By Ali Al-Hanaswi
On Thursday, May 9, and Friday, May 10, 2019, The Woodlands Theatre Company put on a production of The Laramie Project, a play chronicling the events after the brutal beating of a gay 21-year-old from Laramie, Wyoming.
The story focused on the murder of Matthew Shepard, after his encounter with two other men at a bar. Told from the perspectives of Matthew’s friends, the sheriff, employees of the bar, and other citizens of the town, it provides an in-depth look into the deep-rooted opinions on homosexuality held by the people of Laramie. The play tackles the issue of homophobia from both a religious and traditional perspective, showing how despite what the townsfolk may say, Laramie was not “live, and let live.”
The script was compiled from the accounts of many citizens of Laramie and the state of Wyoming. Lines from the play were spoken by real people who were involved with the murder, and their words carried as much weight as it did on stage. The play was directed by Mr. Lalonde and the cast was made up of Woodlands drama students. Rather than the traditional system of acts and scenes, The Laramie Project told its story through the use of moments,, with each moment giving the whole piece a unique feel and impact.
Matthew, a young man who had an interest in politics, pursued political science at the University of Wyoming, in Laramie. In the end, his dream lives on in the form of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, a non-profit LGBT group, and the passing of the Matthew Shepard Act, recognizing the hate crime status of anti-LGBT attacks.
The audience, made up of students, teachers, and parents, enjoyed the show in its entirety. Featuring a great contrast of emotions, the performance was able to invoke laughter at hilarious jokes, but also tears during the most moving of moments.
Not every response was positive, however. Laramie has garnered the attention of anti-LGBT accounts on social media Two twitter accounts, one being closely associated with the Westboro Baptist Church, the same organization which has organized pickets at AIDS victims’ funerals and at Matthew Shepard’s, posted homophobic comments targeting the subject of the play. Despite the changes in laws protecting LGBT+ individuals and their acceptance in the past two decades, the message of The Laramie Project is evidently still needed, and with it the avoidance of another tragedy like that of Matthew Shepard’s.
It goes to show that The Woodlands will stand and support people and communities that are treated unfairly, and this certainly includes the LGBT+ community. For the parents and students who saw it, The Laramie Project was a heartbreaking story reminding all not to hate, but to love, and let love.
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