The History behind Moises Kaufman's Classic Play The Laramie Project - Book Report/Review Example

The Laramie Project What is the history behind Moises Kaufmans ic play, The Laramie Project? On October 7, 1998, a young gay man named Mathew Shepard was discovered bound to a fence outside Laramie, Wyoming. Shepard had been brutally beaten and left for dead in an act of viciousness by two local roofers he had met in a bar. The events shocked the whole nation. His demise became a national symbol of intolerance. Furthermore, for the Laramie residents, the matter was deeply personal. A Venezuela-born, New York-based writer, Moises Kaufman saw that people worldwide were being emotionally affected by Shepard’s death brutality (Shewey Para. 1-3). In the aftermath, Kaufman and nine members of the Tectonic Theater Project flew to Laramie and conducted more than 200 interviews with the Laramie residents. They went to Laramie barely a month after Shepards murder to find out the residents reactions to the crime. The playwrights created an extraordinary life chronicle in the Laramie town after Shepards murder, from the transcripts. The Laramie project has become a contemporary classic and one of the most performed pieces of theater in America since its premier (Mathew 20). The Tectonic Theatre Company created the Laramie project in the aftermath of the 1998 vicious murder of Mathew Shepherd. The plays powerful message and the constant relevance to the issues of today make it one of the most performed plays in America. How is the history of the Moises Kaufmann classic play, The Laramie Project, displayed for the audience? The Laramie Project portrayed a town in America at the end of the millennium. In doing so, the play managed to capture something that was deeply American. The play captured something concerning, beliefs, social injustices and something about eccentricities. Thus, while it narrated the story of one town, it also spoke to America as a whole. The project also looks at what has and has not changed in Laramie town since the murder of Shepard. Additionally, it explores how individuals construct stories and history both on a personal level and on a societal level. The play attempts to promote dialogue concerning equity and justice and evaluate how individuals and communities reconstruct narrative and perspective. The play draws numerous emotions out of the audience along with the most prevalent feeling of hope. The play made the audience feel they were present in Laramie at the time of the incident. Shepard, a 21-year-old young college student, was brutally murdered as a result of his sexual orientation. However, the audience saw the reaction of the college and the Laramie town. Having the stage and only a few platforms that were raised, the set was perfect for performance. The audience felt as is if the real event was taking place right before their eyes. With light illumination on the actors or actresses conversing, it was easy for the audience to focus on the message being delivered. With the alteration of the voices and suitable costumes, the audience was able to differentiate between each character from the other. For instance, after an opening comment by the narrator, one of a long time resident of Laramie town offers a bit of personal history about his stay in Laramie. Through this narration, the audience also attains insights into the towns history. Other actors then join in some are depicted as newcomers to the town while others have stayed in the town longer. All provides background information on what it feels like to be involved in the towns culture. This sets up the atmosphere of the Laramie project. It provides the audience with an idea of what life was like before the murder of Mathew Shepard. Is the history of the Laramie Project conveyed effectively? The Laramie project was not conveyed effectively because the project represents a polished result of a project that was compromised. For instance, approximately 200 interviews were conducted, but not even half of this number made it on stage. There was nothing wrong with that nevertheless. However, in the light of stating the events of history accurately, we should acknowledge that none of these monologues captures the entire truth of the original narration. Then the process of editing took the speaker’s words and left behind the situation in time and space in which they initially occurred. Furthermore, they zoomed in on a chosen facet of that conversation until all that was remaining was the sparkling high definition detail of the initial interview against a new backdrop. In addition, the play does little to stress that the real events had to pass through numerous editorial choices filters before arriving in the final script (Spector Para. 6). In addition, the audience is challenged to acknowledge each new character the actor assumes. Early in the Laramie project, Moises Kaufman uses a narrator to name the characters and to set the setting. This assists the audience to focus on what they are seeing. As the play continues, the audience has been trained to recognize different characters. Hence, they can connect to the events of the past. Is Moises Kaufman constructing a history from above, from below, or something in between? In the year 2008, the Tectonic troupe went to Laramie to explore how and if the time changed and shaped Mathew Shepard’s story evolution. Consequently, the project was created as a piece of companion. The group explains that the project looks at what has changed on not changed in Laramie since the 1998 murder of Mathew Shepherd. Kauffman also explores how people construct history and stories, both in the level of an individual and on the level of the society. The play attempts to promote dialogue and evaluate how individuals and societies construct and limit narrative and perspective (Caldwell Para. 4). Materials that support the plays message The Laramie project has been termed as a powerful and evocative work of art. The emotions that were exposed to the real Mathew Shepards murder may have focused the attention of the world to Laramie town. However, the Laramie project not only offers Laramie town, but also the world a chance to converse about the issues that are in mind. According to Kauffman (11), the arts have the ability to shed light on issues affecting the society. However, it is rare for a region like Laramie have need for clarity. It does not also need a response that is thoughtful to its recent history. The Laramie Project assists individuals put crimes of hate into perspective. The Laramie project provides a candid optimism about the goodness of humanity and acknowledgement that evil is not beyond remedy if the society or the world as a whole is ready to renounce hate. In addition, the story is told from diverse viewpoints. It does not try to present a straight documentary that tends to present facts from one perspective. The play is a vignette sequence or moments of development of character. In order to understand the whole truth, the audience must listen to all of the comments. However, the Laramie Project has received criticisms in equal measure. For instance, Joyce Hart argues that Kauffman uses contrast (Kaufman 12-13). She states that it is through the contradictions that Kaufman plays with the emotions of the audience. For instance, contrast is used in the crime scene presentation. Each time the audience is taken to the presentation of the crime scene, the emotional reaction is purposefully made more intense. The first mention of the field where Mathew Shepard was killed occurs at the plays beginning. Case in point is Sergeant Hing is conversing about the landscape of Wyoming and about how he took some reporters to the scene of the murder. Work Cited Caldwell, Willie. Why is the Laramie project important? 2014 Online Hamner, Matthew. The Laramie project: the search for a personal acting method via the principles of Constantin Stanislavksi. Orlando: University of Central Florida, 2006. Print. Kaufman, Moisés. The Laramie Project. New York: Vintage, 2010. Print. Shewey, Donn. American Theater: London: Laramie, 2000. Print. Spector, Julian. The Laramie Project, moment: close up. 2015 Online http://sites.duke.edu/dukeinlaramie/2011/04/13/moment-the-close-up/ Read More