Matthew Shepard would have been 33 this year. Instead, the 21 year-old University of Wyoming student who happened to be gay, is only a memory, a victim of a hate crime felt throughout the world. Calgary’s own Miscellaneous Youth Network and AIDS Calgary are allowing Calgarians to be a part of the legacy of Matthew Shepard with the presentation of Laramie Project.
The production is about the reaction to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming. Created by Moises Kaufman and his Tectonic Theatre Company “[it] draws on hundreds of interviews conducted by the theatre company with townspeople, company members own journal entries, and published news reports.”
For James Demers, member of the Miscellaneous Youth Network and the individual responsible for the inception of the Laramie Project in Calgary, the story of Matthew Shepard was one he couldn’t get out of his head. Not one to finish a book, 11 year old James read Beth Loffreda’s Losing Matt Shepard from cover to cover. Shortly afterwards, James came out, despite the image of a 21 year old, 5‘ 2”, braces wearing young man being beaten to death simply for being gay. Several years later he read the book again, this time understanding the significance of Shepard and his town of Laramie, Wyoming in comparison to what was still happening in the world. The similarities were tremendous. James believed now and today that it is important for us to remember this.
It is unlikely that Matthew Shepard knew that he would be an icon; his life and violent death is often seen as a metaphor for the North American human condition. Born in 1976, Shepard enjoyed a typical American childhood, eventually enrolling in the Political Science program at The University of Wyoming. On October 7th, 1998 Shepard met Aaron James McKinney and Russell Arthur Henderson at a local bar. Eighteen hours later Matthew was found unconscious and tied to a fence post in rural Wyoming, beaten, tortured, and unrecognizable. Five days later Matthew Shepard was dead.
McKinney and Henderson were each convicted of murder and both are serving two consecutive life sentences, with no possibility of parole. Although Shepard was killed because he was gay (the girlfriends of the accused testified that they set out to rob and kill a gay guy), the two murderers were never charged with a hate crime. Wyoming, to this day still has no hate crime legislation.
The individuals involved in Calgary’s Laramie Project believe that the hatred that caused Shepard’s death needs to be readdressed because GLBT and all minority groups need to fight to erase hate. Demers asserts that people need to understand that victories like gay marriage rights do not mean the abolition of hate and discrimination. After all, the rights for gays to marry in many States were overturned, and hate crime legislation is still not considered necessary everywhere. How often are people threatened, verbally and physically assaulted, or killed today solely because they are gay? Hate is still a major epidemic in the global consciousness. Laramie Project, and Matthew Shepard’s story is still very relevant.
Laramie Project is not your typical production. With 64 characters both straight and gay, of all ages and ethnicities, the creative team needed to find a diverse cast. This “exceptional group of inspired people” as Demers refers to the cast, consists of nine actors, only 3 of whom are professionals, volunteering their time to make the project work. Each cast member brings a diverse set of characters to life, making one mindful that the 1998 incident could just as easily happen in Calgary today.
The production staff and professional design team has also generously donated their time, as have many other businesses in the community. Shae Barrie of the Calgary store Does it Come in Black has donated her costuming talents, while Blame Betty and Priape have donated their products for fundraisers, and Money Pennies and the Eagle have allowed the use of their venues for rehearsal space and fund raising events. The Sublime Dance Group has performed at fund raisers free of charge. High school drama coach Barry Gagliardi has donated his invaluable time as director to create the Calgary production of Laramie Project in his own vision.
Laramie Project carries not just a message about hate, but also a message of hope. James is determined to promote hope, “because this doesn’t have to happen again for things to change.” By understanding who we are as a society in reaction to a hate crime, perhaps we can find a way to change. The crew is also hopeful that this message might bring together Calgary’s somewhat segregated gay community. It is important for us as a minority to support each other because we are not done fighting.
Tickets for Laramie Project are only $15 and are available at Ticketmaster. All proceeds go to charity. Make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to see this moving production; we still have so much to learn about ourselves and our society.
