On Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. in Satchmo’s Jazz Café, Loyola’s Theatre Arts and Dance department will host a staged reading of “The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later,” reuniting the cast of a fall 2008 production of “The Laramie Project” at Loyola.
According to C. Patrick Gendusa, director and visiting assistant professor of theatre arts, it is the first reading of the new script, and Gendusa said he couldn’t be happier sharing the experience with his original cast.
“I am so excited to be able to reunite with all of my angels, I wouldn’t be able to do this without them,” Gendusa said.
The script is also being read in New York City at the Lincoln Center, over 100 theaters in all 50 states, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Hong Kong and Australia on Oct. 12.
“It is a worldwide event and Loyola is thrilled to be a part of it,” Gendusa said.
Both plays are products of the Tectonic Theater Project and playwright Moises Kaufman, who interviewed citizens of Laramie, Wyo. to find out what citizens of the town thought of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay student in Laramie.
Shepard left a bar with two straight men who convinced him they were gay. The men beat Shepard and left him alone tied to a fence. After the trial of the two men and the ensuing media focus on Laramie, Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project compiled all of their information and interviews into “The Laramie Project.”
The play received worldwide recognition, becoming one of the most performed plays of all time since its publication. With “The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later,” Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project revisited Laramie 10 years after the crime.
Gendusa said he is adamant about spreading the word of this production since he has been the victim of a hate crime himself. As an openly gay man, Gendusa said he refuses to let that get in the way of this theatrical piece.
“I am C. Patrick Gendusa, I am a human being whose career is acting, directing and teaching theater. Yes, I am gay, but that is not who I am, I am just me,” Gendusa said.
Gendusa said as a director and teacher to his cast, he wants to raise awareness about America’s attitude towards gay Americans, and how simple it is to forget about someone like Matthew Shepard.
“Yes, some things are different, but only some. The majority of people in Laramie have either never heard of him, or are now blaming it on a drug deal gone wrong, even though it was established as a hate crime in court,” Gendusa said.
Gendusa said he considers the reading of “The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later” as a blessing to everyone involved.
“For me and all of the individuals involved in the original production, it was a once in a lifetime experience, and it will live with us forever. I only hope that the epilogue is a reminder of how important the issue at hand is,” Gendusa said.
Gendusa said it’s an honor to do theatre that makes a difference because the power of theatre is so strong.
“It can unite, educate, inspire and change lives. It is such a joy to be able to do something you love and make a difference. We have to keep Matthew’s story alive. It is a part of history. We still have work to do. It’s been 10 years and the hate crimes bill is still not passed. We’re not done yet,” Gendusa said.
Allison Baznik can be reached at
[email protected]
