2008 Woodie Awards
The Laramie Project opens on campus
Daniel Esquivel, Staff Writer
Issue date: 3/8/06 Section: Entertainment
On October 6, 1998, the town of Laramie, Wyoming became the Hate Crime Capital of America.
Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, was brutally beaten, tied to a fence, and left for dead. After dying five days later, the story made front page newspapers nationwide. Everyone asked how this could happen in such a small town. Young actors from a New York theater company aimed to find out what exactly happened. They create a play simply entitled "The Laramie Project."
"The Laramie Project" will begin its run here at Sonoma State beginning Tuesday, March 7 until Friday, March 17. The play highlights the small town psyche and residents' reactions to such a tragic event.
In the play, the New York actors scope out an assortment of Laramie inhabitants. From students to church ministers, the town is probed for questions as to why a young man was so brutally killed. The actors are met with some praise, but more skepticism. Being a tight knit community, some residents were hesitant to talk about the subject matter.
The play also revolves around the trial of the two men accused of the crime, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. Each trial exhibits the raw emotion felt by Shepard's parents as well as outraged residents and activists. Anti-gay groups also attend the trials and give their two cents on the matter.
"The Laramie Project" draws attention to the animosity and prejudice many people have in regards to sexual orientation. The idea of hate crimes overall is a distressing thought, but the play brings the issue out in the open.
Here at Sonoma State, student actors are bringing to life this eye-opening performance. The sensitivity of the subject makes it that much more important to perform. Actors include members from BIGLASS-QTS as well as other organizations who felt that this performance was important to present to the campus at large.
Beyond the overt subject matter, the performance emphasizes something more important than orientation. It brings to light the importance of diversity and the prejudice that people face on a sometimes daily basis. Five courageous young actors from New York created a play full of sentiment, energy, and controversy. This thought-provoking play is now it is here at SSU for students to appreciate and learn from. Running from now until March 17, "The Laramie Project" performances are being held in Ives 119.
Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, was brutally beaten, tied to a fence, and left for dead. After dying five days later, the story made front page newspapers nationwide. Everyone asked how this could happen in such a small town. Young actors from a New York theater company aimed to find out what exactly happened. They create a play simply entitled "The Laramie Project."
"The Laramie Project" will begin its run here at Sonoma State beginning Tuesday, March 7 until Friday, March 17. The play highlights the small town psyche and residents' reactions to such a tragic event.
In the play, the New York actors scope out an assortment of Laramie inhabitants. From students to church ministers, the town is probed for questions as to why a young man was so brutally killed. The actors are met with some praise, but more skepticism. Being a tight knit community, some residents were hesitant to talk about the subject matter.
The play also revolves around the trial of the two men accused of the crime, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. Each trial exhibits the raw emotion felt by Shepard's parents as well as outraged residents and activists. Anti-gay groups also attend the trials and give their two cents on the matter.
"The Laramie Project" draws attention to the animosity and prejudice many people have in regards to sexual orientation. The idea of hate crimes overall is a distressing thought, but the play brings the issue out in the open.
Here at Sonoma State, student actors are bringing to life this eye-opening performance. The sensitivity of the subject makes it that much more important to perform. Actors include members from BIGLASS-QTS as well as other organizations who felt that this performance was important to present to the campus at large.
Beyond the overt subject matter, the performance emphasizes something more important than orientation. It brings to light the importance of diversity and the prejudice that people face on a sometimes daily basis. Five courageous young actors from New York created a play full of sentiment, energy, and controversy. This thought-provoking play is now it is here at SSU for students to appreciate and learn from. Running from now until March 17, "The Laramie Project" performances are being held in Ives 119.