A Campus Connoisseuse

At last night’s performance of The Laramie Project, a play about the town of Laramie after the brutal attack of Matthew Shepard, I was at first a little confused as to why the people there were making such a big deal about the director, Nicola Cavendish. Then the play began.

I’ve been a subscriber to Theatre UBC for two years now, and I’ve found the directing to range from mediocre to dismal — and then I saw the Laramie Project. For once, for this one beautiful time, a good play was not brought down by bad timings or awkward stage movement. It was refreshing and wonderful to see some intelligent directing accompany the great acting and set work typical of a good UBC play.

And this was a good UBC play. I’d urge anybody reading this to see it while they have the chance. The play is powerful, emotionally complex, and well-told. It has a clear, well portrayed message of hope for the LGBT community.

For me, the play hit home — I grew up in a small Southern Albertan city much like Laramie. I sobbed my way through the phenomenal second act of this play, thoroughly appreciating that for once a Theatre UBC director gave their audience enough time to soak in the emotions of the story — making this the second play I’ve ever seen to make me cry. What would be the other play? The University of Lethbridge’s 2007 production of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, a work which was referenced numerous times in the Laramie Project.

Like Angels, The Laramie Project has its share of humour — in this case, the angles encircling Fred Phelps and singing Amazing Grace was nothing short of hilarious and uplifting.

Theatre UBC been in need for a play both uplifting and provocative for at least as long as I’ve been here, and man, am I glad this finally was produced.