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  • 1.  Laramie project

    Posted 02-24-2015 14:36
    If anyone has staged Laramie Project as a Readers play, would love to hear some staging ideas. Did you make cuts to the script?

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    Holly Budney
    Teacher High School Drama
    William Latson
    Boca Raton FL
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  • 2.  RE: Laramie project

    Posted 02-25-2015 08:11
    occurring ect ed Laramie 2 times in different high schools. Regarding cutting. Legally you can't cut a word without permission. The "f" curse was the only word that Tectonic would allow me to eliminate. Everything else stayed. Remember the play is a dissemination of the words shared by residents of Laramie culled from interviews done by Tectonic members. You world be misrepresenting the Laramie community by modifying and toning down their words Regarding set. One set had every cast member remain seated on stage the entire show with a set of tables upstage that contained any props or costumes needed for their "moments." Actors repositioned chairs to express different locales as well as relationships. In a more recent production we created platforms that were configured inand abstract way on one side of the stage representative of mountains in my mind but probably not seen as such by audience members Pantalone platform on the opposite side of the stage to help Express isolation as well as different locations. Color of stage was black, platforms will light in color and it was the use of lighting with individual lights for each platform that could be combined to create focus. ------------------------------ David Kramer Mt Sinai NY ------------------------------
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  • 3.  RE: Laramie project

    Posted 02-25-2015 08:26
    Voice to text doesn't always work well and my previous post was sent during my revision stage. "Pantolone " or whatever that word was is a mistake. I had an "isolated" platform on the opposite side of the stage. My opening sentence was meant to say that I've directed the play 2 times. I will add it is an incredible experience for actors and audiences and language and essences of the characters should never be paraphrased or diminished by modifying unless approved by the playwright. ------------------------------ David Kramer Mt Sinai NY ------------------------------
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  • 4.  RE: Laramie project

    Posted 02-25-2015 12:57

    My student teacher had a completely different response to a request for cuts by Moises Kaufman.  She sent a rationale for each cut, and permission was granted for every one.  I got the impression that he wants the show to be performed.

    The student teacher directed the show, seating the cast in a semi-circle with a black box between each two chairs and one hat/coat tree for costume items that couldn't be easily accessed from boxes.  The actors wore black.

    We had a very good response, except for one very conservative assistant principal who was also a pastor of a very conservative church, and she tried unsuccessfully to stop the show.

    A couple of years ago, a local theatre company produced the show, and my Thespian troupe made a phone tree so they could head to the theatre and form a "cordon of love" to protect patrons from abuse, should protesters appear.  There was no trouble, so their services weren't needed.

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    C. J. Breland
    Asheville NC
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  • 5.  RE: Laramie project

    Posted 02-25-2015 08:51

    Regarding staging of the play, I directed it in California, but instead of the 5 people performing all the parts, I enlarged the cast, had the entire troupe on stage the entire time sitting on benches at the back and would come forward for their discussions using four chairs facing each other that could be moved as necessary to form the courtroom and other scenes. I was not allowed to cut any of the scenes.

    It worked well with both the actors and the audience.

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    Christopher Craig
    Teacher
    Alamo Middle School
    Midland TX
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  • 6.  RE: Laramie project

    Posted 02-25-2015 09:58

    Hi Holly,

    I haven't done a cutting, however we just did both The Laramie Project and The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later in rep.  I would highly suggest contacting the Matthew Shepard Foundation, they have an education specialist Susan Burk, who is AMAZING.  She will send you supportive materials from the foundation as well as (if possible) come to your show and offer talk backs.

     Any contact with these shows have been so beneficial for my students and if you need any support or help I'm glad to offer it.  My students realized the power of theatre for social change/justice through performing these shows.  It empowered them for the future. :)

    Also, we went to Laramie and met five of the people in the show, I have clips of them that I can send to you as well.

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    Shawn Hann

    Denver School of the Arts
    Denver CO
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  • 7.  RE: Laramie project

    Posted 02-25-2015 10:38
    I used a series of platforms and levels. I cut only 4 letter words.

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    Elyse Tomlinson
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  • 8.  RE: Laramie project

    Posted 02-26-2015 09:38
    I did a variation on the "chairs" idea mentioned earlier. We had 3 or 4 chairs on either side of the stage. In general, I placed the actors for upcoming scenes in these chairs, so when it was time for their entrances, they just migrated from chair to stage. Sometimes they brought their chair with them, sometimes not. Sometimes actors exited to chairs, sometimes offstage. Actors in chairs were always instructed to be actively listening and in body positions that indicated they were part of the action. I told them to think of it as a dance that we were choreographing; it was beautiful to watch. We did the play word for word, for an audience grade 7 and older. They were riveted. Back at school, we debriefed the play in small groups. Audience members, the school, parents, were all forewarned about the language and it was a non-issue. Very powerful experience for our school and community; it literally changed aspects of our school culture for the better.

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    Richard Carter
    Lopez Island WA
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