FOR KIM WOODS ONLY

The University of Oklahoma Helmerich School of Drama recent production of The Laramie Project, by Moisés Kaufman and members of Tectonic Theater, was very successful. The play brought to life on Sunday, November 15th at OU Helmerich Lap Theatre. The play expresses the reaction of the cold killing of Mathew Shepard in 1998. He was a student at University of Wyoming in Laramie and he was gay. One can say that the production had the objective of questioning our basic humanity, and giving an accurate picture of the changing state of affairs of tolerance in America's form of life, liberty, and freedom of living. The play offered awareness not only into Shepard's case, but also into the changing attitudes of Americans in general. The company did a great job criticizing the intolerance of people towards others because of their differing sexual orientations, religion, skin color and beliefs. The play was raw and well done, however, there was a slight chance of improvement.

The actors’ and actresses’ performances were outstanding. The double casting lead to diversity in acting which was the most interesting aspect. They were able to express multiple characters’ stories guiding the play not only to Matthew Shepard, but to the question of identification with Matthew and the identification with the larger community of Laramie that acknowledged, rejected, grieved, and lawfully avenged Matthew. Additionally, showing the negative perception and action to unusual and opposing to societal norms and culture behaviors, their acting created an strange and powerful sense of not only being there at the time of these interviews but the very night Matthew was killed. All actors were present the whole play setting on the left and right sides of the stage. The characters often say and test the irony behind the “live and let live” motto which Laramie’s residents did not separate tolerance from acceptance. For example, Mathew’s father gave an emotional and heartbreaking speech to his son murderer that could easily have been lectured to any Laramie’s residents who did not see the accident as a hate crime but a random robbery.

Director Fabrice Conte’s presence throughout the play was recognizable. The position of the actors and the distance between them felt natural for displaying the interviews despite the stage being disorderly. The director employs the characters’ viewpoints to bring out the nature of truth. For instance, actors are interconnected with changing of characters, so the director draws the audience more to their reactions and opinions by choosing projective blocking and neutral and colorless stage set. The nature of acting here allows the viewer to understand deeply how character, social backgrounds and beliefs influence interpreted that the intent of the murder. Arguably, the killing received much attention because it was committed on the basis of hate, more than a random robbery murder would cause. Shepard is assumed to have been killed because he was homosexual. This theme is open to criticism, because it is not obvious that the people responsible for the murder actually knew the sexual preference of the college student. The director depicts these two major themes, prejudice and hate crime, evidently and respectfully without undermining Matthew’s memory and his family feelings.

Lighting played a large part on the play and setting. Since there were not a lot of decorations, the light was mainly used to set the viewer attention to the character speaking. A way to improve upon this was to change the lights colors more effectively to set the mood. For example, instead of light being mostly white it could have changed to red to stimulates anger or blue to stimulates sadness. The stage’s design was simple with couple of benches, tables, chairs and clothes hangers on the sides. Customs were detailed and coordinated ranging mostly in the shade of grey. The grey color is used here to display neutrality, similarity and connection in characters, conveying that these characters are from the same town but have different opinions. Drums were exceptionally involved and effective throughout the show. There was only one set of drums in the center stage to play all the transition between set’s or characters’ changes which was unusual but impressively interesting.

Overall, The Laramie Project is an exploratory play that uses various acting techniques to convey its meaning. the sensitization of the audience is essential to avert acts of prejudice and hate crime. As depicted by the melancholic mood of the mourners in the play, such acts and practices ought to be eradicated in the society. The story of this crime and Laramie needed to be told, and the company went beyond that mission. The play has precisely passed the message across and it is entertaining, and no wonder successful and rewarding to see.