Students from the OU School of Drama will be premiering an
emotionally and morally prying play titled “The Laramie
Project” at 8 p.m. tonight in the repertory Weitzenhoffer
Theatre.

The play is a creation by Moises Kaufman about Matthew Shepard, a
homosexual murdered by two peers, Russell Henderson and Aaron
McKinney, in the small town of Laramie, Wyoming. Katy Hooper, stage
manager for the play and theater management senior, said the event
(occurring in 1998) is such a recent event that the play is
strikingly relevant.

“These people [portrayed in the play] are still alive,”
Hooper said. “McKinney and Henderson are still in
jail.”

Hooper said Kaufman went to the town of Laramie to conduct hundreds
of interviews, and then turned the interviews and overall story
into a challenging play that she said most importantly confronts
the tolerance of different lifestyles.

Many students have questioned whether the timing of the play was
aligned with current events occurring in American politics,
particularly associated with homosexuality.

Eudaemone Battilega, director of The Laramie Project, said the play
was not something that should be simplified to only events
occurring right now.

“The expanse that this play has to speak to is wider than
just this one election,” Battilega said.

Battilega said to narrow the play down would be wrong; she said the
importance of the play is much wider than that.

The play assesses the problem of the treatment of homosexuality,
and also the very simple message of peace and love.

“It’s also about communities, and how we are all
invested in them,” Battilega said.

As the bitter tale is unraveled and the innocent murdered and the
convicted murderers discovered, a peaceful town is forced to
confront the issues of homosexuality. The play animates the
uprising and overturning of various painful and heartwrenching
events that dig deep into the sensitive situation.

“It’s very open. It’s not condemning,” said
Beth Wickman, University College freshman.

Wickman and other OU students viewed the play during a dress
rehearsal on Wednesday.

Chris Hillin, University College freshman, said he thought the
actors did a good job of conveying a little innocent town that in a
sense has lost its innocence.

“I don’t think you’d expect a thing like that to
happen where you are,” Hillin said.

The play’s message is sent in a unique manner as well. The
play shifts between ‘journal entries’ and events that
occurred within the community, and Hooper said each of the eight
members of the cast shifts between 78 different characters
portrayed in the play.

Travis McElroy, acting junior, plays ten different characters in
the play. He said it was tough to switch between various characters
because you have to consider what triggers a different character.
He said they would consider such things as stance, how they speak,
and various body postures to convey a different character.

“It was really tough because you’re used to being
yourself,” McElroy said. “It challenges what you use to
define what makes each character different.”

McElroy said he and the rest of the cast and crew spent the first
few weeks of work on the play researching.

Hooper said many of the cast members contacted the actual people of
Laramie to do research and gain a true understanding of the
situation.

“We have real information, and really understanding of the
severity of the situation and the event,” Hooper said.

Hooper said the group had become a strong and caring cast, and the
play has become something very emotional for them.

“The project has become more than just a play to us,”
Hooper said. “It’s really been an emotional roller
coaster throughout the whole process.”

McElroy also said the group ended up becoming very close-knit
throughout the process of mastering the play.

“I think I can speak for the whole cast in saying we are
pretty glad about the opportunity to do this. It’s something
everyone can relate to,” McElroy said.

The play can be viewed on Nov. 11, 13, and 19 at 8 p.m., and also
on Nov. 21 at 3 p.m. in the Weitzenhoffer Theatre.
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