Laramie Project puts raw emotion center stage

November 11, 2009
By Luke Runyon
Editor-in-Chief

Minimal is the key word when talking about the Hoogland Center for the Arts’ production of “The Laramie Project.”

The play, which details the events after the death of gay college student Matthew Shepard in 1998, relies on powerful performances to further the story, not bulky sets, flashy special effects or extravagant costumes.

It originally premiered in 2000, based on over 200 interviews with locals in Laramie, Wyoming, the city where Shepard went to school. The play features a variety of first-hand accounts from people surrounding the case.

The audience hears stories told by Wyoming gay activists, girlfriends of the accused killers, homophobic townsfolk, religious leaders and nearly 50 other opinionated locals.

Directed by Phil Funkenbusch, “The Laramie Project” opens with almost 20 actors walking onto an open floor, filled with wooden chairs. As the show progresses, each actor sits and stands, flowing from character to character, with every actor playing at least two.

Since the play rests solely on the backs of the actors, the performances had to be strong. As each actor sat down, stood up, changed a shirt or put on a hat, the audience was given one more insight into the grisly murder of the young man.

Several performances stood out as exceptional. Bradley Davis’ portrayal of a local theatre performer, Jedidiah Schultz, and accused murderer Aaron McKinney showed the hope and despair competing within the rural Wyoming town.

Also, local journalist John O’ Connor performed the no nonsense, smooth-talking bartender with finesse and added some comic relief to an otherwise tragic play.

“The Laramie Project” is playing this weekend, with performances at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and a 2 p.m. showing on Sunday. Tickets are $13 for adults and $12 for seniors and children. A box of tissues on the way to the Hoogland usually costs about $2. You’ll need them.