The Daily Herald Weighs In On Laramie

Holding up the mirror
BY BARBARA VITELLO
Daily Herald Staff
Writer Posted Thursday, February 23, 2006

" the purpose of the playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as 't were, the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure." -"Hamlet," Act III, scene II

In October 1998, two young men from Laramie, Wyo., beat and robbed Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, tied him to a fence and left him to die.

The nation wondered how such a thing could happen.

Laramie wondered how it could happen there.

Director and playwright Moisés Kaufman wondered why.

During the next 18 months, he and members of New York City's Tectonic Theater Project interviewed residents of Laramie. From those conversations, they created "The Laramie Project," a well-balanced, revealing examination of the murder's impact on the community. The play does what theater should. It holds a mirror up to society. In this case, the reflection reveals bigotry as well as compassion.

Four years after its Chicago-area premiere, Janus Theatre, in a moving, well-crafted production of the still timely "Laramie Project," holds up that mirror again. Coming just weeks after 18-year-old Jacob Robida reportedly shot and attacked with a hatchet three patrons in a gay bar in New Bedford, Mass., this revival reminds us that hate can infect any city.

The play consists mostly of monologues from police officers, clergy members, Shepard's friends, college students and administrators, acquaintances of the accused and other locals. Their recollections drive the story of Shepard's death, the nationwide debate on homophobia and the intolerance it sparked, and the trial and conviction of his killers, Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney.

Kaufman and company juxtapose the straightforward narrative with scenes that expose the local psyche and trace the progression from shock and anger to grief and vengeance and ultimately to a sort of reconciliation.

Janus' production, adeptly directed by Sean Hargadon, reflects the lean, understated style that characterizes the Elgin-based ensemble. Hargadon has a good sense of pacing, particularly in the second act where the initial frenetic tempo that accompanies the media onslaught on the town, gives way to the stillness that underscores Shepard's death, which concludes the act.

Joseph Schuman's simple set and lighting suit the play's minimalist style where props are in plain view and (with one angelic exception) costumes consist of a sweater, baseball cap, vest or ID badge.

That spare quality of the production extends to the actors whose mostly understated performances suit the play's reportorial tone.

Karen Pappas demonstrates range and depth, delivering noteworthy performances as engaging old-timer Marge Murray, mother to policewoman Reggie Fluty; a fire-and-brimstone preacher; and a naive young Tectonic Theater member.

Lynn Wirth is quietly effective in her quavering, shell-shocked portrayal of Aaron Kreifels, the university student who discovered Shepard. As a patrolman's wife, Wirth makes the woman's resentment almost innocuous, which adds a chilling subtext to her restrained performance.

While a little young (a problem shared by several male cast members) for the role of Matthew Shepard's father, Dennis, Zachary Clark's sincerity, especially the quiet heartache that infuses Shepard's statement to the court at McKinney's sentencing, makes up for it.

Helen Young and Laura Schwartz share a brief but memorable scene as friends of the accused, a couple of aimless young locals with little ambition and few prospects.

Seth Remington (unsettling as a minister and death penalty advocate), Jonathan Shalvi and Jeremy Schaefer round out the rest of this capable cast.

Schaefer fares best when he doesn't try so hard. His portrayal of Jedadiah Schultz, a 19-year-old struggling to reconcile the lessons of Laramie with his upbringing is less self-conscious than his other roles and thus more convincing. The throaty voice he uses is repetitive and distracting and his performance sometimes feels overwrought.

Ultimately, the strength of Janus' production lies in its simplicity and restraint. That's as it should be. Laramie's story needs no embellishment.

"The Laramie Project" Three Stars out of Four

The Laramie Project Still Relevant Today

Greetings!

We just opened The Laramie Project this last weekend. After six weeks of difficult work, the show previewed on Thursday and Friday and opened on Saturday night to a full house.

With the latest hate crimes in Massachusetts and locally in Chicago, along with the Rev. Fred Phelps protesting the funerals of returning dead soldiers from Iraq - The Laramie Project still has a relevance today and speaks to people. It is the type of work that provides many questions and stimulates conversation.

Working on the play has been a wonderful experience. Our cast hails from across the country and brings a commitment and energy I haven't seen in some time. They've continued to grow in their roles and the play seems to take on new life and energy every time it is performed.

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You will find links and articles connected with the The Laramie Project. Take the time to get familiar with the work and post any comments you have about our production. Thanks again.

Sean Hargadon - Producing Director - Janus Theatre Company