The Laramie Project
at Jemicy School

Reviewed on October 27, 2019

NameSchoolPublication/Broadcasts
Severna Park
Maryland Theatre Guide
Mount de Sales
The Gateway
Old Mill
The Tribruin



Lucy Feldmann
Severna Park

Submitted for publication to Maryland Theatre Guide

As the curtain closed on "The Laramie Project" at the Jemicy School, the actors were suspended in reverential silence, but the audience was on its feet, tears barely dried still tattooed on their faces.

"The Laramie Project," written by Moises Kaufman in 2000, tells the true story of the residents of Laramie, Wyoming as they struggle to cope with the aftermath of the hate crime committed against Matthew Shepard that ultimately resulted in his murder. The show is comprised of real quotes from interviews and journal entries from the townspeople.

Central to the overall performance were the talents of the Company as they shifted like chameleons from one character to the next.

Ethan Lifson-Book was particularly moving as Gov. Jim Geringer, Father Roger Schmit, Dennis Shepard, and Rulon Stacey. Book portrayed the dueling views on homosexuality presented in the play. Acting as his own foil, he depicted both sides with equal passion, demonstrating his skills as an actor and stunning the audience into silence with both his wisdom and his hatred.

To put it simply, Darby Goodwin (Officer Reggie Fluty and Romaine Patterson) delivered. While her acting skills excelled in the role of Officer Fluty as she described finding Sheppard's body, it was truly her journey of self-discovery as Romaine Patterson that defined her performance. Goodwin was truly inspiring as she demonstrated how the loss of a friend could have irreparable consequences but motivate true social change.

Also commendable was the performance of Myles Johnson as Rob DeBree, Cal Rerucha, Matt Mickleson, and Baptist Minister, as he too navigated the changes of character associated with the show with ease. Johnson's performance as the Baptist Minister opened the audience's eyes to perspectives on homosexuality not generally offered in the Maryland area. He showed insensitivity towards the brutal crime, which encapsulated the backwards viewpoints of some religions and communicated to the audience the importance of empathy during hardship.

Between the hilarious Daniel Clark as Doc O'Connor and the earnest Fletcher Silberg as Matt Galloway, the audience struggled to catch its breath and was offered comedic relief from an otherwise emotional show.

Additionally, Andrew Spriggs was charming as the young Jedidiah Shultz.

With the minimalistic construction of tall concrete walls, clothing racks, and chairs, the set department shone as it assisted the fluid transitions of the show through many settings. The height of the walls also added depth to the show as it served to emphasize the close-minded viewpoints of the town. Additionally, the sound design of the show added another layer to the production as characters spoke overtop of each other to encapsulate the immersion of conflict in the town. Finally, the special effect of snow during Matthew Sheppard's funeral made the scene feel magical as the whole community rallied together to mourn the loss of three children of the community, both Matthew and the potential futures of his killers.

With a show this dynamic and interesting, audiences were left with nothing but bittersweet inspiration and a desire to make change.


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Anna Ptak
Mount de Sales

Submitted for publication to The Gateway

Fifteen pairs of feet stomp in unison as blinding lights flash to the beat of a failing heart. Thick snowflakes fall like tears onto the black umbrellas covering the stage. Jemicy School's production of Moisés Kaufman's play "The Laramie Project" on Sunday, October 27, was nothing short of breathtaking.

In 1998 in Laramie, Wyoming, a gay student at the University of Wyoming was beaten to death in an inhumane hate crime. Robbed and tortured, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard was left begging for his life from two of his own classmates. "The Laramie Project" is a three-act play composed of interviews, news broadcasts, and journal entries of the people of this small town, shedding light on the aftermath of this sad, true story. "The Laramie Project" analyzes the population of this small town -- products of a hateful society so blinded by their indoctrination that they cannot even bring themselves to sympathize with the victim of a violent hate crime. Throughout the play, disturbing and sickeningly hateful words are thrown around by the members of this town who fail to see members of the LGBTQ+ community as anything other than broken and incurable sinners.

Jemicy School's production of this eye-opening work was anchored by the unparalleled passion held by its cast and crew and by the bold unity that pulled the fifteen-person cast together. The students' collective animosity regarding the horrific injustice of homophobia, inequality, and closed-mindedness truly gave the production a mind of its own.

Darby Goodwin beautifully encapsulated the bold personality of a fearless police officer who works tirelessly to save Matt's life, as well as that of an outspoken activist who defends the LGBTQ+ community and stands up for what is right in the face of adversary. Through their passion and undeniable skill, Darby Goodwin beautifully brought these characters to life.

Fletcher Silberg effortlessly switched between an egotistical bartender, a shaking murder witness, and various other characters throughout the course of the play. Ethan Lifson-Book's passionate portrayal of a heartbroken, merciful father left the audience in tears. The small, hardworking cast united magnificently to present the lives and stories of countless different people.

The word HATE, shouted by fifteen people in unison, echoed through the theater as the stage lights dimmed and brilliant spotlights lit up, perfectly timed, to reflect the outburst of rage within the characters' hearts. The lighting techniques truly brought the production to life, echoing the emotions and fears and heartbeats of the distressed characters. The actors subtly transformed themselves into various roles while still onstage, and expertly created set pieces out of wooden chairs in seconds. These technical aspects perfectly created a variety of moods throughout the production.

When the last spotlight clicked off, leaving the empty stage in a deep, dramatic silence, the audience leapt to their feet and erupted with applause. This alarming, yet beautiful, production brought the audience to tears and shed a blazing light on the harsh reality of homophobia, prejudice, and discrimination in the world today.


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Sofia Becherer
Old Mill

Submitted for publication to The Tribruin

Jemicy School crafted a beautiful production of "The Laramie Project" that moved the audience to tears.

"The Laramie Project" tells the story of the residents of Laramie, Wyoming after the vicious murder of a gay man, Matthew Shepard. Almost the entirety of the play is told in quotes from real people reacting to the crime.

Each actor portrayed several characters. Darby Goodwin was exceptional in her variety of roles, playing very different characters and changing her body language as she switched between roles. Goodwin brought life to the character Officer Reggie Fluty through her tangible emotions of first trauma, followed by grief, and later, joy. Meghan Gosse was also able to portray very different characters remarkably quickly. All of her characters were easily recognizable and distinguishable.

Ethan Lifson-Book brought every audience member to tears in his role as Dennis Shepard. His delivery of the victim impact statement during the trial of the killer of Matthew Shepard was heart-wrenching. A similarly heartbreaking performance was given by Fletcher Silberg in his role as Aaron Kreifels, the man who discovered Matthew Shepard. His delivery and the company's stomping worked together to create multiple impactful scenes. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Andrew Spriggs (Aaron McKinney) and Max Burman (Russell Henderson), who played the killers of Matthew Shepard, created characters that drew on the audience's sense of hatred, forgiveness, and mercy, even when they were not speaking or were not the focus of the scene.

The timing of the production was impeccable, as demonstrated by the company's gasps, cries, whispers, and punctuating stomping. The impressiveness of the timing was also evident in the lighting cues. The bright, colorful lights created a feeling that could not be expressed in the script and was incredibly well done. The set design created by Thomas Gardner and Sean Elias was simple yet beautiful and set the mood for the performance. The audience was able to easily distinguish between role switches with the two costume racks on stage right and left, where the actors fluidly changed aspects of their costumes by throwing and passing these pieces along to each other. The costumes were casual and taken from everyday life. They helped to make the characters relatable and created the idea that they were everyday people that experienced something that could have happened anywhere, instilling the frustration of the lack of hate crime laws in Wyoming and other states at the time.

Jemicy School's production of "The Laramie Project" was heartbreakingly beautiful and the driven cast and crew created a work of art that will not be soon forgotten by any audience member.

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