‘Documentary’ Play One Of Tyler Civic Theater’s Best Productions
Published June 18, 2010
By STEWART SMITH
Entertainment Editor
Tyler has likely never seen a play quite like “The Laramie Project.” I know I certainly haven’t since I started reviewing theatre productions here.
Be it the stage design, the presentation, the size of the cast, the subject matter, this is a production that is beyond anything else that the Tyler Civic Theatre Center has produced certainly within the last year, and perhaps longer. If you decide to go see “The Laramie Project” – and in my opinion, you absolutely should – know this: This is not your typical play.
In fact, it’s almost not even a play at all. It’s more akin to watching a documentary performed on a stage than a play with a plot and characters and such. The production centers around the town of Laramie, WY, circa 1998. Just days after Russell Arthur Henderson and Aaron James McKinney brutally beat and tortured 21-year-old Matthew Shepard within an inch of his life, Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project traveled to Laramie to conduct interviews with as many of the town’s residents as possible.
The play is taken directly from the hundreds of interviews conducted, as well as journal entries by the theatre company’s members and transcripts from McKinney and Henderson’s trials.
Before I get into discussing what the play is, I feel I need to discuss what the play is not. Before rehearsals even began, there was a bit of controversy over the fact that some in the community felt it inappropriate the Tyler Civic Theatre was putting on a “gay” play. “The Laramie Project” is not a “gay” play. It is not a “gay pride” production. It addresses homosexuality out simple necessity since Shepard himself was homosexual and many who testified at his trial believe he was targeted due to his homosexuality. Shepard could have been a black kid lynched by white supremacists and the message and purpose of the production would have remained precisely the same: To investigate and ask why two men would, unprovoked, brutally beat and torture another man.
Actually, that’s almost too narrow a description, as the play ultimately examines human reaction to unexpected tragedy, to dealing with subjects we aren’t entirely comfortable with and even finding the positive amidst the worst life throws at us.
To put it a bit more simply: “The Laramie Project” is about real human beings and the complexities found within them. The play examines nearly every point of view and perspective possible, from that of the murderers themselves, to Laramie’s religious community to just random, everyday folks. You may not know these people specifically, but it’s a good bet you know someone just like them.
That familiarity and verisimilitude is perhaps this production’s greatest strength. Given that there are 17 cast members portraying nearly 100 different characters, the show runs the risk of drawing things too thin. But thanks to the excellent performances of everyone involved, each person feels genuine and real. There’s a consistency to their performances and it’s been a long time since I saw acting that felt this natural across the board.
That they retain such qualities while almost constantly shifting from scene to the next only compounds the impressive nature of the actors’ work. The play is essentially a series of vignettes, each one taking place in rapid succession after the other, sometimes bleeding into each other. This requires constant costume changes (with characters often switching bits of wardrobe in the middle of a transition) and a deft handling of lighting and overall direction. If not pulled off properly, it’d be a quagmire as no cast member ever leaves the stage. Thankfully, Trinity Wheeler’s direction is outstanding and his handling of both cast and crew has the proceedings flow so smoothly that such an avant garde presentation never a distraction and only an asset.
Wheeler has spent several years working on traveling productions of hit Broadway shows such as “Rent,” “The Producers” and “The Wizard of Oz,” and his experience certainly shows here, especially with regards to the show’s set design. With multiple television sets, a suspended wood fence, stenciled lighting, a unique audio/visual presentation, it’s all but guaranteed you’ve never seen something like this inside the Braithwaite Theater.
I was very unsure how well such a remarkably different and challenging production would be pulled off by TCT. But thanks to the diligence of the director and his cast, they have put together an excellent production. Some will likely be unable to see beyond the fact this play deals with homosexuality, unable to see the forest for the trees. This is a shame as they will miss a remarkably well-acted, poignant, touching play, albeit one that requires much of its audience.
“The Laramie Project” opened Thursday. It will continue its run at 7:30 p.m. tonight and Saturday. Admission is $20 per person with half of each ticket sale benefiting Tyler AIDS Services and Special Health Services of East Texas.
For more information, contact the Tyler Civic Theatre Center at 903-592-0561.
The theatre is at 400 Rose Park Drive in Tyler, next to Tyler Rose Garden Center.
