Analyzing hate

Hate can manifest in many ways.

Sometimes, it can become deadly.

“The Laramie Project,” an upcoming Jay County Civic Theatre production, analyzes the viewpoints and reactions of the residents of Laramie, Wyoming, in the aftermath of the murder of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard in 1998.

It kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday at the Jay County Campus of Arts Place, with additional performances at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. There will also be a performance at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 at Blackford County Arts Center in Hartford City.

Sunday’s production will be followed by a talk back — an opportunity for both the audience and cast to discuss the production — with Dennis Shepard, Matthew’s father. There will also be a display of cards and letters provided by the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

Cast member Joseph Boggs explained the show’s impact reaches beyond the death of a gay young adult.

“This show is an exploration of hate,” Boggs said. “There’s a tendency from people I’ve talked to, if they’ve heard of it at all, to think of it as the ‘gay play,’ right? That’s not what it is. It’s about what hate does to us and how it impacts us and how words and language and attitudes can turn into physical acts of violence, like what happened to Matthew Shepard.”

Shepard was abducted by Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson on Oct. 7, 1998. They took him east of Laramie and tied him to a fence, where they assaulted him with a pistol, beat him and left him for dead. He was found about 18 hours later by a bicyclist who at first mistook him for a scarecrow. Shepard died about five days later in a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Shortly after his death, members of the Tectonic Theater Project visited Wyoming to conduct interviews with locals and those familiar with the young man. The group transformed excerpts from those transcripts, as well as news reports, court transcripts and journal entries, into the play two years later, telling the story of the people living at the center of the infamous hate crime.

“It’s based on real events, which is not something we get the opportunity to do (usually),” said director Jennifer McGraw. “These are words spoken from real people.”

Cast member Jason McGraw — his characters range from a limo driver to a pastor — noted it isn’t a light-hearted production.

“It’s not the fluffy, feel-good musical that leaves you laughing and smiling, but it leaves you thinking,” he said. “Hopefully we reach somebody that really needs to hear the message.”

Jennifer McGraw, who has been involved with civic theater since age 3 and has directed six shows, performed in Ball State University’s production of “The Laramie Project” in 2002. It was the first university in the United States to perform the show.

“It was such a powerful experience at the time,” she said. “I knew that someday I wanted the chance to do this. I wanted the chance to put my mark on the show.”

She noted one of the challenges putting together the show has been making characters distinctive.

Just eight individuals — four women, four men — make up the cast, splitting a variety of small and large roles between them.

Joseph Boggs and his daughter, Hannah, are both performing together. (Acting in a play alongside his daughter was a bucket-list item they can both now check off, he said.)

One of Boggs’ roles depicts Matthew Shepard’s father, Dennis, and his response to his son’s murder.

“It’s intense. I picture, ‘OK, what if it were my son?’ Which is not exactly a fun place to be,” said Boggs. “There are several moments (in the play) that are just a hammer blow of ‘Woah, I don’t know what to do with that.’”

Tickets are available at Arts Place (131 E. Walnut St., Portland), online at myartsplace.org or by phone at (260) 726-4809.

“Please come out and support us,” said Jason McGraw, echoing similar comments from his cast members. “We really need the support of the people for this show as much as ever.

“If they’re not familiar with the story or don’t know enough about it, just come out and give it a shot. You may find you really enjoy a good dramatic presentation.”