THE LARAMIE PROJECT SYNOPSIS
Adapted from LaGuardia Performing Arts Center
Laramie, Wyoming, [1998] population 26,687, often referred to as the “gem city of the plains” was the site of the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, a 21 year-old, gay, University of Wyoming student. On October 6, 1998, he was found tied to a fence, beaten and unconscious. On October 8, 1998, Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney were arrested for the kidnapping, aggravated robbery and attempted first-degree murder. On October 12, 1998, Shepard died.
The Laramie Project is a play by Moisés Kaufman and the members of the Tectonic Theatre Project who traveled to Laramie, Wyoming and conducted interviews with the people of the town beginning in November of 1998. The play is edited from those interviews, as well as from journal entries by members of the company and centers around the citizens of Laramie, specifically their reaction Shepard’s murder.
Act 1 introduces the main recurring characters who are instrumental to the telling of the story and the seven members of the Tectonic Theatre Project. Through their interviews, they learn not only about the Matthew Shepard murder, but also about the history of Laramie, its place in the lore of the American West, and the often-repeated mantra of the townspeople, "live and let live." The people introduced in this act include gay citizens and local clergy thus presenting perspectives on homosexuality. We also are introduced to the accused killers, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. Near the end of the act we meet Reggie Fluty, the chief investigating officer, and Dr. Cantway, the emergency room doctor. Their testimony, along with that of Aaron Kreifels, who found Matthew Shepard, offers clinical detail of the brutality of the crime based on the seriousness of Matthew’s injuries.
Act 2 introduces "the media" into the story and their perspectives on the story of Matthew's fight for his life along with Rulon Stacey's hospital updates. Matthew's HIV positive status is introduced through Reggie Fluty's struggles as she learns she was exposed to the virus when she cut the ties binding Matthew to the fence. The act closes with the announcement of Matthew's death and foreshadows the upcoming legal actions against the two accused young men.
Act 3 opens with the funeral service for Matthew Shepard and the protests of the Reverend Fred Phelps, a “clergyman” well known for his protests against gays and lesbians. Romaine Patterson, one of Matthew's friends, recounts how she organized "angel action" as a counter action to Phelps' demonstrations. The act segues into the trial of Russell Henderson who offered a guilty plea during jury selection and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms. The end of the act focuses on the trial of Aaron McKinney, the ultimate guilty verdict, and his sentence of two consecutive life terms. In perhaps the most dramatic moment of the play, Dennis Shepard, Matthew's father, speaks to the court to offer his opinion on the death penalty. The play ends with the members of the Tectonic Theatre Project leaving Laramie.
“I am Venezuelan, I am Jewish, I am gay, I live in New York. I am the sum of all my cultures”
MOISÉS KAUFMAN is the founder and artistic director of the Tectonic Theater Project who most recently directed The Laramie Project Cycle at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (2012). It marked the first time both shows, The Laramie Project and The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, ran in repertory and featured many of the original cast members. Prior to The Laramie Project, the Tectonic Theatre created Gross Indecency, a play about the trials of Oscar Wilde. He directed The Heiress, 33 Variations and I Am My Own Wife on Broadway, an adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ One Arm (Steppenwolf and Off-Broadway), and the Pulitzer-nominated play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. Kaufman also directed the film adaptation for The Laramie Project for HBO and received Emmy nominations for best direction and writing. Of Russian and Jewish decent, Kaufman was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela and moved to New York City in 1987 to study theatre at NYU.
Home | The Laramie Project Synopsis + Kaufman bio | The Laramie Project Timeline (the crime, the trials, the play) | Sentencing & The Death Penalty
Homophobia & the "Gay Panic" Defense | Documentary Theatre | The Laramie Project: Analysis & Critical Commentary |
The Laramie Project: A Devised Ethnodrama? | The Tectonic Process | The Matthew Shepard Foundation | Hate Crimes Legislative Timeline & Debate