PREVIEW: RSC Remembers Matthew Shepard Through The Laramie Project
June 12, 13, 14 @ Conkling Hall, Rensselaerville
June 19, 20, 21 @ Bridge Street Theatre, Catskill
“Stories have always been one of the ways communities preserve the people they refuse to lose, and while no piece of art can undo what happened to Matthew Shepard, productions like The Laramie Project ensure that his story continues to be told.”
Every Pride Month, people come together to celebrate. We celebrate identity, freedom, community, and the continued fight for the freedom to live openly and authentically.
But Pride Month is also a time to remember, reflect, and advocate for those who never got the chance to grow old, whose stories were cut short by hatred, violence and discrimination. We remember the people whose names continue to ring through the community long after they're gone and refuse to let their memories fade because we refuse to let hate win.
One of those names that we remember is Matthew Wayne Shepard, a 21-year-old University of Wyoming student who was robbed, beaten, and left tied to a fence in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998.
Matthew died six days later.
This senseless murder, fueled solely by hatred and discrimination, shocked the nation and became a call-to-action for additions and revisions of hate crime legislation at both state and federal levels.
Nearly three decades later, Matthew’s story has been preserved with his life and legacy at the center of it all, refusing to let any part of him be forgotten, and allowing new generations to grapple with uncomfortable truths, difficult histories, and understand the importance of advocating against discrimination and violence — the importance of preserving stories.
Matthew’s legacy lives in community, in policy, in activism, and in remembrance, and his story will continue to be told and amplified. The story of his life, because to remember him is to refuse to let hatred overshadow him. He is not the crime that took his life.
We remember the young man with a love for activism and politics. The young man with a passion for environmental advocacy. The young man whose generosity and kindness was felt by all of those with whom he crossed paths. The young man full of pride in his identity and love for his community.
Matthew’s love and involvement in his community was a large part of what made it so incredibly difficult for that community to process the crimes committed against one of their own. These feelings would eventually culminate into a project that preserves Matthew’s story through the lens of those around him, those who knew him, and the men responsible for his unjust and untimely passing.
In an effort to understand what happened and preserve the stories of those affected by the events, playwright Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Laramie and spent months speaking with residents.
Those conversations became The Laramie Project, a documentary-style play built from more than 200 interviews that examines Matthew's life, legacy and the impact his loss had on an entire community.
This June, R'ville Stage Creations (RSC) will bring The Laramie Project to the Capital Region as the opening production of its 16th season, with a portion of the proceeds being donated directly to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. The production will open at Conkling Hall in Rensselaerville with performances June 12 and 13 at 7 p.m. and June 14 at 2 p.m. RSC will then bring the production to Bridge Street Theatre in Catskill for performances June 19 and 20 at 7 p.m. and June 21 at 2 p.m.
Community members are also invited to attend a pay-what-you-can relaxed performance of the final dress rehearsal on June 11 at 7 p.m. at Conkling Hall, offering a welcoming environment for guests who may find traditional theatre settings challenging.
Produced in association with Small Potatoes Playhouse, The Laramie Project is guest directed by Small Potatoes Playhouse founder Sean Allison alongside RSC founder and Artistic Director Taradwyn McCormick.
Stories have always been one of the ways communities preserve the people they refuse to lose, and while no piece of art can undo what happened to Matthew Shepard, productions like The Laramie Project ensure that his story continues to be told.
It should never take a tragedy to remind us why compassion matters and it should never take violence for a community to rally around one of its own. Yet, stories like Matthew's continue to resonate because the questions they raise remain relevant.
Pride Month may provide an opportunity for celebration and reflection, but the responsibility to stand against hatred and discrimination does not disappear when June comes to an end. Neither does our responsibility to remember and to amplify, because Pride has always been an act of resistance. Continue telling stories — even the difficult ones — continue advocating, continue listening, and continue learning. If not for yourself, then for those we've lost along the way. Because every story preserved is a reminder that hatred does not get the final word.
And whether through theatre, policy or simple remembrance, we will continue to say Matthew Shepard's name.
The Laramie Project contains strong language and deals with mature subject matter including extreme violence, murder, homophobia, and drug use. Audience discretion advised.
Tickets to the Rensselaerville shows: Ludus - R'ville Stage Creations
Tickets to the Catskill shows: The Laramie Project via ThunderTix