Theater Review: 'The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later' In Hollywood
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Che Landon and Paul Haitkin in “The Laramie Project Ten Years Later." Photo by Win Win Imaging.
Ten years later, the theater company went back to Laramie to see how the town had changed. During this follow-up visit, the original company spoke with the people they interviewed for the first show to discover what progress (or not) had been made and how Shepard’s death still affects their community.
The result of these interviews, told almost like a live-action news report, became "The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later," written by Moises Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti, Andy Paris and Stephen Belber. Presented by The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Davidson/Valentini Theatre for its Los Angeles premiere, "The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later," resonates as a moving, thought-provoking drama.
The Davidson/Valentini Theatre is an intimate theater space, which lends itself beautifully to this production. A small room, rows of wooden, straight-back chairs surround a simple, planked stage. A collection of signs, a bench, and bar; simple set pieces that hint at small town atmosphere. The actors sit among the audience. The inclusiveness creates a town-hall vibe, and suddenly, Laramie materializes. From the simple set, to the first strum of the acoustic guitar, to the last candle, the intimacy makes Laramie’s story a personal experience.
At first, the lightening-fast scenes and constant introduction of new townspeople is like reading a book where each chapter presents a new character’s point of view; confusing to get into at first, but eventually you catch on. The quick changes of vests, glasses and hats capture the essence of new characters as the same faces change personality, a testament to the talent of the cast and their ability to expertly switch persona on a dime.
The second act packs the most powerful punch. At times the first act becomes a bit tedious with so much dialogue and so many characters, but the second act focuses primarily on the big three interviews; Shepard’s murderers, Russell Henderson (Dylan Seaton) and Aaron McKinney (Michael Hanson), and Shepard’s mother, Judy Shepard (Elizabeth Herron).
It would be easy to spin Russell and Aaron as the clear, murdering villains; however, the project excels at presenting facts without judgment. What the people of Laramie said is presented verbatim. This holds true throughout the play, which allows space for the audience to draw their own conclusions and really think about what Shepard’s death and tragedy means for a community. It invites in without agenda.
There are several especially poignant moments that stand out, such as when Aaron and Judy cross paths, entering and exiting the scene, suspended for that moment side by side as two people forever linked. The power of that visualization, given time and without words, is remarkable. The care taken to observe details at these special moments adds another layer to the emotional depths "The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later" evokes.
While the story of Matthew Shepard and "The Laramie Project" are crucial to LGBT history, the follow-up, "The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later," is a vital piece of American history, more relevant today than maybe any other time. Laramie is not the only town to experience tragedy. In the following weeks and years facing cities like Newtown, Boston, and too many others, "The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later" confronts what it means to live in denial, deal with shame, show remorse, to move on, to learn and to change—or, in the words of Wyoming House of Representatives member Catherine Connolly, to change, but not progress.
"The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later" is playing at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center (1125 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles) through November 16. Tickets are $25. More information can be found LAGayCenter.org.
Reach Contributing Writer Renée Fabian here, or follow on Twitter here.
