2008 Woodie Awards
Bringing out Deep Emotions
Angely Fadul
Issue date: 11/24/04 Section: Features
On November 21st, members of Standing Together brought the Laramie Project to Manhattan College. Based on the actual events behind the murder of Matthew Shepherd, the Laramie Project pieces together over 200 interviews from various Laramie, Wyoming residents in order to present a well-rounded portrayal of what really proceeded.
Matthew Shepherd was 21 years old when he died from his injuries without ever regaining consciousness. Shepherd was beaten by the butt of a revolver, tied to a fence, and then left to bleed to death in the freezing cold. His attackers wanted to get back at him for making a pass at one of them. When the police finally showed up to take him to the hospital, the only parts of his body that weren't covered in blood were those that had been streaked by his tears.
"When the young man playing the doctor spoke about attending to Matthew, how his attacker was in the same emergency room with him, and that they were both just boys," said Georgia Kolk, a mother of one of the Laramie Project. "They were both so young. His words about wondering if that was how God felt when he was looking down at us from up above, it moved me."
"It makes you wonder," she continued, "how does something like this happen? Where does it begin, and how much does it say about us if this is how we take care of one another?"
"It's interesting how you can read so much from the papers and think you know all there is to know about a topic," said Martin Paris, a visiting audience member. "I never realized how small he was. For some reason, I always thought he was bigger. His weight surprised me so much. He was only 105 pounds, just 105 pounds!"
"This happened to an intelligent young man, a man who treated human beings with dignity and respect," Paris continued. "And look what they did to him. He was so innocent. If anything, this play shows you that this could happen to anyone, anywhere."
Paris also added, "This play, it shed light on so many issues. I mean, it's amazing and sad to think on how some people think." Paris asked, "Take the Morman priest for example when he said, 'A family is defined as one woman and one man and children... that's a family. That's about as clear as stated. There is no sexual deviation...' isn't that sad? To think that some people think like this, to me, family means unity. The unity of love between people who have come together, that's a family- not just a man with a woman and children," he said.
Matthew Shepherd was 21 years old when he died from his injuries without ever regaining consciousness. Shepherd was beaten by the butt of a revolver, tied to a fence, and then left to bleed to death in the freezing cold. His attackers wanted to get back at him for making a pass at one of them. When the police finally showed up to take him to the hospital, the only parts of his body that weren't covered in blood were those that had been streaked by his tears.
"When the young man playing the doctor spoke about attending to Matthew, how his attacker was in the same emergency room with him, and that they were both just boys," said Georgia Kolk, a mother of one of the Laramie Project. "They were both so young. His words about wondering if that was how God felt when he was looking down at us from up above, it moved me."
"It makes you wonder," she continued, "how does something like this happen? Where does it begin, and how much does it say about us if this is how we take care of one another?"
"It's interesting how you can read so much from the papers and think you know all there is to know about a topic," said Martin Paris, a visiting audience member. "I never realized how small he was. For some reason, I always thought he was bigger. His weight surprised me so much. He was only 105 pounds, just 105 pounds!"
"This happened to an intelligent young man, a man who treated human beings with dignity and respect," Paris continued. "And look what they did to him. He was so innocent. If anything, this play shows you that this could happen to anyone, anywhere."
Paris also added, "This play, it shed light on so many issues. I mean, it's amazing and sad to think on how some people think." Paris asked, "Take the Morman priest for example when he said, 'A family is defined as one woman and one man and children... that's a family. That's about as clear as stated. There is no sexual deviation...' isn't that sad? To think that some people think like this, to me, family means unity. The unity of love between people who have come together, that's a family- not just a man with a woman and children," he said.