The Laramie Project back on track
“Come and see it and then talk about it. I want people to bring their teenagers, talk about it afterwards, talk about it at lunch, start the conversation and then continue the conversation” – Amy Anselmi
Horsham theatre company production of a discussiongenerating stage-show will return in April 2022, after previously scheduled performances were disrupted by COVID-19.
Smart Arts Theatre Company’s production of The Laramie Project, a verbatim reproduction of a small American town’s reaction to the hate crime and murder of a gay university student in 1998, will hit Horsham Town Hall stage on April 8 and 9.
Director Amy Anselmi said The Laramie Project focused on how a community responded to the horrendous event rather than on the crime itself.
“The project is always a spotlight on what happens when Laramie looks inwards and how people in the town start to look at each differently after the attack,” she said.
“At its heart, it is a play about the extremes humanity is capable of – the depths of despair and the length of forgiveness that everyone can relate to.”
The Laramie Project was first staged in 2000 by Denver Centre Theatre Company but has been reproduced around the world since.
The stage show draws on real-life interviews with Laramie towns people conducted by the theatre company after the murder and news reports they gathered.
Mrs Anselmi said despite the cancellation of the initial production, originally scheduled for 2020, the production team had made a conscious decision to move past the disappointment and reassured the cast
the show would continue to take form in the future.
“It was tricky and frustrating that we had our show cancelled, but we knew we would get there,” she said.
“We were always going to stage it, whether with the cast we originally had or a brand-new cast. We knew we were going to do it.”
Mrs Anselmi said with a collection of new cast members stepping in to bring to life the 67 different characters, it was fascinating to see the different energy each actor brought to the roles.
“There was so much collaborative input from the first cast, and with five new cast members joining us, the show is a collection of the different
energies and ideas of the first cast as well as the new one,” she said.
“It was interesting to see how different actors approached the scenes and monologues and how highly skilled actors might approach the same set of characters and dialogue in different ways.”
Mrs Anselmi said The Laramie Project’s script presented the actors with a delicate proposition on how to entwine the factual characters and dialogue with their own representations.
“It is a fine line to walk as an actor. How much do they gleam from the real-life characters and how much do they bring along their own conceptions?” she said.
Mrs Anselmi said the appeal of the
show was its universal similarity to other small-town communities.
“The fascinating thing about staging the show in Horsham is that Laramie and Horsham are very similar towns. The communities share a commonality,” she said.
“In Horsham, we have families who have farmed the land for generations, a constant influx of new people coming into town, and a real collection of different lifestyles and religious ideas.
“Every one of the 67 characters you hear from on stage, you will know someone in Horsham like that.
“You will listen to these people speak and think, ‘I have heard this bias before, I have heard these opinions before’.”
Mrs Anselmi said rehearsals were rolling along smoothly and things were ‘absolutely on track’ for a great production.
“Everyone is really thrilled to bring this play to Horsham Town Hall,” she said.
“After a tough couple of years for people in theatre and the event space, a lot of people have really suffered.
“For us, this isn’t our main day job, so we are lucky in that respect. But it is wonderful to be a part of the re-emergence of theatre after COVID-19.”
Mrs Anselmi said the production contained strong themes and parental guidance was recommended for younger theatregoers.
However, she said she hoped parents would bring their teenagers along to open conversations about the theme’s importance.
“Come and see it and then talk about it. I want people to bring their teenagers, talk about it afterwards, talk about it at lunch, start the conversation and then continue the conversation,” she said.
Tickets are available at Horsham Town Hall box office, online at www. horshamtownhall.com.au, or by calling 5382 9555.