Small-town story stirs unintended emotions

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- When Tim Thompson and his cast of high school students decided to take on "The Laramie Project" as their spring play, they expected the performance's anti-hate message to touch people's hearts.

What Thompson and the St. Vincent Prophet Players didn't expect was to be criticized for it.

"People think we're promoting homosexuality in this show. It doesn't do that," said Thompson, who has been at St. Vincent's for four years. "It's about no matter who you are -- black, fat, gay -- you shouldn't be killed for it."

"The Laramie Project" is based on a Broadway play that captures the real-life reaction of a small town to the 1999 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay man from Laramie, Wyo.

On the day the local newspaper announced what play St. Vincent's had chosen for its spring performance, Thompson received a letter from a former student condemning the show. He later found out copies of the letter had been sent to his principal, superintendent and the arch bishop in St. Louis.

That same day, Thompson received a phone call from another community member, also concerned about the performance. More criticism followed, from community members and local priests.

"They basically said the show will be OK if you condemn being gay," Thompson said. "But I can't do that. I'm not judge and jury. I'm not God."

Although the show has also received considerable support, tickets haven't sold well, and Thompson doesn't know what to expect from tonight's debut.

The sight-unseen reaction to their play has sent a strong message to the high school students involved.

"It makes me think about stuff that goes on at school, how much calling people names might affect them," said 17-year-old senior Allison Prost.

One of Prost's roles in the play is that of Romaine Patterson, a close friend of Matthew Shepard. The real Romaine Patterson wrote a letter to St. Vincent's about their performance of "The Laramie Project," which the cast includes in their program.

In the letter, Patterson wrote: "People think when they sit down to watch "The Laramie Project" that they are going to see a play about Laramie, Wyo. In fact, what many people realize is that they are seeing a play about their own hometown."

The Catholic high school does four performances each year, and the 2003-2004 productions centered on a theme of "Celebrating the Differences in Others." Fourteen students in 10th through 12th grade along with Thompson perform 96 parts in "The Laramie Project."

"People don't realize what this show's about," said 18-year-old Katie Welker. "It's not a bunch of kids saying it's OK to be gay."

Welker said she wasn't excited about doing "The Laramie Project" at first until she read the critical letter sent to Thompson from the former student and realized how close to home intolerance can come.

"It's a good show and has a good message," said Welker, whose roles include that of limousine driver Doc O'Connor. "Everyone who comes will be able to relate to someone in this play, whether that's good or bad,"

cclark@semissourian.com

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