The Laramie Project

The play is written with each "scene" comprising of several different conversations or monologues melded together to form a specific "moment" in time that joins with other moments to provide a picture of the events in question. (Confused yet? Sorry, but this was the best way for me to put the structure into words, but it will make a little more sense after reading the script.) Anyway, enough with the objective, on with the subjective. Moisés Kaufman and the other members of the Tectonic Theater Project have put together a modern masterpiece here. While sifting through the 200+ interviews they made over the two years they sent in Laramie, they never dulled the vibrant emotions of the residents of the city. (Some evidence of this is their refusal to water-down the "colorful metaphores" in the characters' speech [a job the administration of my school decided to take upon themselves to do {GRRRRRRR!}].) This has been one of the best plays I have ever seen (or acted in), not because of a good cast (although our cast WAS pretty cool) or some nice scenery, but because of the lines and characters themselves.

A note to any directors of school (or community) drama troupes: while homosexuality is a major topic in this play, the writers do a good job of staying true to the blessing of Father Roger Schmit when he tells them "to do [their] best to say it correct" and not put any kind of pro/anti-gay twist on the story to further any political/social cause except for anti-hate. THAT is the real focus of the story, not GAY PRIDE but a rejection of discrimination in any form it takes. Just mention this fact and any disquiet in your school/community over the play should settle down pretty quickly (at least it did in my school).

Thank you for reading (if you were patient enough to read this entire thing), BUY THIS BOOK, and I hope you enjoy it.