Students take on controversial play

By Sheila Reynolds - Surrey North Delta Leader - April 20, 2008

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Nicholas Dunatov (Reverend Fred Phelps) and Diane Young (Romaine Patterson) get into a shouting match at the funeral of Matthew Shepard, during a dress rehearsal for The Laramie Project at Seaquam Secondary Friday afternoon.

EVAN SEAL / THE LEADER

Senior theatre students at Seaquam Secondary School are tackling a play based on the brutal murder of a gay man in the U.S. a decade ago.

The Laramie Project was written by New York playwright Moises Kaufman after the 1998 slaying of college student Matthew Shepard outside Laramie, Wyoming. The young man was bound to a fence, beaten and left to die. The horrifying incident garnered international attention.

The play views the event through the eyes of the people of Laramie by way of more than 200 interviews done over the year-and-a-half after Shepard’s death. It explores heavy themes of intolerance, justice, human rights and compassion. It opened in May 2000 and has been staged more than 1,500 times in Canada and the U.S.

Sixteen Grade 11 and 12 student actors at Seaquam will portray a wide variety of townspeople in a production drama instructor Greg Dennett says falls in line with the school’s focus on social justice and social conscience.

“I think this kind of pushes the barriers for a lot of kids because (homosexuals are) the last group you can pick on, in their minds,” he said.

In late 2005, controversy erupted in the Surrey School District when Elgin Park Secondary wanted to produce the play. District staff deemed it inappropriate for a pre-Christmas family show, pointing to the obscene and harsh language, often explicit violence and discussion of sexuality. At that school, students as young as 12 were to be involved in the staging and audiences of all ages, including younger siblings, were expected to attend. Recognizing the valuable message of the play, it was suggested it be used with senior students and not as family entertainment. Elgin staged a different drama instead.

Dennett said he’s had support for the Delta production of Laramie.

“There have been some people who have raised concerns about the language, so I’ve made a few discreet cuts of the f-word,” he said.

“Generally, people are hands-off and trust me to do my job. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years.”

Dennett said he’s put a PG13 tag on the poster for the play and said he feels “mature” Grade 8s, as well as all Grade 9-12 students, should see it.

The Laramie Project opens with special matinées on April 22 and 23 at 12:30 p.m. and evening performances from April 23-26 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students.

sreynolds@surreyleader.com

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Students take on controversial play

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