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SAN JUAN ISLAND LIBRARY |
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The Laramie Project: more than just a play
Many of you will remember our community-wide project in 2002 using Harper Lee's classic To Kill a Mockingbird as the centerpiece. The library is again joining with the Community Theatre, the school district, and several other agencies, with the powerful play The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman as the point of departure for discussion. The San Juan Island Library will promoting the reading of the play in January 2005 as a "San Juan Island Reads" project, with a panel discussion in February. This, along with other programs, will culminate in the performance of the play at the San Juan Community Theatre in March. The Laramie Project is not an easy work; just as To Kill a Mockingbird brought up the issues of intolerance and hate, this play deals with similar themes in a more contemporary setting. The play is, in some ways, more immediate, because it is based on a true event that took place in 1998, leading to the death of a young man and the devastation of many other lives. The play is close to my heart, because I lived in Steamboat Springs, Colorado at the time, which is less than two hours by car from Laramie. When I was working on my library degree via a distance program, I drove to Laramie regularly to do research, because it was the closest university library. Laramie felt like home to me. No matter where in the country you are, life in small towns has similarities very distinct from life in big cities. The effects of the murder, its aftermath, and the subsequent international media coverage on the small college town of Laramie will resonate with our community on San Juan Island, especially in light of recent events here. Some people believe this is a play about homosexuality, but I'm not so sure. Many people dispute that Matthew Shepard's sexual preference was even the real cause of the attack. Whether it was rooted in homophobia, economic or educational disparity, or something else, the event brought Laramie into the spotlight and led to some serious reevaluation by its residents. We will be discussing all these ideas and more. It won't be easy, but I think it will be worth the work. The library has one copy of the play in circulation now, and we also have the film version on both videocassette and DVD (although my personal opinion is that the film is not nearly as good). We will be getting several more copies of the play as January approaches, and I will be keeping you posted on the schedule of events and their locations for The Laramie Project throughout the community.
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