THE LARAMIE PROJECT |
| * * * * (four stars) Directed by: James J. Christy Starring: Jennifer Childs, David Disbrow, Greg Wood, Sally Mercer Philadelphia Theatre Company 1714 Delancey Street |
Laramie, Wyoming. Waco, Texas. Oklahoma City. Jonestown. These are the names of towns forever immortalized in history as establishing a hallmark for a cause. Laramie is the most recent addition to this martyr-like list of 20th century cities of controversy.
The Tectonic Theater Project brings its critically acclaimed production of The Laramie Project to the Philadelphia Theater Company's final show of the 25th anniversary season. An ensemble performance in three acts, The Laramie Project serves not only as an innovative piece of modern theater, but also as a platform for awareness on hate crimes.
Immediately after Matthew Shepherd was brutally beaten and murdered for being gay in his small hometown of Laramie, writer-director Moises Kaufman and his Tectonic Theater Project stepped into the Wyoming world to discover how such a heinous crime could occur.
After six trips and over 200 interviews, they were left full of questions. The culmination of the year-long experience is the innovative production currently playing at the Plays and Players Theater in Center City.
Divided into three acts, eight actors (four men, four women) portray countless characters from their year in Laramie. Award-winning local actors Jennifer Childs, David Disbrow, Grace Gonglewski, Sally Mercer, Buck Schirner, Maggie Siff, Greg Wood, and Bill Zielinski, each skillfully portray 8-10 characters. Switching in and out of drastically different roles, announcing names, and changing costumes, these eight performers create an unforgettable world on a simple set with nothing more than a brick wall and four desks with chairs.
While the ensemble cast gives impressive and tear-jerking performances, James Christy also deserves accolades for giving them an outlet in which to showcase their talent. Without his intricate direction, The Laramie Project would simply be a long manuscript of interviews and confusing dialogue.
Following in a similar vein to The Vagina Monologues, The Laramie Project serves as a landmark in theater activism. Moises Kaufman took his research and interviews even farther than Ensler ever did. He put eight people on stage and reenacted scenes with monologues, promoting awareness on both gay activism and the prevention of hate crimes.
After two and a half hours, three curtain calls, and a standing ovation, The Laramie Project stands as a milestone in theatre. From the seeds of a horrific hate crime emerges not only an extraordinary piece of theater, but a unifying message of hope for the future.
