By the Dreamer

As I wrote in my last post, I’m currently now undertaking 3 roles in the production. Below I have shared some quotations from the script, to give you an idea of the roles I’ve be chosen for in the “Laramie Project – 10 years later”.

Please note – any sentences or paragraphs in "quotations" are quotes taken directly from the script... again thank-you, and I hope you all enjoy as we go.

My role as Dennis Shepard – (Matthews’ Father)
“My son Matthew did not look like a winner. He was rather uncoordinated and wore braces from the age of 13 until the day he died. However, in his all too brief life he proved that he was a winner. On October 6, 1998, my son tried to show the world that he could win again. On October 12, 1998, my first born son, and my hero, lost. On October 12,1998, my first born son, and my hero, died, 50 days before his 22nd birthday.”

My role as Dave O’Malley – (Retired Laramie police officer - Lead Investigator) on the Matthew Shepard case
“Well, I tell you what, we now have the AIDS Walk here in Laramie, it’s in its 6th year, OK? And its grown. Last year we raised around $22,000 dollars. And $5,000 dollars at drag queen bingo alone! I mean we had drag queens at the Cowboy Bar. Jim and Jason and Travis and they put on just a great production you know. Yeah, at the Cowboy Bar!”

My role as Matt Michelson – (Former owner of the Fireside Bar)
“Yeah, I had to sell the Fireside. On one side people were like, 'Local Gay Bar' and then on the other they’re like, 'Crazy Red-neck Gay Slayers!' For seven years---I tried to ride that shit out. I did eight hundred and some thousand dollars in sales that year that Matt was killed. The next year I did forty three thousand, crushed me. I had put that shit up for sale.”

I’ve chosen to blog about the ‘Laramie Project – 10 years later’, as I feel Matthews’ life should always be remembered. I know nothing about Matthew, and I’ve never acted in a play with such content of information, that makes you feel so overwhelmed with emotion and emptiness. This certainly would not have been a choice of Matthews’, to have been brutally murdered, may he rest in peace. There are many tragic events that take place in life as we all know, however, I don’t believe there are words to describe a persons’ fate brought on by someone else of this magnitude. It certainly is not my intent to distinguish between right or wrong, defend or criticize, and there have already been many occasions why I feel I’m even undertaking if you will, this role towards trying to make sense of it all.

With respect to all of this, my hope is that the Shepard Family will always carry with them, the undying love and support that has come out of this tragedy.

Again, Matthew – may you REST IN PEACE

The Dreamer