Michelle Kim
The cast blocks the opening scene in the newly renovated auditorium.
Under the direction of Mrs. Kasen the River Dell Drama Club will present their fall play, The Laramie Project, on November 21st-23rd. Through interviews, powerful monologues, and heartfelt scenes the play details a community’s reaction to a gruesome hate crime: the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming.
Mrs. Kasen explains. “Are the people of Laramie similar or different to [us]? What can theatre artists do as a response to an incident of this nature?”
She believes that overall, the play’s message is up to interpretation. But a major theme is “When hate is met with hate, we are left with hate. When violence is met with violence, we are left with violence. But when hate and violence occur, even in the most challenging and darkest of times, if we can find it within ourselves to approach it with love and compassion, then that is what we are left with.”
Last week, Ray Ippolito taught an improvisation workshop with the cast, and Scott Barrow, a Broadway actor who performed in the Laramie Project and its national tour, visited the high school and taught a workshop on theatrical collaboration.
Thomas Cook, a cast member present at the workshops, offered that “It was especially interesting for me as he played the role that I must now take on, Dennis Shepard. He gave me great insight into what it’s like to play a character with so much importance and such a tragic story.”
“I loved the workshops and enjoyed working with the mentors. The improvisation exercises really brought me out of my comfort zone and helped me be creative on the spot,” said Mina Feurer, a freshman member who plays multiple roles.
The cast is excited to start rehearsals and learn their monologues, but what’s hard about performing this show is expressing the emotional aspects. “To play a person who’s really been through such a tragic event as losing a son is something very new to me,” Cook admitted. “However, it is also one of the greatest honors I’ve had to play this role, to be entrusted with the portrayal of a man who’s gone through something no one should experience.”