The Laramie Project

By Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project

Directed by Dan Wiener and Allison Irvine

25 years ago, a 21 year old college student named Matthew Shephard was murdered in Laramie, Wyoming.  Matthew was gay, and his murder would be one of the first high profile crimes against LGBTQ people to be called a hate-crime.  The ensuing trial, media storm and national conversation thrust the people and town of Laramie into a precarious spotlight that Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre project sought to explore through interviews, observations and first hand accounts.  What they found they put together into The Laramie Project, a play that explores what it means to live in proximity to hate, and to respond with love.

The Westside Drama program was created in 2003 with our first production, Grease.  Since then the program has grown to include three shows per year: a fall drama play, a winter student-directed production, and a spring musical.  To date, the WSHS Drama program has staged more than 50 shows and counting.

Our program strives to produce high-quality, technically complex, artistically relevant shows, never forgetting the goals of educational theater: to give students opportunities to build self-confidence, develop their teamwork skills, learn responsibility and accountability, and, ultimately, explore the human condition - all while working towards a common goal with their classmates. On stage or backstage, important skills are learned every time you work on a show.

For more information, visit www.westsidedrama.com.