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Tolerance is lesson for 'Laramie Project'
(by Alex Borkowski - June 11, 2009)
Tolerance is lesson for 'Laramie Project'
By ALEX BORKOWSKI
A senior project has become a production for Jenn Grobe, an upcoming Chagrin Falls High School graduate.
Jenn, along with other students from the Chagrin Valley area, has been spending several weeks coordinating, building the set and rehearsing for "The Laramie Project," a play in three acts with an emphasis on promoting gay tolerance, she said.
Jenn, who has been acting since she was very young, said a big learning experience for her in this senior project has been finding out what goes into putting on a show. "I've never been director-producer of a show before," she said, putting in perspective the task of coordinating an entire show, as opposed to acting in it.
"The Laramie Project" begins with Matthew Shepard, a young gay man in Laramie, Wyo., who was found severely beaten and left for dead on a fence one morning.
After hearing about the murder, Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project went to Laramie and conducted more than 200 interviews amongst the townspeople to find out how the crime affected them. The interviews were combined with the company members' own journal entries while they were there, as well as with official news reports, into the play known as "The Laramie Project."
Jenn, who originally saw "The Laramie Project" on HBO, was "so inspired by it, and the tragic circumstances that surround it," she said. She described it as "depressing, but with an optimistic ending." A big part of "The Laramie Project" deals with tolerance of gay individuals in the community, she added, and spreading the message of hope in the story is a big goal for her as far as her project is concerned.
Tommy Fox, another senior from Chagrin Falls, is helping Jenn with her project by acting as technical designer, as well as by performing the play. He said he took part in her senior project for a few reasons. After he heard that Jenn was doing a play for her project, he said, he wanted to help in any way he could. He has performed in several musicals, he said, so he knows how much work goes on behind the scenes at any sort of dramatic production.
Helping Tommy behind the scenes is Sam Zabell, acting as stage manager, and Mike Fields, who will work the lighting.
However, this is not a single-school production, Jenn said. Of the eight actors involved in the show, five come from other schools.
Anna Bradley, a student from Brush High School, said she wanted to participate in "The Laramie Project" because of her friendship with Jenn, whom she knows through Stagecrafters and other student acting companies.
"Jenn's awesome," Beachwood High School student Galya Loeb said, "and this show has such a great message. It makes you feel like you can go out and make a difference in the world by the end."
Orange High School student Julia Schonberg also contributed. "This show is the epitome of why I do theater and want to be a part of theater for the rest of my life. It can transform your life and the lives of the people around you," she said.
"If people take away one thing from the show, it's a newfound respect for other people's opinions, attitudes and ways of life," Julia added.
AJ Abelman, a senior at Chagrin Falls, said, "When Jenn told me she wanted to do 'The Laramie Project,' I was behind her 100 percent. It's such a rare piece of theater, because too many shows are about showcasing the talent of the people; it's not necessarily about the message the show has. 'The Laramie Project' is all about the message, not the actors."
Other members of the student cast are Derrick Hann, of Chagrin Falls, Nicolas Hyland, of Shaker Heights, and Brian Kravitz, of Brush.
Each actor will stay on stage for the entirety of the show. There is no backstage area, said Tommy.
The base costume consists of a white T-shirt and jeans, with the actors wearing various other articles of clothing to switch characters, such as a hat or a jacket, Jenn said. "Each person plays about 10 roles," she explained, "but the characters serve more to enhance the message. There are no leads, no chorus members."
"The Laramie Project" will be performed at 7 p.m. June 12 and 13 in the Black Box Theatre located at Chagrin Falls High School, 400 E. Washington St. Admission is free, but donations will be collected at both performances for the Matthew Shepard Foundation to help spread the message of gay tolerance and respect that the show promotes.
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