The Laramie Project (Classical Acting)

I had never read or seen The Laramie Project before this production. I knew roughly what it was about but only from the bits and pieces I had gathered from other people. And if we are to be honest, they did not get everything completely accurate. I went in with a perceived understanding of the show and its content only to have those opinions completely changed.

            First of all, I want to talk about the set. What a neat and minimalistic idea. When I walked in and saw only blocks and a couple of chairs I got really excited because I knew that I was in for a unique experience. Those blocks allowed the director, Scott Knowles, to put each scene in whatever kind of “place” that he wanted. He could create a bar space or a court room or a café table; the possibilities were endless. On top of that, it allowed the audience to fill in the blanks and use their own creative imaginations to create the space we were witnessing. In my mind’s eye I viewed the bar in a completely different way than I know my neighbor did. It was a beautiful experience. The best moment for me, however, was the building of the fence. Watching each character step forward with a block or a chair and place it in its correct position with such care and precision was breathtaking. And then, to watch them all collectively step back and “admire” this thing that they had built—it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

            Aside from the set, I think there were a lot of other things that went well. The projector screen added such a cool effect to the performance, especially during the court scenes. When that screen came on and you saw real footage from that day and the actual newspaper headings and clippings, it truly made it real. Suddenly I felt like I was really there; like I was sitting in the court room waiting for the judge to give a verdict. Not only that, but the screen allowed the lighting to really come to life as well. Those colors swelled up and faded out in a beautiful array. The lights allowed us to truly get a feel for what time of day it was.

            Lastly, the characters.

            I was taken aback at first by all the characters in this play. There were so many actors and yet, each of them played a number of different characters. They each had different voices and vocal patterns. Not to mention physical stances and postures. It was such a neat experience to be able to watch all of those actors step in and out of whatever character they were playing. I can only assume they spent countless hours truly honing in on what made each character different from the rest; what their ticks were and how they felt about the situation.

            Several actors brought me to tears with their performances. They were so honest and vulnerable it was like meeting those people in real life. Their ability to switch from character to character, male or female was impressive to me. All they did was put on or take off a hat or jacket or glasses and suddenly, right before your eyes, you saw a new character. That doesn’t happen too often. Most times an actor will step offstage before changing into a different character and they will have changed several costume pieces. It was such a neat experience; such an honest piece of theatre.