{"id":13350,"date":"2026-02-19T16:47:42","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T23:47:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/dhs-troupe-1096-to-stage-the-laramie-project-ten-years-later\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T19:31:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T19:31:00","slug":"dhs-troupe-1096-to-stage-the-laramie-project-ten-years-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/dhs-troupe-1096-to-stage-the-laramie-project-ten-years-later\/","title":{"rendered":"DHS Troupe 1096 to stage \u2018The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Arii
Arii Crowl rehearses his role in Durango High School Troupe 1096\u2019s latest play, \u201cThe Laramie Project: Ten Years Later.\u201d (Courtesy)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

When the student actors of Durango High School Troupe 1096 take the stage next week to perform \u201cThe Laramie Project: Ten Years Later,\u201d they\u2019ll not only be performing their roles, they\u2019ll be portraying real people and using their actual words.<\/p>\n

The show and its predecessor, \u201cThe Laramie Project,\u201d were created by Mois\u00e9s Kauffman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project in New York, with the goal to \u201cexplore the reaction and impacts of Matthew Shepard\u2019s murder on the residents of Laramie, Wyoming,\u201d according to The Matthew Shepard Foundation.<\/p>\n

\n

If you go<\/h4>\n

WHAT: <\/strong>Durango High School Troupe 1096 presents, \u201cThe Laramie Project: Ten Years Later\u201d<\/p>\n

WHEN: <\/strong>7 p.m. Feb. 27, 28 and March 5-7<\/p>\n

WHERE: <\/strong>Durango High School, 2390 Main Ave.<\/p>\n

TICKETS: <\/strong>$15 per ticket, available online at https:\/\/troupe1096.weebly.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

MORE INFORMATION: <\/strong>Visit https:\/\/troupe1096.weebly.com<\/a> or email Benjamin Mattson at bmattson@durangoschools.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

NOTE: <\/strong>This production includes strong language and mature themes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

On Oct. 7, 1998, Shepard, a 21-year-old gay student at the University of Wyoming, was brutally attacked and tied to a fence in a field outside Laramie and left to die. On Oct. 12, he died from his injuries in a hospital in Fort Collins.<\/p>\n

Two men, Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney, were convicted of Shepard\u2019s murder.<\/p>\n

\"Sam
Sam Bishop rehearses his role in Durango High School Troupe 1096\u2019s latest play, \u201cThe Laramie Project: Ten Years Later.\u201d (Courtesy)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Troupe 1096\u2019s \u201cThe Laramie Project: Ten Years Later\u201d is directed by Ben Mattson and Jenny Fitts Reynolds, and according to a news release from the Troupe, the production is a documentary-style play that revisits Laramie a decade \u201cafter a tragic hate crime which sparked national reflection on community, identity, and responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

The play was selected as an opportunity for the students to portray real people using their actual words, Fitts Reynolds said, adding that it also takes a much larger look at what happens when tragedy strikes \u2013 not just in Laramie, but anywhere.<\/p>\n

\"Alayna
Alayna Hoyt is seen during rehearsals for Durango High School Troupe 1096\u2019s latest play, \u201cThe Laramie Project: Ten Years Later.\u201d (Courtesy)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cIt goes beyond just acting and forces the kids to step into the shoes of someone else and find that empathy, even for the characters that may not have shown empathy themselves,\u201d she said in an email. \u201cThis show is also a mirror for any community, not just Laramie. This could have happened and can happen anywhere, and it\u2019s an excellent deep dive into how a society deals with a collective trauma and its aftermath.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mattson said the play is essentially a sequel to the first, and explores the residual effects of what can happen to a town and its residents.<\/p>\n

\"Trypp
Trypp Sander rehearses at Durango High School. (Courtesy)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cThe focus of this second work is to explore the long-term effects of a town being under the national spotlight in 1998, being essentially labeled as a place of hate. How does a community protect themselves, how do they control their story over time, when is it healthy to let go, and when does letting go mean ignoring what happened?\u201d he said. \u201dStudents get to portray a variety of real people in the town of Laramie having honest reactions to these questions. Seeking the truth of each person, and legitimizing their various perspectives, is what makes this production so humanizing and healing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fitts Reynolds and Mattson said taking on such a serious play is a heavy lift for the students \u2013 but it\u2019s a production that has not only brought Troupe 1096 together as a team, it\u2019s made the students grow as actors \u2013 and people.<\/p>\n

\"Members
Members of Troupe 1096 rehearse their latest play, \u201cThe Laramie Project: Ten Years Later.\u201d (Courtesy)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s tough for all of us to deal with such dark subject matter in what feels for many like dark times,\u201d Fitts Reynolds said. \u201dBut watching the kids dive in headfirst, do the research and do the hard work \u2013 it has been something special to watch. As a team, we\u2019ve developed a very safe and bonded space in which to do the work. To add a layer, the kids all play multiple roles, so they often have to step into a different perspective and headspace within minutes. \u2026 The students have really shown maturity, support and bravery as they\u2019ve approached this difficult content.\u201d<\/p>\n

Playing real people and using their actual words can be a big responsibility, so Fitts Reynolds and Mattson wanted to ensure the students were given the proper tools.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe material is approached with maturity, guidance and care,\u201d according to the Troupe\u2019s new release. \u201cWe have taken time to research and explore these historical events from a variety of perspectives, and to make sure that the students are aware that they are portraying real peoples\u2019 truths. By approaching this material responsibly and with guidance, students model how young people can participate in difficult but meaningful conversations with integrity and respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

And because Shepard\u2019s death happened well before any of the students were born, the directors found that his story wasn\u2019t well known among the members of the Troupe, which is kind of the point of \u201cLaramie Project\u201d \u2013 what\u2019s left as such a traumatic event as Shepard\u2019s death begins to fade over time? When the newscasters have long packed up their gear and left town for the next big story and the town\u2019s residents are left to pick up the pieces and try to move forward.<\/p>\n

\"Members
Members of Troupe 1096 rehearse their latest play, \u201cThe Laramie Project: Ten Years Later.\u201d (Courtesy)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cAs we delved into Matthew\u2019s story, we did realize that the kids were not familiar with it,\u201d Fitts Reynolds said. \u201cIn fact, that is a prominent part of the show itself \u2013 what happens 10 years after the event? When, why and how do the details and memories begin to fade and why is that allowed to happen?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a bit surprised that the students were unfamiliar with Matthew Shepard,\u201d Mattson said. \u201cOn one hand, I felt worried that such a big event to me had no relevance anymore. On the other hand, I was relieved that such a big event had no relevance anymore. Perhaps we\u2019ve grown past it? Or, perhaps, it\u2019s faded in a way where we\u2019re ignoring its importance? These are some of the themes that the show explores.\u201d<\/p>\n

The takeaway from \u201cThe Laramie Project: Ten Years Later,\u201d Mattson and Fitts Reynolds said, is the idea that communities and people can rise above the tragedies and dark things that happen around them. There can be hope and unity.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately we\u2019d like to see people walk away with the idea that no matter the tragedy, the trauma, the hate, a community can always choose compassion and hope,\u201d Fitts Reynolds said. \u201cWe want people to walk away talking and thinking about the content and the power a society can have when they come together. And we want people to truly hear and heed one another\u2019s stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hoping the audience comes away from this production asking themselves questions. How do \u2018I\u2019 react to the various views around me? How much listening do I do? How much \u2018urban myth\u2019 do I believe? How do I hold compassion and accountability in each hand? How am I more alike than different from everyone around me?\u201d Mattson said.<\/p>\n

A note for those planning to see the production: \u201cThe Laramie Project: Ten Years Later\u201d contains strong language and mature themes.<\/p>\n

katie@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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