The Laramie Project
I have a few problems with “The Laramie Project.” But before mentioning them I would like to say that my comments have nothing to do with USU’s Theater Program. The cast did a good job. They have a lot of talent. My comments also have nothing to do with homosexuallity. The opinions I do have have everything to do with the way this “research” was done, and the man who started the Laramie Project.
I am a scientist, so I have done many research projects. The Laramie Project was not real research to me. Consider this: out of the 26,000+ people living in Laramie at the time, only 200 people agreed to be interviewed. From those 200 interviews the “researchers” chose to put only 25 interviews into their play. Scientifically that is a terrible sample size.
I am also very skeptical about the people who were interviewed by Moises Kaufman and his theater students. If something as tragic as Matthew Shepard’s death happened in Logan, and a group of theater students came here just two months later to write a play about what happened, I can’t think of very many people who would run to them with their story about what happened. In fact, I think most citizens would try to run them out of town.
What happened to Matthew Shepard was very tragic, and nobody should have to go through that. What’s more tragic to me is that this man, Moises Kauffman, has cashed in on this tragedy. This play that he wrote is nothing more than a money making scheme. Even if some of the proceeds go to Matthew Shepard’s cause, this man his still made himself famous because of what happened. He is finding everyway he can to make more money from this tragedy. He has even made an HBO version that you can buy for $17.49.
Mark Hacking is now writing a book about how and why he murdered his wife. That murder was also a hate crime. Should we have another group of theater students make a play out of that tragedy too?
Skipper Coates787-2371