The Laramie Project

Act I

Reading Check

1. Over 200 interviews with the people of Laramie and journal entries (Act I, Moment 1)

2. “[T]hey’re just missing the whole point.” (Act I, Moment 1)

3. Because they believe that being gay is wrong (Act I, Moment 4)

4. “HATE IS NOT A LARAMIE VALUE.” (Act I, Moment 5)

5. The Fireside Bar (Act I, Moment 14)

6. “[A] pilgrimage site” (Act I, Moment 16)

Short Answer

1. Jedadiah Shultz says that Laramie has become “defined by an accident, a crime.” As a result, the community is like “Waco” or “Jasper.” (Act I, Moment 1)

2. The “Journal Entries” Moment is written from the perspective of the actors who were invited to accompany Kaufman, while the “A Definition” Moment is written from the perspective of the interviewees in Laramie, with the actors jumping in and out of various roles. (Act I, Moments 1-2)

3. Various characters discuss their impressions of Matthew; for example, he was mainly known as “choo-choo” with an interest in human rights and political affairs. He smiled frequently and had recently joined the LGBTQ+ society on campus before his murder. (Act I, Moment 7)

4. According to the report from the bartender Matt Galloway, Matthew did not approach anyone, but sat alone the whole evening at the bar. This differs from Aaron’s report, which said that Matthew approached him and Russell, who were uncomfortable with Matthew’s advances and decided to then pretend to be gay in order to rob him. (Act I, Moment 14)

5. Two peers are interviewed about their views of Aaron McKinney’s and Russell Henderson’s behaviors; they both describe these men as “good kid[s]” and “sweet.” They are shocked that the young men would commit such a crime. (Act I, Moment 15)

6. Aaron Kreifels found Matthew’s body while on a bike ride through a rural area. He immediately called the police, who arrived at the scene and kept Matthew breathing while they struggled to untie him. He was sent to a hospital where the doctor had attended to the injuries of Aaron McKinney earlier that night. (Act I, Moment 17)

Act II

Reading Check

1. With tears/crying (Act II, Moment 2)

2. That the perpetrators were from Laramie (Act II, Moment 3)

3. Like “an invasion” by the media (Act II, Moment 4)

4. A “hate” crime (Act II, Moment 4)

5. “[T]he number of people walking for Matthew Shepard had grown five times.” (Act II, Moment 13)

6. Using anti-gay slurs (Act II, Moment 15)

Short Answer

1. Tiffany Edwards refers to the non-Laramie reporters as “predators” because they did not respect the privacy of the Laramie residents. (Act II, Moment 4)

2. Aaron notes that he struggles with the fact that he found Matthew’s body because of his own personal religion and feelings toward gay people. (Act II, Moment 6)

3. The hospital informs Reggie that Matthew has tested positive for HIV and that there is a possibility Reggie is exposed, since she had cuts on her hands while handling Matthew and his blood. As a result, she starts taking medication and becomes concerned about her health. (Act II, Moment 6)

4. Sherry Johnson is confused as to why people are more concerned with Matthew’s death as a hate crime, when there was very little notice about a Laramie patrolman who was also killed. She remarks that “[a] hate crime is a hate crime. If you murder somebody you hate ‘em.’” (Act II, Moment 14)

5. Andrew Gomez shared a cell with Aaron during Christmas. He is perplexed about the fact that Aaron would be concerned with Matthew flirting with him if he would inevitably be sexually assaulted by men in prison later. (Act II, Moment 16)

Act III

Reading Check

1. Matthew’s funeral (Act III, Moment 1)

2. They excommunicated him. (Act III, Moment 3)

3. Angels in America (Act III, Moment 4)

4. That she is not HIV-positive (Act III, Moment 4)

5. “[G]ay panic” (Act III, Moment 7)

6. “[S]parkling lights” (Act III, Moment 11)

Short Answer

1. The Reverend attends the funeral to preach about the perceived “sin” of being gay. Romaine Patterson protests his message by dressing up as an angel along with 20 other people and encircling the Reverend while he speaks. (Act III, Moment 1)

2. Russell changes his plea from “not guilty” to “guilty.” He is found guilty for both felony murder and robbery as well as kidnapping, with a jail sentence of “imprisonment for the term of [his] natural life.” (Act III, Moment 3)

3. Aaron confesses that he and Russell were at the bar when they planned on “jacking [Matthew] up.” He says that the moment that made him want to hit Matthew was when Matthew put his hand on Aaron’s leg and touched his genitals. (Act III, Moment 6)

4. Dennis Shepard makes a statement regarding whether or not to pursue the death penalty. He states that contrary to previous information, his wife is—and Matthew was—for the death penalty in certain instances; however, he wants to grant Aaron a long life, and “may [he] thank Matthew every day for it.” (Act III, Moment 9)

5. Jonas remarks that, although change is not easy for the people of Laramie, nothing “concrete” has come out of the death of Matthew, since no anti-discrimination legislation has been passed. (Act III, Moment 11)