The Laramie Project

by Moisés Kaufman

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How does The Laramie Project use interviews to create a narrative?

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The Laramie Project utilizes interviews to construct a narrative by compiling over 200 interviews conducted by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project with Laramie, Wyoming citizens following Matthew Shepard's murder. These interviews were transcribed, edited, and woven into a play, with actors performing the roles of interviewers and locals. Narration helps guide the audience, introducing characters and providing context, creating a cohesive narrative arc that transitions from setting the scene to exploring personal connections with Shepard.

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In November 1998, Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Laramie, Wyoming to talk to citizens about the murder of Matthew Shepard. They spent two years conducting over 200 interviews. The theater company then used their experiences from the multiple interviews and trips to Laramie to create a play:

We transcribed and edited the interviews, then conducted several workshops in which the members of the company presented material and acted as dramaturgs in the creation of the play. (From the Author's Note)

The play utilizes narration to help tell the story. There is a narrator who opens the show, explaining that the material is pieced together from interviews. The narrator introduces the citizens of Laramie and also introduces the company members. The interviews are re-created on stage, with the company members asking the citizens questions. At times, the company members also narrate part of their experience:

Greg Pierotti: I met today with two longtime Laramie residents, Alison Mears and Marge Murray, two social service workers who taught me a thing or two.

The interviews are pieced together to create a narrative arc. For example, in the beginning, the company members talk about first arriving in Wyoming. The first pieces of interviews include citizens talking about growing up in Wyoming. This helps set the scene before getting into the interviews with people who knew Matthew Shepard.

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