Third Lesson: Devising Pages 10-20

Sitting on the shoulders

Second Lesson: Devising A Physical Sequence for Matthew

Line Dancing

What is the significance of the line dancing motif?

Line dancing is most directly descended from the 1970s disco era and plays heavily on the country/folk roots of the area.

The significance of the line dancing motif during the introduction section of the play represents the forced happiness of the towns people. By dancing away their problems and sweeping it under the carpet, the people of Laramie present a false image of greatness, fun and positivity.

The linedancing represents the pride and patriotism the people have towards their town and creates an almost inviting atmosphere. This, however, is the forced facade that the people are trying to portray. The dance is actually a reference to the defensive nature of the people. 

Matthew Wayne Shepard

Matthew 

Born: Dec 1st 1976 Casper Wyoming
Died: Oct 12th 1998 (21) Casper Wyoming

Parents: Dennis and Mary Shepard

Studied: Crest Hill Elementary, Dean Morgan Junior High, Natrona County, TASIS and University of Wyoming.


Interests: Politics and languages.

About Matt:

He was the eldest son over his younger brother, Logan, who was born in 1981. Matt and Logan had a very close bond.
It is recorded that during his junior high years, he was considered to be very friendly with all his classmates, but was a target of bullying due to his small stature and frame and lack of an athleticism.
He developed an early interest in politics.
He participated in theatre and took German and Italian.
Shepard became a first-year political science major at the University of Wyoming in Laramie with a minor in languages and was chosen as the student representative for the Wyoming Environmental Council.

He was described by his father as "an optimistic and accepting young man who had a special gift of relating to almost everyone. He was the type of person who was very approachable and always looked to new challenges. Matthew had a great passion for equality and always stood up for the acceptance of people's differences."

Michele Josue, who had been Shepard's friend described him as "a tenderhearted and kind person.”
February 1995, Shepard was beaten and raped during a high school trip to Morocco. This caused him to experience depression and panic attacks, according to his mother. One of Shepard's friends feared that his depression had driven him to become involved with drugs during his time in college. Multiple times, Shepard was hospitalized due to his clinical depression and suicidal ideation.

Murder Of Matthew Shepard

The night of October 6th, 1998, Matthew was at the Fireside Lounge, a bar in downtown Laramie. It was there that he met Russell Henderson and Aaron Mckinney. Matthew confronted these men and announced his sexuality openly. The two men decided to offer Matthew a ride home. It was there that they conspired to drive him into the rural farming land area of laramie. They took his shoes from him, and Matthew was beaten and tortured. He was pistol whipped (hit with the butt of a firearm) on the head leaving him with a fractured skull. He was soaked in blood and was unrecognisable. Matthew was tied to a fence and left to die on october 6th by Russell Henderson and Aaron mckinney. Matthew was in a coma for 18 hours after the attack, still tied to the fence in the freezing cold. He was found by a cyclist Aaron Kreifels, who was passing by who initially mistook him for a scarecrow. He was aided by Officer Reggie Fluty who then got Matthew transported to Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado. Matthew  died six days later in hospital.
It was also discovered that Matthew was HIV positive.

His death led to the passing of the Matthew Shepard/James Byrd Jr Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Response To The Laramie Project 

My initial response to the play was that of experimental theatre. The verbatim aspects of the writing style made me feel like this play would be something challenging and potentially confusing. I felt that this play could easily be made into a physical play as opposed to a straight powerhouse acting play. I originally wanted to be in Everyman because I love the idea of a quick, snappy play that focuses heavily on existential themes. After being cast in Laramie I quickly realised that Matthews story of course wasn't attractive to myself because it was so gritty, dark and real. People avoided it because they didn't want to get their hands dirty. Matthews story needs to be told and I feel that with Will as our director and, with the strong cast we have, we can tell this tale of brutality with heart and truth. 

That being said, after the company read through, I felt very optimistic about the direction in which this play would go. I think Laramie is very hard to comprehend when reading it on your own as opposed to hearing it out loud with other characters. You get a real sense of reality of the town when you hear copious voices from the characters. This play is such a unique twist on the traditional conventions of what a play should be, meaning the rehearsal process will feel arduous but will definitely pay off once we have gotten into the flow of devising. I'm looking forward to starting.

LARAMIE, WYOMING

Downtown Laramie

• Laramie, Wyoming sits in the heart of Albany county, USA. 

• Town motto/slogan: GEM CITY OF THE PLAINS, the plains being a large area of extreme flat land used for farming

• As of 2010, the recorded population was 30,816.

• Population as of 1990, 26,687.

• The town has an ageing elderly population, being one of the most popular retirement locations in North America 

• Notable landmarks:

- Union Pacific railroad 
- Laramie river 
- University of Wyoming campus
- Ruins of fort sanders 
- Wyoming territorial prison 
- Laramie plains museum 

• Town is farming and ranching territory. 
• College football team: Wyoming Cowboys NCAA Division I

• Outdoor activities: 

- Skiing

- Snowmobiling

- Mountain biking

- Rock climbing

- Hiking and camping

• Laramie has 14 city recreational parks.

• Laramie local radio stations: KUWR 91.9 FM, KUWY 88.5 FM

Average Weather In Laramie Yearly (Jan - December)

Average high °F (°C)

33.3 (0.7)

35.2 (1.8)

43.0 (6.1)

51.1 (10.6)

61.5 (16.4)

72.5 (22.5)

80.1 (26.7)

77.9 (25.5)

68.6 (20.3)

55.7 (13.2)

41.3 (5.2)

32.2 (0.1)

54.4 (12.4)