THE LARAMIE PROJECT
by Moisés Kaufman
Directed by Jim Walsh
WHEN: August 8, 9, 15, 16 at 8:00 PM and August 10 and 17 at 3:00 PM
WHERE: Main Street Theater Company, 3018 Bordentown Avenue, Parlin
TICKETS: $20 and can be purchased by calling 732.553.1153 or on-line at www.smstc.org.
This show contains extremely mature content and adult themes and is not recommended for children.
In October 1998 a twenty-one-year-old student at the University of Wyoming was kidnapped, severely beaten and left to die, tied to a fence in the middle of the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming. His bloody, bruised and battered body was not discovered until the next day, and he died several days later in an area hospital. His name was Matthew Shepard, and he was the victim of this assault because he was gay.
Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project made six trips to Laramie over the course of a year and a half in the aftermath of the beating and during the trial of the two young men accused of killing Shepard. They conducted more than 200 interviews with the people of the town. Some people interviewed were directly connected to the case, and others were citizens of Laramie, and the breadth of their reactions to the crime is fascinating. Kaufman and Tectonic Theater members have constructed a deeply moving theatrical experience from these interviews and their own experiences.
THE LARAMIE PROJECT is a breathtaking theatrical collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable. One of the ten best plays of the year. A pioneering work of theatrical reportage and a powerful stage event." —Time Magazine.
"Astonishing. Not since Angels in America has a play attempted so much: nothing less than an examination of the American psyche at the end of the millennium." —Associated Press.
"There emerges a mosaic as moving and important as any you will see on the walls of the churches of the world…nothing short of stunning…you will be held in rapt attention." —New York Magazine
The storyline of the show has hit hard for many of the actors portraying these real-life characters. All of the actors in the show play a variety of roles and want to make sure each character is an accurate and true representation of the actual people in the town. Kristine Stringer (of Maplewood, NJ) explains, “As an actor, the work is a challenge in that each of us in the cast play multiple characters, so in preparing I’ve had to think about each character’s personality, emotions and thoughts, and mannerisms. I know that I’m playing a real person, saying those person’s exact words. Usually when you’re in a play, you are saying the playwright’s lines, your character may be a ‘good guy,’ a villain, complicated; but they are fictional, and your job is to make that character real. Here, the characters ARE real.”
Actor Russ Ortiz (of Iselin, NJ) feels strongly about the message of the show, “ It is not just a historical retelling of an event that transfixed the world, but is more a capture of this tragic event told by way of the recollections and emotions of the towns people that lived through it. By Reading and performing these words you get a sense of what they were going through and to an extent, walk in their shoes.”
Director Jim Walsh (of Atlantic Highlands, NJ) gave his actors some excellent advice to stay true to the meaning of the show and the characters, “Do not judge your character. The show has such an important social message; it's important not to demonize characters you disagree with but tell their story. In turn, the message will be more profound! This group of actors embodies this message and what it means as an actor to be FEARLESS!
The rest of the cast includes: Jeff O’Neill of Freehold, NJ, Ami Martino of Clark, NJ, Mary Sullivan of Freehold, NJ, Debbie Bernstein of Maplewood, NJ, Joey Caramanno of Staten Island, NY, Tim Kelsey of Freehold, NJ, Kara Wilson of NYC, NY, and Becky Stromberg of Matawan, NJ.
About Fearless Productions
FEARLESS PRODUCTIONS... strives to create entertaining theatrical productions that walk on the very edge of the edge, leap enthusiastically with our hearts on our sleeves, and dare to be daring. We recognize that the responsibility of true art is to firmly grasp the attention of our audience for as long as we are asking for it. We accept this challenge with the courage that only comes with doing exactly what we feel we were born to do... Simply put... Our NAME is our MISSION STATEMENT... For more information about FEARLESS PRODUCTIONS visit our website at www.fearlessprod.com
