Column 13 – The Laramie Project

Reviewed by Paula Citron

Column 13 is an actor’s collective that mounts plays of relevance. Their catch phrase is “Theatre Now”. C13’s latest offering is the docudrama The Laramie Project, and these young actors give the play a very credible production.

The Laramie Project was written by Moisés Kaufman and members of his New York-based Tectonic Theatre Project. In 1998 and 1999, the group made several trips to Laramie, Wyoming where they conducted over 200 interviews and wrote journals. The Laramie Project is based on this documentation.

The flashpoint is the murder of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old university student. Shepard was left to die after he was severely beaten and tied to a fence in the remote countryside. He was victimized because he was a homosexual.

I still find the play somewhat contrived, but the eight young actors portray the many real life characters with passion and commitment under Jonah Allison’s economical direction.

The Laramie Project continues at Theatre Passe Muraille Back Space until Jun. 26.

The Laramie Project
Column 13
Written by Moisés Kaufman/Tectonic Theatre Project
Directed by Jonah Allison
Performed by Zach Smadu, Wendii Fulford, Angela Hanes, Karan Oberoi, Michael De Rose, Raffaele Ciampaglia, Katie MacTavish, and Dharini Woollcombe
Theatre Passe Muraille Back Space, Jun. 15 to 26