A play about social justice and traditional holiday musical performances close out fall and usher in winter at Grandview Heights High School.
The Laramie Project, a play originally by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project, depicts the reactions of the people of Laramie to the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student at the University of Wyoming. The play is a direct portrayal of real interviews that the production company held with members of the Laramie community in the wake of Shepard’s 1998 murder.
“What we’re doing is actually giving them a platform to be able to talk about things. …You’re teaching them tools that are going to make them stronger adults.” - April Olt, play director.
A major reason why play director April Olt wanted to bring The Laramie Project to a high school stage was the fact that it brings a lot of difficult but important topics out into the open where they can be discussed.
“We can’t pretend that kids aren’t going through this,” Olt says. “What we’re doing is actually giving them a platform to be able to talk about things. …You’re teaching them tools that are going to make them stronger adults.”
Because The Laramie Project features direct depictions of real interviews of real people, the high school actors may have to play characters who have viewpoints and reactions that are bigoted, inappropriate and uncomfortable.
This, Olt says, is important for the sake of actually engaging in productive conversation with others about difficult subjects.
“If I’m playing somebody and maybe I don’t agree with what they’re saying, I have to step out of my own bias and step into their words, and empathize with their position,” Olt says. “It’s hard to do, but if you can do that, think about the changes we can affect in the world, we’re … able to put ourselves in other people’s shoes and say, ‘Hey, let’s talk about why this hurts me when you say that.’”
After each night’s performance, Olt and some of the performers will hold a community “talk-back” session with the audience.
Later in the season, the choir department’s holiday concerts will feature performances from both the Grandview Heights High School concert choir and the Grandview Singers, a select choral ensemble.
“I kind of like it to be an escape for the community,” says Grandview Heights choir director Andrew Grega. “The holidays are usually a stressful time. … I want just an hour and 10 minutes for people to relax and enjoy.”
Both choirs will perform for elementary and middle school students during the day. In the evening, there will be a public performance in the auditorium.The concert choir and the Grandview Singers will each perform their own sets, and then join together for a few songs for a grand finale. Performances will feature classic choral arrangements of a mix of new holiday songs and standards, including the holiday classic, “Carol of the Bells.”
“I kind of like it to be an escape for the community,” says Grandview Heights choir director Andrew Grega. “The holidays are usually a stressful time. … I want just an hour and 10 minutes for people to relax and enjoy.”
The Laramie Project will run at Grandview Heights High School’s auditorium from Thursday, Nov. 2-Saturday, Nov. 4, and all showings will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.ghcsd.org through the performing arts link, and at the door with cash only.
Grandview Heights’ holiday choir concerts will take place on Thursday, Dec. 14, with a free public evening concert at 7 p.m. in Grandview Heights High School’s auditorium.
Emily Real is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at jwise@cityscenemediagroup.com.
