‘Laramie Project’ focuses on tragedy

Tom Titus

In 1998, a gay University of Wyoming student, Matthew Shepard, was

kidnapped, tortured and murdered in one of America’s most bizarre --

and most publicized -- hate crimes.

The aftermath of this tragedy’s effect on the college town of

Laramie, Wyo., is chronicled in Moises Kaufman’s “The Laramie

Project,” which Orange Coast College will produce March 19-23.

In November 1998, four weeks after the murder, Kaufman and nine

members of the Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Laramie to

collect interviews that might become material for a play. The

resulting production opened in February 2000, at the Denver Center

Theater, then moved to the Union Square Theater in New York three

months later. In November 2000, it was staged in Laramie.

“This is currently the most widely produced play on college

campuses throughout the state of California,” said the play’s

director, John Ferzacca. “It is important and rich, and isn’t quickly

forgotten by people who see it.”

“The Laramie Project,” named by Time magazine as one of the 10

best plays of 2000, is an ensemble piece about the town of Laramie

during the year after the murder. More than 60 characters are

depicted, representing Laramie’s citizenry. The play offers little

reproach or condemnation, but depicts a town struggling to come to

grips with a horrifying incident.

Ferzacca labels it a “dramatic docu-drama.” OCC’s cast of 20 is

double and triple-teamed, representing these 60 people whose lives

were touched by the event.

“We’re enjoying a large influx of new talent in OCC’s Theater

Department, and that’s very exciting,” Ferzacca declares. “Thirteen

of the 20 cast members in this show are appearing on our stage for

the first time.

Major roles in the drama are taken by Jennifer Drake, Angel

Correa, Travis Woods and Vanessa Long. Drake, a graduate of UC Santa

Barbara, is appearing in her first OCC production, while Correa

headed the cast of the college’s “Side Man” and “Jack and Jill,”

among others. Woods starred in “Side Man” and “Epic Proportions” at

OCC. Long, a professional model and musician, is taking her first

acting turn at the college.

Other cast members include Julio Almanza, Sandra Barber, Drew

Budreau, Caroline Buss, Ralph Cardin, Olivia Catron, Ben Draper,

Jennifer Gelbert, Amanda Kukuk, Jessica Love, Isabella Melo, Adam

Navarro, David Reider, Shelly Schulz, Richard Thomas and Vincent

Torres.

“The Laramie Project” is ticketed for one week only at OCC’s Drama

Lab Theater. Curtain times are Wednesday through Friday at 8 p.m.,

Saturday at 2 and 8, and Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m.

Advance tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $7 for senior

citizens, students and children, while at-the-door prices are $12 and

$8. Reservations may be obtained by calling OCC at (714) 432-5880.

*

South Coast Repertory is feeling like a million these days. $1.05

million, to be exact.

SCR and six other nonprofit American theaters will receive a total

of $6.3 million in support through the Leading National Theaters

Program, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The Costa Mesa company will receive a $750,000 challenge grant

from Duke and $300,000 in program funds from Mellon. The LNTP funds

will establish an Emerging Artists Endowment to generate funding to

support new creative and diverse voices in the American theater

through artist residencies, readings, workshops and studio

productions.

“Participation in the LNTP comes at an opportune moment for SCR,”

said David Emmes, the company’s producing artistic director. “Once

the $750,000 matching grant is met, SCR will have a $1.5 million

restricted endowment to support grants to new artists and artists

from diverse cultural backgrounds.”

Over the past two years, SCR has doubled the number of commissions

given to emerging writers. The company now expects to expand its

support of new works by two or three additional annual commissions, a

two-week staged workshop, three one-week developmental workshops and

one studio production.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His

reviews appear Thursdays and Saturdays.