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| The cast opens Act 1 of '"The Laramie Project.'" (Joyce Goldschmid photo) |
Openly gay University of Wyoming student Matthew
Shepard was killed by two young men of Laramie, Wyo., in October 1998.
During the year after his death, playwright Moisés
Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project visited Laramie six times, conducting
more than 200 interviews. They then compiled and edited these interviews to
create “The Laramie Project,” being staged by Palo Alto Players.
Although Shepard’s murder garnered worldwide
attention at the time and although attitudes toward homosexuality have softened
in the ensuing 20 years, homophobia and other prejudices haven’t disappeared.
Hence this play remains relevant as well as
extremely moving. As artistic director Patrick Klein says in his program notes,
“… our current administration has drawn out the undercurrent of bigotry that
still festers in parts of our great nation …”
However, as managing director Elizabeth Santana said
on opening night, “This is a story of hope.” That’s why the program includes a
note card for viewers to write something they can do to show kindness and
compassion. The cards are posted in the lobby.
Sensitively directed by Lee Ann Payne, eight actors
portray dozens of characters, most of them Laramie residents. As Act 1 begins,
they talk about how much they like their town with its population of about
27,200.
As that act ends, the hospital CEO reads a statement
from Shepard’s family requesting privacy while he clings to life in the
intensive care unit. Act 2 revolves around his death and the trials of his assailants.
The assailants left a bar with Shepard and drove out
of town, where they savagely beat him, tied him to fence and left him. Fifteen
hours later, Aaron Kreifels, a university freshman bicycling along that remote
road found him and summoned help. Several times during his interview he wonders
why God chose him to find Shepard.
First to respond was Sheriff’s Deputy Reggie Fluty.
She cut the unconscious Shepard loose and says that the only place on his face not
caked with blood was where tears had fallen. It’s a startling revelation.
Others who speak are the bartender who was the last
to see Shepard before he left, Shepard’s college counselor, his friends,
various clergymen, a lesbian professor and a doctor.
A theater major talks about how he won a scholarship
to the university by doing a scene from “Angels in America,” but his parents
refused to watch him because of the play’s gay theme. There’s even a Muslim
student who proudly wears a hijab.
A lesbian student and her friends don angel outfits
and surround hate-preaching minister Fred Phelps with their wings, essentially
hiding him from view.
It’s a marvelous work by an ensemble cast featuring
Jeff Clarke, Josiah Frampton, Kelly Hudson, Judith Miller, Dana Cordelia
Morgan, Roneet Aliza Rahamim, Brad Satterwhite and Todd Wright.
The spare set by Nikolaj Sorensen (with lighting by
Patrick Mahoney) comprises mainly a few chairs and a backdrop of three windows
showing his projections of various scenes in the city and, touchingly, the fence
where Shepard was found.
The subtle sound is by Jeff Grafton. Melissa Sanchez
designed costumes that facilitate quick character changes.
Everything adds up to a provocative, memorable
theatrical experience, a must-see.
Running about two and half hours with one
intermission, “The Laramie Project” will continue through Feb. 4 at the Lucie
Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. For tickets and information,
call (650) 329-0891 or visit www.paplayers.org.
