The “The Laramie Project” (March 1 -9 at UCSB’s Hatlen Theater) takes the crime that took the life of Mathew Shepard as a jumping off point to explore so much more. Based on interviews conducted by New Yorkers Moisés Kaufman and the Members of Tectonic Theater Project in the aftermath of Shepard’s violent murder at the hands of two men, the play tells the story of Mathew and the reaction of his community, and the nation, to this tragedy of intolerance. The event changed many who lived in Laramie, Wyoming, and it changed the national discourse about anti-gay hate. The talented UCSB theater arts students under the direction of Eric Jorgensen portray the interviewers and their subjects in this thought provoking and ultimately hope-filled work, which remains very relevant today.
