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BY JEREMY ALLEN THOMPSON

Laramie.

Five years ago, I suspect,
very few of us recognized the
name of this small, Wyoming
town. Today, few of us don’t
have some sort of visceral
response to its mention. It
evokes images. of adults and
children grasping signs of hate;
of a young man, beaten and
alone on a desolate prairie; of a
town in shock, grappling with
violence it didn’t think possi-
ble. Of a community changed.

“If you would have asked
me before,” says a young
Laramie man, “I would have
told you Laramie is a beautiful
town...with a strong sense of
community. A town with a
personality that most larger
cities are stripped of. Now, I
would say that Laramie is a
town defined by an accident, a
crime. We’ve become Waco.
We’ve become Jasper. We’re a
noun, a definition, a sign.”

The Laramie Project is the
story of a town. Through the
eyes of its residents, we
explore its history, its humor,
its life — and the vast effect of a
crime that has changed it for-
ever. 4

As we approach our produc-
tion here at the UVM Theatre,
we are exploring Laramie as a
town that might as easily have
been Burlington, St. Albans, or
Plattsburgh. “It’s a story about
the nature and fabric of rela-
tionships and how people who
are different can live together
in a community,” said Director
Peter Jack Tkatch.

' While now it is impossible
to separate Laramie from
Matthew Shepard, Tkatch is
interested’ in approaching the
UVM Theatre production by
looking at diversity among the
people of the town, rather than
solely exploring
crimes of hate

community. He
and a cast of eight
University of
Vermont students
will paint a pic-
ture of the indi-
vidual characters
that make up
Laramie and the
town’s unique
culture.

In conjunction
with the play, the
theatre will be
hosting two panel

—

discussions about diversity
within our community,.crimes
that it motivates, and_ the
actions that have been taken to
address them. Moderated by
Tkatch, the panel includes B.J.
Rogers, Director of Outright
Vermont; Captain Lianne
Tourney of the UVM Police;
and Sherwood Smith of the.
Center for Cultural Pluralism
on the UVM campus. The
panel discussions will be held.
following the performances on
Thursday, September 27 and
Saturday, October 6.

Plans are also under-
way to offer an informal
forum for discussion fol-
lowing each of the per-
formances. These
forums will «provide
audiences the chance to
relax with friends fol-
lowing the play and to
discuss their views
about issues that
the performance
has raised.

The Laramie
Project, pro-
duced by the
UVM Theatre,
runs September
26 through
October 7 at the
Royall Tyler
Theatre on the
university cam-

pus. Performances are
Wednesday through Saturday
at 7:30 p.m. with a Sunday
matinee on October 7 at 2 p.m.
Ticket prices range from $9 to
$12.50. For tickets or more
information, call the UVM
Theatre ticket office at 802-

656-2094.

 
 
 
  
   
  
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
   
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
  
 
 
 

LARA lE

POP 26687
ELEV .7165

ARTS September 2001 OITT1 - 23

  

.»

1 0/ 3 I 0 1
2001 Van Cliburn Piano Corrpetilion Bronze Medalist

1 0/ 1 4/0 1

Aquila Theatre in The Tempest

1 0/ 1 9/01

Four Nations Ensemble

1 0/ 2 4 I 0 1

2001 Van Cliburn Piano Competition Silver Medalist
1 0 / 2 7 I 0 1

Chns Wood + Andy Cutting

1 1 I2 I 01

2001 Van Clibum Piano Competition Gold Medalist
1 1/4/01

Ensemble Doulce Memoire

1 1 /9/0 1 ‘

Sarasa

1 1/ 1 7/01

Julian Lage + Martin Taylor

1 1 /3 0/01 .

Gary Schoker + Jason \fieaux

1 2 I 7 I 0 1

Trefoil

2/1/02
EricBibb

Join Us

October 5_, 2001
7:30 p.m.
Royall Tyler Theatre
Burlington, VT

for a special benefit
performance of
"The Laramie Project"

Tickets are $20.00 per person
with the proceeds donated
to Mountain Pride Media

Seating is Limited!

Call or Email today
to reserve your tickets
802-383-7679 or 802-482-2550
rfpvt@together.net

. 7

Lane Series

2001 / 2002

Performance Season

2/ 8 I 0 2

London City Opera in ‘me Meny Widow
2/ 1 9 I 0 2

Mary Black and her band‘

3 I 1 I 0 2

eighth blackbird
-3 / 8 / 0 2

Ensemble Corund

3 I 1 7 I O 2

Lunasa and the Cathie _Ryan Band.

St. Patrick's Day’ ' ‘ ’

3 I 2 0 I 0 2

Miro String Quartet

3 I 2 7 I 0 2

Teatro Urico D'Europa in Verdi's Fiigoietto
0 4 I 0 5 I 0 2

Triple Helix Piano Trio

4/ 1 7 I 0 2

The Australian Chamber Orchestra with

Stephen Hough
4/ 1 9/ 0 2
Kate Rusby with John McCusker + /1 idy Cutting

4 I 2 1 /0 2
The Acting Company in 7719 Taming of the Shrew

'Co—presented with the Flynn Center

Order Securely Onlinr: at www.uvrn.L-du/lanr.-surics

on CALL 802.656.4455

FOR A BROCHURE