The Production of the Laramie Project - Coursework Example

The Laramie Project The production of The Laramie Project, recently viewed in February 2015, invoked feelings about this tragic event that mere words simply cannot do justice to. In performing this play, much of the focus is on reminding the audience of his history of discrimination against gays, and the level of hate that still exists in this country. As a society, the fact that such hatred still exists is often forgotten until incidences like this rise up and remind us of the ugly side of human nature. We are reminded through the work of Kaufman that Laramie, Wisconsin can represent anywhere USA and that it is important to reflect on such issues, have an open dialogue, and move society towards a more inclusive and accommodating place in the future. While there are many components of the UTSC Production of The Laramie Project that could be focused upon, it is perhaps fruitful to consider the history behind the play and how this history is subsequently displayed for the audience to understand and learn from. It is important to note that the creator of this play actually began researching the events that provided its context within a month after the actual crime occurred in Wyoming back in 1998. Kaufman recognized that the world needed to know about not only the crime that was committed, but the actual root of the issue that had been building in this college town for years, as it was likely a reflection of broader society in many ways. Kafuman set out to examine how many of the people in the town were responding to the issues not only related to homosexuality, but also to religion, class, economic, education, and various forms of nontraditional lifestyles (Morello 8). These are the issues that were reflected by this crime. The point is borne out through the production as the focus is certainly on the hate nature of this crime versus gays, but also on the broader perspective that there is a deep issue at play that society must deal with moving forward. A person’s gayness does not necessarily make them a target for a crime of this nature, but something is certainly wrong with society when such violence is perpetuated against a marginalized member of the community (Morello 8). Understanding this background enables the viewer to better evaluate the context of the play itself. Kaufman himself was a member of a minority group and the fact that hatred runs ripe with racial tension in many areas of the country was not lost on Kaufman. Because of the horrific nature of the crime, Kaufman felt it important to highlight the reality that this crime could have just easily occurred against a woman, a member of a wealthy country club, or a Hispanic. The fact that it occurred against an openly gay student in a traditionally conservative part of the country only serves to highlight the reality that much of American society is still divided on a number of issues. In preparing this play for production, Kaufman conducted more than 400 interviews with a total of 100 different resident from Laramie, Wisconsin. The purpose of this was for Kaufman to then be able to reflect on the reactions to the crime, as narrated by the residents themselves, and to draw certain conclusions about the implications that this hold for society moving forward (Freeman 109). Keep in the mind that this production reveals the reality that so few people in the small community of Laramie even knew Matthew Shepard. The viewer is struck with the bewilderment that such hatred could be perpetuated against an individual when it was quite obvious that so few even knew the man inside the person that was killed. In fact, we know that Matthew was not the only the gay person in the town, but hat most people kept it hidden. Since Matthew did not keep his sexuality hidden, the residents point out that he was extremely shy and not at all like the flamboyant gay rights activists that one might expect to see in major cities (Tigner 142). As the interviews continue, the production masterfully moves into a further reflection of the discrimination and hatred that seemed to provide the undercurrent to Laramie. At one point in the play, we encounter a Muslim lady who talked about uncomfortable she felt to wear a scarf reflective of her religion. The implication is that she felt greater Laramie was largely white and conservative Christian, and that they did not take kindly to individuals who would brazenly dare to be different. She even went so far as to say that the community was hostile to her wearing a simple scarf, so the picture is that she opted not to out of fear. The play does not linger on this point, however, as it the scene shifts to the bar where Matthew was last seen alive (Morello 8). This is a reflection of how many view this is an isolated crime against a gay man, rather than as a hideous crime against a member of a marginalized group. The production of this play appears to make the subtle point, effectively at that, that many members of society look at alternative lifestyles as so atrocious to their own way of life that they refuse to realize the seriousness of hate crimes. This is reflected of the residents who talk about how they certainly do not condone the killing in one breath, but then continue by making statements against the homosexual lifestyle in the next. The issue, as Kaufman puts it, is that so many members of society want their community to homogenous that they are willing to lash out at anyone that dares to be different (Thompson 645). The supposition of this production, then, is that society may be at a breaking point, and hate crimes will continue to persist, until such time that human civilization begins to once again embrace its heterogenous nature. As mentioned from the outset of this analysis, it is important to understand that Kaufman sought to reflect the history of hate and discrimination within Laramie, and have the come through within the context of the play. On this account, he accomplishes this objective. In the third act, for example, we learn that even the minister of the church where the funeral was held refused to attend because, in his words, ‘Even God has hate” (The Laramie Project 4). Once again, hate has permeated the town, and much of American society, to the point where the nature of the crime is forgotten and only his lifestyle is remembered. By refusing to act on the basis of Matthew’s homosexuality alone, individuals who condone hate in this regard are actually condoning the hideous nature of the crime itself (Freeman 110). That fact alone is reflected throughout the play and forms a common theme. In summary, the crime against Matthew Shepard happened in Laramie, but it could have happened to anyone in the country at anytime and anyplace. The importance of this production is immense because it serves to highlight not only nature of this crime, but the presence of hate all around us and the need to eliminate it. It is important to identify those elements in society in order to progressively eliminate them moving forward. The research conducted by Kaufman in preparation for this production back in 1999, coupled with the research conducted for this particular research study, reveal the central truth that hate still exists in America and it is not just directed at those who choose a different sexual preference than the mainstream. Each of us in some way is different, and those same differences should be embraced. Works Cited Freeman, Roger. “Solving the Laramie Problem, or Projecting Onto Laramie”. Theatre Symposium, 15.1 (2007): 107-111. Morello, Henry James. “Two Traumas One Aesthetic in Walsh’s Operacion Masacre and Kaufman’s The Laramie Project”. CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture, 13.1 (2011): 8. Thompson, Debby. “The Laramie Project”. Theatre Journal, 53.4 (2001): 644-645. Tigner, Amy. “The Laramie Project: Western Pastoral”. Modern Drama, 45.1 (2002): 138-156. Read More