Nose Creek Players hopes to generate conversations around tolerance and discrimination when it presents The Laramie Project Nov. 15 to 17 at Bert Church LIVE Theatre. “We’re incredibly excited that we’re able to mount this project, because it’s so important,” said Robin McKittrick, president and co-artistic director of Nose Creek Players. The Laramie Project – written by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project – deals with the aftermath of the October 1998 murder of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyo. Shepard’s murder was deemed a hate crime, and the play – described by McKittrick as powerful, poignant and important – explores the community’s reactions to the crime. “It’s what’s called verbatim theatre,” McKittrick said. “[The writers] interviewed these people and took their words verbatim, and turned it into this piece of art.” McKittrick said the company intentionally chose to mount the production to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Shepard’s death. “What’s really interesting about the piece is that it’s 20 years old, but it’s still incredibly relevant, today,” he said. “There are still injustices because of intolerance. There is still a need for profound and meaningful conversation within communities, so we feel that it’s something that’s really important.” The play’s themes transcend time and geographical distance between Laramie in 1998 and Airdrie in 2018, according to McKittrick. “The story is about a community dealing with an incredible tragedy,” he said. “A community that has to really look at their own collective belief systems, and I think their story…is still relevant today, and it still resonates with people because there are individuals in our community that still suffer injustice due to intolerance.” As a theatre company, McKittrick said, Nose Creek Players understands art is often provocative – and he hopes this production will stimulate local conversations about tough topics. “We want to bring people together,” he said. “We want to provide a piece of art that’s engaging, that’s evocative, that makes people think and hopefully have a conversation and maybe have a look in the mirror and look at their own belief system, their own values and to see how that fits into our community.” The purpose of Nose Creek Players is to bring a wide range of art to Airdrie, he added, allowing opportunities for people to explore creative outlets. “What we want to do as a community theatre is build community,” he said. “All of us – from different walks of life, different backgrounds – come together to…create something that provokes, to have conversations.” Rehearsals for Nose Creek Players’ production of The Laramie Project began in September, directed by Tare Rennebohm and Mandi Fusaro-Smith. The play features a cast of 10 actors portraying sixty roles, with an additional eight-member crew working behind the scenes. The play will run Nov. 15 and 16 at 7 p.m., and Nov. 17 at 3 p.m. Prior to the Nov. 17 show, Airdrie Pride will host a discussion panel at 1 p.m. While he doesn’t want to discourage people from attending, McKittrick said the play – which deals with heavy themes such as violence, discrimination, sexuality and homophobia – may not be suitable for all ages. Parental discretion is advised, but McKittrick added students, especially, may benefit from the play and conversations it inspires. “What I would say is it would be important for parents to see the show with their youth, so that they can be part of that conversation and help them process some of the information,” he said. Tickets for The Laramie Project cost $22, or $11 for students, and are available at nosecreekplayers.com
