The Daily Campus

Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Malerie Schwartz Student actors perform a reflective, emotional rendition of 'The Laramie Project' in the Student Union. The show, which told the story of Matthew Shephard, was accompanied by film and news footage.

Those who did come to see "The Laramie Project," sponsored by the Rainbow Center, were not disappointed, although there were plenty of empty seats in the Student Union Theater.

The show comprised seven actors portraying the tragic story of Matthew Shepard's murder. The script is made up of journal entries by and interviews with Laramie, Wyo., residents and people who knew Shepard. They tell not only the story of his death, but of the person he was and the town he lived in.

Although the cast was made up of amateur actors, they had an impressive ability to portray a wide variety of characters. Not only were the transitions from character to character effortless, they were also believable. One of the actors, Ashley Fong, played roles that ranged from a girl who worked in a coffee shop to the boy who found Shepard after he had been beaten. The only physical distinction between the two characters was the changing of a coat and hat. The shift in character, however, was so dramatic that Fong seemed to be two different actors entirely.

Interspersed with the acting were occasional film clips of scenes from a movie about Shephard and footage from news clips on the case. The scenes included Ellen DeGeneres crying at a memorial for Shepard, and the Laramie community coming together to walk for Shepard at the end of their homecoming parade. Showing footage of events like these instilled more emotion behind what the actors were portraying.

"I loved how the story was told," said Megan Longo, a Quinnipiac student visiting UConn. "I thought it was amazing how you got to know Matthew Shepard from the people around him, it was really interesting."



Contact Elizabeth Connelly at Elizabeth.Connelly@UConn.edu.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools