About The Project
On October 6th of 1998 Matthew Shepard was beaten and left to die tied to a fence in the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. He died 6 days later. His torture and murder became a watershed historical moment in America that highlighted many of the fault lines in our culture.
A month after the murder, the members of Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Laramie and conducted interviews with the people of the town. From these interviews they wrote the play The Laramie Project, which they later made into a film for HBO. The piece has been seen by more than 30 million people around the country.
10 years later, Moisés Kaufman and members of Tectonic Theater Project returned to Laramie to find out what has happened over the last 10 years. Has Matthew's murder had a lasting impact on that community? How has the town changed as a result of this event? What does life in Laramie tell us about life in America 10 years later? And how is history being rewritten to tell a new story of Matthew Shepard's murder, one that changes the motivation of his killers from homophobia to a "drug deal gone bad" despite all evidence to the contrary?
On October 12, 2009, The Laramie Project Epilogue will Premier in 100 cities across the country, performed simultaneously by High Schools, Universities, Professional Regional Theaters and, in New York, the original casts of the play and film. Prior to the performance, a live webcast will be presented from Lincoln Center, with Moisés Kaufman and the original cast introducing the play. Following the performance, the webcast will be available for a live question and answer session with questions asked via twitter and other social media from the venues all over the country.
In tandem with the Premiere, an online interactive community will be launched where participants can blog, upload video and photos and share their experiences in preparing and presenting the Epilogue in their communities. The members of Tectonic Theater Project will be active participants in the online community, offering participants feedback and encouragement as the project develops.
What is the "Laramie Project?"
A month after the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, the members of Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Laramie and conducted interviews with the people of the town. From these interviews they wrote the play The Laramie Project, which has become one of the most performed plays in America in the last decade. The company later made the play into a film for HBO. The play and the movie combined have been seen by more than 50 million people around the world.
The writers of THE LARAMIE PROJECT: 10 YEARS LATER are company members Moisés Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti, Andy Paris, and Steven Belber.
What is the Tectonic Theater Project?
The Tectonic Theater Project is a theater company dedicated to developing innovative works that explore theatrical language and form, fostering an artistic dialogue with audiences on the social, political and human issues that effect us all. The company is behind such plays as Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, The Laramie Project, I Am My Own Wife and their latest 33 Variations was seen on Broadway with Jane Fonda where it garnered 5 Tony nominations.
Awards including the Humanitas Prize, the Obie, the Lucille Lortel Award, The Outer Critics Circle Award, the GLAAD Media Award, the Artistic Integrity Award from HRC, and the Making a Difference Award/Matthew Shepard Foundation. Tectonic works in Universities around the country and hosts a NYC based lab for theater artists.
Tectonic Theater Project is grateful to the NEA, The Greenwall Foundation, Arcus Foundation, Small Change Foundation and Educational Foundation of America. A special acknowledgement to The Rockefeller Foundation for its leadership in support of the development of the original Laramie Project and The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later.
Tectonic Theater Project's administration is: Moisés Kaufman, Artistic Director, Greg Reiner, Executive Director; Jeffrey LaHoste, Managing Director and Dominick Balletta, General Manager. Moises Kaufman and Jeffrey LaHoste founded Tectonic in 1991. THE TECTONIC THEATER PROJECT IS: ALPHABETICAL Leigh Fondakowski, Stephen Belber, Greg Pierotti, Steve Wangh, Amanda Gronich, Sarah Lambert, John McAdams, Andy Paris, Barbara Pitts, Kelli Simpkins, Mercedes Herrero.
What inspired them to go to Laramie in 1998?
The brutal murder of Matthew Shepard captured the nation's attention. There are thousands of anti gay hate crimes a year, but this one captured the America's imagination. The members of Tectonic went to Laramie to try to record how this event had affected the town. The hope was that this would shed light on the ideas and beliefs that were shaping our nation.
Also, there was a polarization that took place in the National conversation that led to a) an oversimplification of vastly complicated ideas, like prejudice, class issues, gender issues and b) many bigoted people being allowed to take center stage, as the media seemed to find it necessary to find two sides in a debate about homosexuality. Our goal was to find the story of the people of Laramie in their own words.
From a theatrical perspective the members of the company asked themselves, what role can a theater artists play in the national dialogue about current events?
Why did they want to return in 2008?
The murder of Matthew Shepard had such seismic impact on this small town in America, that the company wanted to try to observe what, if any, were the long lasting effects of such a crime. How does a town look like 10 years after an episode of this magnitude? Have the attitudes changed? The mythologies? Has change occurred that's concrete and lasting?
For those reasons, the group returned to re-interview past participants, conduct new interviews with Laramie residents and most dramatically, interview Judy Shepard and Aaron McKinney (Matthew Shepard's murderer).
Which of the company members returned in 2008?
Moisés Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Andy Paris, Greg Pierotti and Stephen Belber.
Who interviewed Aaron McKinney?
Greg Pierotti.
Why did you decide to do a local production as part of this national event on October 12, 2009?
The Laramie Project is a play with tremendous historical and cultural impact. To be part of this nationwide unveiling of the epilogue is an honor, but also a reminder to ourselves, our audiences and our communities that Matthew Shepard's story still reverberates. That unfortunately, still many of the issues the murder brought up are unresolved both at a local and national level.
Also, from a theatrical perspective we wanted to participate in this great experiment reminiscent of THE FEDERAL THEATER and Hallie Flanagan. They used to perform the same play in dozens of theaters across the country simultaneously. This nationwide performance event is a nod to that period. But also an event that poses the question, "can theater play a role in the NATIONAL dialogue in this manner?"
What are the specifics of this national event, especially the Internet component?
Over 100 theaters around the country will perform the epilogue, in cities like New York, Washington, D.C., Denver, Tulsa, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and others. There will be at least one performance in each state. In tandem with the Premiere, an online interactive community will be launched, at www.laramieproject.org, where participants can blog, upload video and photos and share their stories about the play, experiences in preparing and presenting the Epilogue in their communities. The members of Tectonic Theater Project will be active participants in the online community, offering participants feedback and encouragement.
As part of the national community aspect of the event, a pre and post show component will be broadcast live from Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall to all the participating theaters. The pre show portion will include an introduction by the writers, as well as appearances from special guests to be announced. The post- show will consist of a q&a in which questions will be taken from audience members in theaters around the country. Audience members will be able to text their questions to twitter, and the moderator at Alice Tully Hall will include as many questions from as many theaters as possible. Those questions not answered live will be answered online.
Why is this play important?
The Laramie Project portrayed one town in America at the end of the millennium. But in doing so, it managed to capture something profoundly American, something about social injustices, about beliefs, about idiosyncrasies. It told the story of one American town at the end of the millennium. But in doing so, it talked about America as a whole.
In this sense, the Laramie project has prompted dialogue, discussion and debate about a wide variety of issues and continues to transform the lives of those who participate as actors and those who sit in the audience. The epilogue will build on that. Matthew's mother, Judy Shepard, has said that the Laramie Project is one of the most important things to come from Matthew's death, for which we are deeply grateful.
What is the epilogue about? Does it shed any new light on what happened or the impact of the death of Matthew Shepard?
The epilogue will look at what has and has not changed in Laramie since Matthew's 1998 murder. It will also explore how people construct stories and tell history, both on an individual level and on a societal level.
The epilogue aims to examine how our own personal narratives and the narratives of our communities get constructed.
We heard that the murderer of Matthew Shepard, as well as Shepard's mother, was interviewed for the epilogue. Why is that and what do they say?
Aaron McKinney, who is serving two consecutive life sentences for Matt's murder, was interviewed in jail in Virginia by company member Greg Pierotti with the agreement of the Shepard family. He talks about the night of the murder, what he does and does not remember and how he feels eleven years later. His interview is compelling, terrifying and eye opening. Judy's interview will give the world a peek into the heart and mind of a powerful woman who has now dedicated her life to erasing hate in our society.
How many performances have been done of the Laramie Project?
Over 2,000 worldwide.
This play generates a lot of controversy, protests and calls for cancellation - how do you respond to that?
It is okay for theater to be controversial. The Laramie Project's goal is to promote thoughtful discussion and give audiences the opportunity to hear from a wide variety of Laramie residents and those most associated with the murder of Matthew Shepard. Yes, there have been protests, but they only demonstrate the need for more education and conversation about the issues that are explored in the Laramie Project. It has, in fact, been very moving to see the large outpouring of support when protests happen in most cases.
