A ‘Laramie Project’ update on local stages
“What I find amazing is, these kids don’t remember the incident,’’ says Melia Bensussen, “and that is one of the reasons I was excited about us doing this.’’
In 1998, Matthew Shepard, a young gay man and student at the University of Wyoming, was brutally killed, and his name became a rallying cry for gay rights and tolerance. More than 100 theaters around the world will mark the 11th anniversary of his death on Monday with staged readings of a new play, an epilogue called “The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later.’’ Bensussen chairs the performing arts department at Emerson College, which is producing a free performance at the Cutler Majestic Theatre with
“They know ‘The Laramie Project’ mostly as a play they’ve seen at their high school or maybe as a successful TV movie,’’ Bensussen says. “Its connection to real history, and to an America that in some ways may not be that different from 11 years ago, I think is crucial for these kids to know. . . . Having an audience experience 20-year-olds speaking to these issues, I think it will be a really important evening.’’
The Emerson students will be joined onstage by Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, and Derrek L. Shulman, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League’s New England Region.
Two other Massachusetts theaters are involved in the project. The Vineyard Playhouse in Vineyard Haven will offer readings of the original “Laramie Project’’ on Sunday and the new piece on Monday. And two readings of “10 Years Later’’ will be performed by the Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield on Monday, with a cast including such Barrington Stage notables as Mark H. Dold (“Freud’s Last Session’’), Tandy Cronyn, and Debra Jo Rupp, as well as representatives from Shakespeare & Company and Pittsfield’s cultural development office. The Cutler Majestic will telecast pre- and post-show segments from the event at New York’s Lincoln Center, including a discussion by the writers.
On Oct. 6, 1998, Shepard, 21, was brutally beaten and left tied to a fence; he died six days later. Two local men, also 21, were sentenced to life in prison for the crime. Members of New York’s Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Wyoming to interview townspeople and others connected to the case. The acclaimed play constructed from their words, “The Laramie Project,’’ was widely produced and became an HBO film.
Last year, Tectonic returned to Laramie for another series of interviews focused on the crime’s long-term impact. They talked to one of the killers, Aaron McKinney, to Judy Shepard, Matthew’s mother, and to many others. “10 Years Later’’ is still a work in progress, but Tectonic decided to mark the anniversary with readings of the current two-act script. The play is credited to Moisés Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti, Andy Paris, and Stephen Belber of Tectonic.
“They spoke to a number of the same people they interviewed for the original piece and also a number of new people. People who’ve just moved to Laramie, people who’ve moved away from Laramie, so there’s a really strong cross-section,’’ says Richard M. Parison Jr., Barrington Stage producing director. “It’s exceptionally poignant and gets at the essence of what they’re trying to say very quickly, in their own words. For good, bad, or indifferent, they’re expressing themselves about . . . what is it to be a citizen of Laramie now and moving forward.’’
The actors in Pittsfield will appear on the set for Barrington Stage’s current production, “The Fantasticks,’’ including a backdrop of blue sky and white clouds resembling one in promotional materials for “The Laramie Project.’’ “It looks as if we created a set for it,’’ says Parison.
Emerson also got a bonus, as one of the co-creators, Pierotti, came to Boston for two days recently for workshops and talks.
“Performing arts is really taking a leading role in enlightening these students in how art can increase tolerance,’’ Bensussen says.
Cutler Majestic tickets: free. 800-233-3123, www.BroadwayOffers.com. Barrington Stage tickets: $15, $10 students. 413-236-8888, www.barringtonstageco.org. Vineyard tickets: $20 adults, $15 seniors and students for one reading, $30/$20 for b oth readings. 508-696-6300, www.vineyardplayhouse.org 
