The Laramie Project Critique

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The Laramie Project Critique

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The Laramie project captured the audience's attention by utilizing different design methods on stage. This included sound, stage and hand properties, light, and music. With an ensemble of 10 actors playing over 30 roles, this proved to be an amazing play to experience. The playwright was constructed in a clear manner, which eliminated the confusion of "who is who." Through the usage of the stage elements as well as the dynamics of each character, this brought about an effective plot.

The first element that made the play dramatic was the sound effects. The sound of the "Wyoming wind" was constant throughout the whole play, but as emotional scenes and climaxes occurred, the sound of wind was intensely noticeable. I believe it was Misha Johnson that played the character of Matthew Shepard's good friend, as she was expressing her emotions about how she could not believe how people could do that to one of her best friends, and how Matthew or as his friends called him, "Matt" -- was just looking for a friend to relate with in the world. The scene was particularly dramatic in the sense that the amplitude of the wind increased, the actor became emotional and angry all at once, and as Misha finished her lines in sorrow, the sound of wind was all that was left. The directors, designers, and actors all combined made an impacting decision to have the "Wyoming wind" present throughout the play. All of these factors successfully conveyed to the audience that everyone in the town was affected by this hate crime. Which left the end of the first act intense, dramatic, and touching all inspired by sound effects.

As the sound effects were impacting, another element that influenced The Lar...

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Throughout the play, there is a level of intensity that can be seen. Sound effects, lightning and props help make the story seem intensely realistic. It helped engage the audience's attention and emotions throughout the entire play. It is as though we are living vicariously through these characters. With these characters, there is a life lesson to be learned. We create education in favor of ourselves from which we learn and journey to travel through time and time again. The playwright leaves an impression on our lives, which is to say that as society moves on, so should our paths that lead to greater understanding. A project such as moving on as a society and gaining better understanding of people and their lifestyles are elements the entire cast and the playwright has presented, a project that is appropriately entitled -- The Laramie Project.

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