McLean Theater Company has done it again. This time with a much more serious theme.

McLean Theater Company puts on a full length play which tackles the serious issue of homosexuality and gender equality as told through the story of one man and the experiences of those around him, as his community and the nation deal with the loss of a prominent community member and the disgusting circumstances of his death.

In October 1998, a twenty-one-year-old student at the University of Wyoming was kidnapped, severely beaten and left to die, tied to a fence in the middle of the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming. His bloody, bruised and battered body was not discovered until the next day, and he died several days later in an area hospital. His name was Matthew Shepard, and he was the victim of this assault because he was gay.

“The play is so much more dynamic that just  the story of Matt Shepard and his great tragedy and [the loss his family suffered] because you also have so many other characters. You get to see multiple sides and how [this event] affected everyone and the community as a whole,” junior Hannah Albanese said.

“There is someone for everyone to identify with and place themselves with. It’s really eye opening,” Albanese said.

The idea of homophobia and inequality for the LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, and asexual) community is still a prominent issue at our school. One of Mclean Theatre Company’s goals in taking on such a serious theme was to raise awareness for this issue. “Matt’s story is one that is important today because the issue of gay rights is still a relevant issue today,” sophomore Emily Swett said.  An example of their struggle is when several of the posters made to support the show and LGBTQIA recognition had paint dumped on them.

*You can see some of said posters around the school now.

The Laramie Project opened yesterday (April 9th) and will be showing until April 12th, with tickets only sold at the door. In addition to the play, McLean Theater Company has been selling t-shirts, organizing spirit days, and running activities in the cafeteria during lunches to help support the cause and involve students.

The Laramie Project will explore the depth to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion to which we are capable, in the context of homosexuality and striving for equality.