Laramie: What Did I Learn

By researching The Laramie Project, I learned how much the myth of equality in America is still present. America still pretends to be the golden boy of opportunity and protecting the rights of all, but the gay rights movement shows that there's so much work to do. I found that my perception of this event was that it was a hate crime, but I also figured that more people knew about Laramie. I was sorely mistaken as people read my paper for the first time. I also thought that there was much more exposure and that Laramie, after ten years, would've changed after such a tragic event. I was 0 for 2 after realizing that Laramie just wanted to forget its past, and not for the better. I learned how much having a face for a cause makes or breaks the movement. Shepard was definitely a great launching point for empathetic activists to change the way we view sexuality.

The Laramie Project truly gave me a sense of purpose in studying theater here at USC. It is a beautifully crafted story that tells it how it is, but provides a way for those who perform and watch it to understand how tragic the event was. Theater can and should be used as a way to excited change in others and move them emotionally and spiritually to come together and take the world by storm.