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The Script-Teasers:
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About the Script:
The Laramie Project presents a deeply complex portrait of a community’s response to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man living in Laramie, Wyoming. In October 1998, a 21-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. 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.
The script does contain violent, sexual, and discriminatory language.
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.
The script does contain violent, sexual, and discriminatory language.
Characters:
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AARON KREIFELS – University student. 19 years old.
AARON MCKINNEY – One of the perpetrators. 21 years old. A roofer. ALISON MEARS – Volunteer for a social service agency in town. 50s. Very good friend of Marge Murray. AMANDA GRONICH – Member of Tectonic Theater Project. ANDREW GOMEZ – Latino from Laramie. 20s. ANDY PARIS – Member of Tectonic Theater Project. ANONYMOUS FRIEND OF AARON MCKINNEY’S – 20s. Works for the railroad. APRIL SILVA – Bisexual university student. 19 years old. BAILIFF BAPTIST MINISTER – Originally from Texas. 50s. BARBARA PITTS – Member of Tectonic Theater Project. BILL MCKINNEY – Father of Aaron McKinney. 40s. Truck driver. CAL RERUCHA – Prosecuting attorney. 50s. CATHERINE CONNOLLY – Out lesbian professor at the university. 40s. CONRAD MILLER – Car mechanic. 30s. DENNIS SHEPARD – Father of Matthew Shepard. 40s. Wyoming native. DOC O’CONNOR – Limousine driver and local entrepreneur. 50s. DR. CANTWAY – Emergency room doctor at Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie. 50s. DOUG LAWS – Stake Ecclesiastical leader for the Mormon church in Laramie. 50s. A professor at the University of Wyoming. EMAIL SENDER FATHER ROGER SCHMIT – Catholic Priest. 40s. Very outspoken. GIL AND EILEEN ENGEN – Ranchers. He is in his 60s, she is in her 50s. GOVERNOR JIM GERINGER – Republican Governor. 45 years old. GREG PIEROTTI – Member of Tectonic Theater Project. HARRY WOODS – Gay Laramie resident. 52 years old. JEDADIAH SCHULTZ – University student. 19 years old. JEFFREY LOCKWOOD – Laramie resident. 40s. JEN – Friend of Aaron McKinney. In her early 20s. JON PEACOCK – Matthew Shepard’s academic adviser. Late 30s. Political science professor. JONAS SLONAKER – Gay man. 40s. JURORS AND FOREPERSON KERRY DRAKE – Reporter with the Caspar Star Tribune. 40s. KRISTIN PRICE – Girlfriend of Aaron McKinney. 20s. Tennessee accent. LEIGH FONDAKOWSKI – Member of Tectonic Theater Project. LUCY THOMPSON – Grandmother of Russell Henderson. 60s. Working class woman who provided a popular day-care service for the town. |
MARGE MURRAY – Reggie’s mother. 70s. She has had emphysema for many years but continues to smoke.
MATT GALLOWAY – Bartender at The Fireside Bar. 20s. Student at the University of Wyoming. MATT MICKELSON – Owner of The Fireside. 30s. MEDIA/NEWSPAPER PEOPLE MERCEDES HERRERO – Member of Tectonic Theater Project. MOISÉS KAUFMAN – Member of Tectonic Theater Project. MORMON HOME TEACHER TO RUSSELL HENDERSON – 60s. MURDOCK COOPER – Rancher. 50s. Resident of Centennial, a nearby town. PHIL LABRIE – A friend of Matthew Shepard. Late 20s. Eastern European accent. PHILIP DUBOIS – President of the University of Wyoming. 40s. PRIEST AT THE FUNERAL REBECCA HILLIKER – Head of the theater department at the University of Wyoming. 40s. Midwestern accent. REGGIE FLUTY – The policewoman who responded to the 911 call and discovered Matthew at the fence. 40s. REVEREND FRED PHELPS – Minister from Kansas. 60s. ROB DEBREE – Detective Sgt. for the Albany County Sheriff’s department. 40s. Chief investigator for the Matthew Shepard murder. ROMAINE PATTERSON – Lesbian. 21 years old. RULON STACEY – CEO Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado. 40s. Mormon. RUSSELL HENDERSON – One of the perpetrators. 19 years old. SGT. HING – Detective at the Laramie police department. 40s. SHADOW – DJ at the Fireside. African American man. 30s. SHANNON – Friend of Aaron McKinney. In his early 20s. SHERRY AANENSON – Russell Henderson’s landlord. 40s. SHERRY JOHNSON – Administrative assistant at the University. 40s. STEPHEN BELBER – Member of Tectonic Theater Project. STEPHEN MEAD JOHNSON – Unitarian minister. 50s. TIFFANY EDWARDS – Local reporter. 20s. TRISH STEGER – Romaine’s sister. 40s. TWO JUDGES WAITRESS – Looks like Debbie Reynolds. ZACKIE SALMON – Administrator at the University of Wyoming. Lesbian. 40s. Texas accent. ZUBAIDA ULA – Muslim woman in Laramie. 20s. |
What is Script-Teasers?We gather at Backdoor Theatre to delve into a treasure trove of scripts, from timeless classics to hidden gems waiting to be discovered!
Whether you're a seasoned performer, an aspiring playwright, or simply enjoy getting lost in a good story, Script-Teasers welcomes you with open arms! Feel free to read aloud, follow along silently, or simply soak in the camaraderie of fellow script enthusiasts! Once we gather for the readthrough, roles/characters will be randomly drawn based on the order which you sign up! No auditions, no pressure! Join us and be part of our vibrant script-loving community! |
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