Laramie projections

'Laramie' releases flood of emotions for Central High students and teachers.

In the last eight years, the Tectonic Theater Project's experimental docu-play about Laramie, Wyoming, has been performed over 5,000 times. But Rapid City's production offered something Thomas Howard, Jr., Ed.M., educational director for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, who's been present at over 50 different stagings, says he has never before witnessed. "I haven't been to a place that feels like this. It's rare for a high school production to have this many parents sharing the stage alongside with their children. My only wish is that the entire high school could have seen it."

The show was produced not by Central High School, but by the independent "Advocates for Creative Theater Students," which paid to rent the theater and for teacher Justin Speck's direction. And while no public funds were used, it received complete support from the Board of Education.

After seeing the opening night show, Central High's new principal Mike Talley revealed to director Speck the full extent at which he has been discriminated against as a Native American. Assistant principal Steve Vernon has also praised the production and Speck suggests the student board may be also responsive in efforts to protect all students from discrimination.

Speck revealed during a forum between the Saturday performances that "while educational" the school "couldn't require it for the full student body." Speck spent "an hour and 15 minutes conversation from one parent opposed to the production." The largest opposition seemed to come from people who had neither seen nor read the work. Actor Robbie Martin concurs. He was stunned to learn the gossip which was being spread about the drama, when asked by fellow students "how graphic the play's death scene was." "No such scene has ever been shown in the work" he countered, yet the teen insisted that "my daddy told me that Matthew Shepard's murdered on stage."

It was such fears that terrified Gifted Education counselor Kathryn Sosa. "I was very concerned and apprehensive about how graphic this might be." But after reading the work, she wound up auditioning and landing the role as the play's narrator and author Moisés Kaufman. "My concern was this goes beyond just Matthew Shepard. And that was my feeling before today, 'How can we take this piece -- this performance -- and apply it to what needs to happen here at Central High School.' I knew that this was not a play but that this was real life. It didn't become real until today. This is what is happening in our country. ... Something has changed. We have got to change," pleaded a tearful Sosa.

Teacher Constance Krueger believes that "Art, like this, has the power to produce change." Early in her teaching career, she witnessed the Kent State Massacre, and while she kept hearing that "it was 'okay' that the students there got killed, my heart was with the college kids. I told them never 'give your power to an adult.'"

One of the high school actors, who says he was bullied because of his perceived effeminacy and size (not unlike Matthew Shepard) early in his education revealed at the forum not only that he is gay in real life, but that he might have committed suicide had it not been for the support of the drama department. Howard, the representative from the Matthew Shepard Foundation, noted that in bullying "the bruises don't have to be seen."

Speck says "Doing this play has been a huge blessing -- (learning) the gracious nature of human beings. We knew that we were going to face some adversity and be challenging some opposing views. (But) I'm kind of in a state of euphoria now."

The play itself includes material from over 200 interviews, and among its 60 portrays are town residents of faiths including Mormon, Catholics, and conservative fundamentalist leaders in the town as well as an Islamic feminist. But, Speck pauses, "No matter what you believe Matthew Shepard has been present with us at every rehearsal and every performance."