The character of matthew shepard in the laramie project from. The play covers many of the issues i intend to focus on ie. Kaufman along with his theater troupe made six visits to laramie, wyoming, where the murder. The laramie project moises kaufman, mise en scene diogo.
The laramie project analyzes the death of matthew shepard, an openly gay college student who was brutally murdered in laramie, wyoming, in 1998 because of his sexual identity. Oct 27, 20 the laramie project presents a deeply complex portrait of a communitys response to the 1998 murder of matthew shepard, a young gay man living in laramie, wyoming. Matthew is not actually played by any actor in the piece. Cindy bower eileen engen marge murray waitress judge pp.
The laramie project study guide from litcharts the. To audition, please prepare one of the following monologues from the laramie project. Shoppers at a strip mall in laramie rental car agent in laramie stephen belber. Each voice adds a different side to the story, from the effects of this event on the town and its people to eyewitness accounts of the beating and its aftermath. Murder, human rights, the death penalty and the hiv. According to the movie, shepard was at a bar when he was approached by two men, aaron mckinney and russell henderson, who proceeded to kidnap, rob. The laramie project, written by moises kaufman, is a compilation of interviews by the tectonic theater project, news publications, and journal entries. At first, i was not really excited to see this play. The laramie project is a play by moises kaufman and the members of the tectonic theater project. The laramie project is a play by moises kaufman and members of the tectonic theater project about the aftermath of the 1998 murder of openly gay college student matthew shepard in laramie, wyoming. Dramatists play service, one of the premier playlicensing and theatrical publishing agencies in the world, was formed in 1936 to foster national opportunities for playwrights by publishing affordable editions of their plays and handling the performance rights to these works.
The laramie project is constructed from interviews with real laramie residents reacting to his murder over the course of a read full character analysis aaron mckinney, a laramie resident, is one of matthew shepard s murderers. Like memory, the physical reality of the laramie project is largely devoid of place and time. Catherine connolly dennis shepard page 1 dennis shepard page 2 doc oconnor jedediah schultz matt galloway romaine patterson sherry johnson zubaida ula for. On saturday, october 5th, i attended the play, the laramie project. Roger schmit, a local catholic priestto matthew shepards death. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film. After the brutal murder of mathew sheppard in 1998. The play is edited from those interviews, as well as from journal entries by members of the company. Tectonic theater project is an awardwinning stage and theatre group whose plays have been performed around the world. The laramie project famous play made into hbo film by robert roten, film critic.
Woolly mammoth is currently seeking innovative, ambitious, and dedicated candidates for the 20112012 seasonlong literary internship. The laramie project study guide contains a biography of moises kaufman, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes. After the residents of laramie introduce their town, members of tectonic theater project describe how the theater companys leader, moises kaufman, asked them to join him in laramie, wyoming. Police officer who found matthew shepard at the fence jonas slonaker. I hope you are enjoying summertime in ways that are relaxing, intellectually stimulating, and cooooool. In the years since, the play has become an educational tool to discuss prejudice and tolerance in schools, as lgbt antidiscrimination bills are. Matthew shepard was an openlygay university student in laramie, wyoming who was murdered in 1998. Over the course of a year and a half, in the aftermath of the beating and during the trial of the two young men accused of killing shepard, moises kaufman and fellow members of the tectonic theater project made six trips to laramie, conducting more than 200 interviews with the people there some directly connected to the case, and others. In a series of poignant reflections, the residents of laramie react to the hate crime and surrounding media storm with anger, bewilderment and sorrow. The movie, which was based off the play written by kaufman and the members of the tectonic theater project, was. Moises kaufman and the people of the tectonic theatre project in new york travelled to laramie and conducted hundreds of interviews over the next two years with the.
The play draws on hundreds of interviews of laramie residents conducted by the members of the tectonic theater project led by moises kaufman, as. It is both a retelling of the events that transpired and a portrait of the residents and town of laramie in the year following matthews murder. For most who see it, it was their first glimpse of the city where gay college student matthew shepard in 1998 became the most famous of many thousands of hate. The laramie project by moises kaufman free book pdf. The laramie project is a 2000 play by moises kaufman and members of the tectonic theater project specifically, leigh fondakowski, writerdirector. Now that ive made dramaturgy look all glamorous note that this job is for the full year next year, so pass it along to folks you know who are graduating. Originally written as a play, and developed using the transcripts of real interviews with the people of laramie, wyoming, the film version of the laramie project tells viewers the story of matthew shepard, a 21yearold gay man living in laramie who was viciously murdered in 1998 due to his sexuality. The laramie project study guide consists of approx.
Although it was not written in a traditional way, the interview material has been selected and organized in a way that presents a creative narrative. Its not a simple retelling or a reenactment of the events, but the story about the town and. Then a few moments later i looked over and aaron and russell had been talking to matthew shepard. To this point, the play is all but a work of nonfiction. The play is based on over 400 interviews with about 100 laramie residents, as well as journal en tries from the members of tectonic theater project. On a cold night in october, he was robbed, tied to a. A chorus of voices brings to life the thoughts and feelings of the people of laramie, wyoming, in the wake of the murder of matthew shepard, a young gay man. Members of kaufmans theatrical group, tectonic theater project, volunteered to travel with their director from new york city to the wideopen ranges of the west in order to gather inperson interviews from laramies populace. The text of the laramie project is a combination of the memories of various people surrounding one subject the beating and death of matthew shepard.
Research for the the laramie project, moises kaufmans internationally successful play, began one month after a horrific crime occurred in the city of laramie, wyoming members of kaufmans theatrical group, tectonic theater project, volunteered to travel with their director from new york city to the wideopen ranges of the west in order to gather inperson interviews from laramies popula. The laramie project follows the members of the tectonic theater project, a theater group from new york city, as they conduct interviews with citizens of laramie just after matthew shepards murder. The laramie project bam peter jay sharp building 30 lafayette ave. Originally produced in new york city at the union square theatre by roy gabay and tectonic. The laramie project 2002 the laramie project, written and directed by moises kaufman, premiered at the sundance film festival in january of 2002. The laramie project, since it consists of documentary material from existing sources, is an example of a found text, or documentary theater. The laramie project is a documentary play about the town of laramie, wyoming and the effect the bashing murder of a young gay man matthew shepard had on the town and its people. So in november 1998, four weeks after the murder of matthew shepard, nine members of tectonic theater project and i traveled to laramie, wyoming. Like grovers corners, and perhaps even london in gross indecency, laramie. The laramie project presents a deeply complex portrait of a communitys response to the 1998 murder of matthew shepard, a young gay man living in laramie, wyoming. This study guide consists of approximately 25 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the laramie project. Lifestyle 1 the word considers the reactions of laramies religious leadersthe unnamed baptist minister, stephen mead johnson, the unitarian minister, doug laws, the mormon stake ecclesiastical leader, and fr. It was a saturday night and i hate going to any kind of theatre, including movie theatres. The laramie project is a breathtaking collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable.
Feb 15, 20 the laramie project, about the killing of a gay man, matthew shepard, in wyoming in 1998, returns to new york with the city premiere of the cycles second part. The laramie project explains that matthews gender performance strongly indicated that he was homosexual. The laramie project at bams harvey theater the new york. The company is dedicated to developing innovative works that explore theatrical language and form, fostering an artistic dialogue with audiences on the social, political, and human issues that affect us all. The laramie project isnt really about homosexuality or the matt shepard murder its bigger than that. On november 14, 1998, the members of tectonic theater project traveled to laramie, wyoming, and conducted interviews with the people of the town. The society for human rights, established in chicago in 1924, was the first organization in the united. The actors portraying the actormembers of the tectonic theatre project use the actual words of laramie residents.
Doc oconnor, the taxi driver, recalls that matt was forthcoming about his sexuality, and stated i want you to know, i am gay and we are going to a gay bar kaufman 19. During the next year, we would return to laramie several times and conduct over two hundred interviews. For those of you in or around nc, ill let you in on our weather so far. Andy paris in the laramie project photo by joan marcus the dramatized result is very much a kind of latterday our town. The character of matthew shepard in the laramie project.
Police officer who found matthew shepard at the fence. Directors diary the laramie project stage whispers. Laramie project epilogue to play in laramie the new york. The opening lines of the laramie project describe the play perfectly. The different stories show how a variety of people stand up to hatred and intolerance. Dps offers an extensive list of titles that includes many of the most significant plays of the past century. Using those interviews, tectonic theater project wrote a second play, entitled the laramie project. The laramie project is a play that attempts to examine the aftermath in laramie, wyoming, of murdered college student, matthew shephard. Although far from perfect, this is a well acted and directed docu drama that tells a remarkable true story. The set is a simple platform, backed by a wall with three windows, all in muted shades of gray and black. Auditions for the laramie project will be tuesday, september 10 with possible callbacks on wednesday, september 11. Editor of the daily laramie boomerang, local laramie newspaper governor freudenthal. Essay about the laramie project 1907 words bartleby.
The laramie project is a documentarystyle play created by the venezuelan playwright moises kaufman and members of the tectonic theater project, an experimental company whose work has often touched on social themes. This is a film version of the play they wrote based on more than 200 interviews they conducted in laramie. Matthew shepard was a twentyoneyearold student at the university of wyoming. All words are verbatim language and thoughts of the laramie residents. From these interviews they compiled the play the laramie project. The laramie project is a critical play that addresses the brutal murder of openly gay teenager matthew shepard in the small town of laramie, wyoming, an incident that sparked national debate back in 1998. The laramie project, about the killing of a gay man, matthew shepard, in wyoming in 1998, returns to new york with the city premiere of the cycles second part. May 19, 2000 andy paris in the laramie project photo by joan marcus the dramatized result is very much a kind of latterday our town.
Conceived and created in the aftermath of the 1998 killing of gay college student matthew shepard, the laramie project is a theatrical portrait of a town coming to grips with vicious, hatefueled violence. I basically bought this to use as a case study for an upcoming college exam in moral theology. The laramie project summary from litcharts the creators. He adapted the play for the screen and directed the hbo film the laramie project. The laramie project is constructed from interviews with real laramie residents reacting to his murder over the course of a year. On november 14, 1998, members of tectonic theatre project traveled to laramie, wyoming, and conducted interviews with the people of the town.
Wes cameron greg pierrotti aaron kreifels russell henderson shannon jeffrey lockwood. The piece has been seen by more than 30 million people around the country. And my apartment has windows on two opposite streets. The movie, which was based off the play written by kaufman and the members of the tectonic theater project, was broadcasted on hbo in march of the same year. The three trials of oscar wilde, and the laramie project which he cowrote with the members of tectonic theater have been among the most performed plays in america over the last decade. The laramie project is a play by moises kaufman and the members of the tectonic theatre project. The play is edited from those interviews, as well as from journal entries by members of the. Internet archive contributor internet archive language english.
The play lays out viewpoints of different sorts of people in society in a way that is unbiased and yet encouraging of self reflection, and motivates change without actually calling for change. Sep 03, 2009 the theater department at the university of wyoming at laramie has decided to hold a staged reading of the laramie project 10 years later on oct. The laramie project study guide from litcharts the creators. On november 14, 1998, members of tectonic theater project traveled to laramie, wyoming, and conducted interviews with the people of the town. Moises kaufman wrote and directed the original theatre production of the laramie project. The laramie project is a series of wordforword reallife interviews conducted with people in the town of wyoming. Ten years after the premiere of the laramie project, the creators of the play returned to wyoming to do additional interviews with the residents of laramie. The laramie project summary and study guide supersummary. Moises kaufmans the laramie project is most often referred to as a docudrama, a play that is largely based on real facts.
June 21, 2011 july 1, 2011 jules odendahljames leave a comment dramaturg blog. However, i thought this play was well done and i actually enjoyed the play. Moises kaufman and the members of tectonic theater project. The laramie project begins as various members of the laramie community praise the town of laramie, wyoming, speaking glowingly about towns closeknit community and expounding on its natural beauty. This is the dramaturgical resource page for the university of richmonds production of the laramie project by moises kaufman and the tectonic theater project.
A variety of actors portray the townspeople of laramie and their. He is the founder and artistic director of tectonic theater project, a new york city based theater company. The play draws on hundreds of interviews of laramie residents conducted by the members of the tectonic theater project led by moises kaufman, as well as news reports and company members journal. This site is intended for the members of the university of richmonds 202014 production studies iii class. In service to this goal, tectonic supports readings, workshops, and. The laramie project at bams harvey theater the new. The lowdown on the laramie project play group theatre. Now, on the day the parade, i had a cast on my leg because of a fall. The laramie project is one of the most performed plays in america today and one of the best examples of verbatim theatre to be found anywhere.
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