The reality of the incidents and people on which The Laramie Project is based immediately gives this play far more impact than any good piece of theatre would normally have. However it is the execution of this play, both in acting and direction, that give it the deep and resonating quality felt by the audience.
The Laramie Project is the living documentation of the views of a cross section of people living in Laramie following the brutal hate-driven murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard in 1998. The play uses dialogue taken from interviews conducted with over two hundred residents of Laramie to paint a vivid picture of the collective psyche of this town.
The four dynamic cast members play a diverse range of roles with amazing clarity, maximising the contribution of each character to the play as a whole. The transition between characters is done with speed and grace, effectively portraying the diversity of people and viewpoints in this town. Particular praise is due to Basher Savage who plays the polar characters of Matthew Shepard’s Father and the hateful anti-gay protestor Rev Fred Phelps with incredible passion.
The performances given by Krystal Marshall in her roles as Catherine Connolly, Professor at Matthew Shepard’s University, and Reggie Fluty, the policewoman who discovered Matthew’s body, are perhaps the most powerful and moving of the entire production.
Though the Laramie Project is set in Wyoming the themes are universal. Bigotry and hatred like this cannot be ignored. In the words of Zubaida Ula (Krystal Marshall) ‘this is something we have to own’; it is an ugly but very real part of our society. Incidents like the murder of Matthew Shepard are a reminder of this gruesome reality and The Laramie Project keeps this memory alive.
5/5
Matthew Straw
