in some way by Matthew Sheppard’s death. The play was written by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Company. The play is brought to Monmouth by director Dr. John Burke, professor of Theatre Arts.
When picking the play, Dr. Burke not only did it due to the anniversary date, but he had his actors’ benefit in mind. He said, “It’s a very different style of acting that [the students] haven’t experienced, and they should have a chance at it.”
Dr. Burke has also taken on the challenge of working with a very big cast. Fourteen students will perform the 60 roles in the play, and whether big or small, each are a totally different character that the students will have to portray as their own. Burke said, “Every one of these characters gives you another perspective on what happened, and some of them give you a real sense of tragedy…and some of them give you a sense of prejudice that is still in the town.”
Burke thought it would be beneficial for the students to be able to show their range of skill. Burke said, “It’s a good opportunity, again not only for the style of acting, but the fact that they have to play anywhere from 4-6 parts…everybody has a good solid amount of work to do. To be up one second and be a 50 year old adult, and to be up the next second and be a 19 year old kid demands a lot from [the actors].”
Actress Zoe Bullit talked about her experience portraying five different characters and how she gives each character their own identity. “We have different props and costume pieces for each character, so literally I will put on my blazer and glasses [for a character] and I can get into character just from that, but it did take a lot of character work to find an accent or a stance for each different character.”
With so many different characters, Bullit believes the audience should be able to relate to multiple factors about the play. “I think definitely they can relate to the play in general, just because it’s such a prevalent issue right now…I think it’s very important for people to come see this show, because [gay marriage and all the issues that are going on] is such a prevalent issue in our time today.”
With a play that requires so much from its actors, you would think that Burke would like to keep the cast strictly within the major, but just like all performances from the Music and Theatre Arts Department, this one was also open to students of any major. Burke said, “Any Monmouth employee or student of any major can audition.”
Burke also shared what he thinks the audience should get out of this play. “I think it’s important because it shows the total view of so many different viewpoints in the town as to what happened…if you’re not from Laramie then you’re watching the whole thing from the outside, and I think what the play accomplishes is to let you see what they think of themselves as a result of this happening…other than a 15 second interview clip on the news, you never really get to know the substance of what they think about what happened.”
Actress Meg Santalla also shared what she thinks the audience should get out of the play. The sophomore theatre arts major said, “Hopefully they’re moved by this piece, and I believe it’s to spread awareness that this kind of tragedy could happen anywhere, anytime to anybody. I hope, that by watching this, that the views on homosexuality won’t be so close-minded or some sort of understanding comes about that it is a lifestyle that you don’t necessarily have to get, but to persecute those who choose that path isn’t the way to go.”
Though the play chronicles an event that took place in 1998, the issues are still prevalent. Santalla added, “This is a wakeup call that this is the kind of world we live in, and only we can be the ones to make change for the better so that something of this caliber doesn’t happen to our own community.”
“The Laramie Project” stars Zoe Bulitt, Nicole DeSarno, Alexa Gentempo, Mahalia Jackson, Stephen Lang, Nicole Massabrook, Courtney Moore, Maegan Santalla, Kristen Simonelli, Kelly Thomas, Megan Van Tine, Brandon Wiener, Nick Zaccario, and Grant Zaitchick. It will open in Woods Theatre on November 7, and will have performances November 7-9 and 13-16 at 8 PM, as well as November 10 at 3 PM. You can get tickets by calling the Box Office at 732-263-6885, or online at www.monmouth.edu/arts.
Additional reporting by Nicole Massabrook.
PHOTO TAKEN from jackrabbit-blog.blogspot.com
