Content warning: This article contains mention of murder.
Millersville University Theater wrapped up their Fall 2025 show, The Laramie Project, on Nov. 8. The play, a powerful re-telling of the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay 21-year old student at the University of Wyoming, is told through a collection of over 200 interviews of Laramie residents and people close to those in the case, as well as journal excerpts, news reports, and even parts of testimonies from Matthew’s father Dennis, and his murderers Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson.
On Oct. 6, 1998, Sheppard was approached at a bar in Laramie, Wyoming by his murderers, who offered a ride home to Sheppard. The two drove him to a remote area where he was then tortured, beaten, robbed, and tied to a fence and left to die. He was not discovered until 18 hours later by a cyclist named Aaron Kreifels, who initially mistook him for a scarecrow.
The show was performed in Rafters Theater at Dutcher Hall, with performances from Oct. 30-Nov. 2, and three more from Nov. 6-8. The eight member cast each took on at least three characters. Each scene in the show represents a different journal entry, interview, or story, with those taking place in the center of the stage.
The performance depicted emotional testimonies and moments from the actual case. Some of the most significant included news coverage of his discovery, medical updates, and a candlelight vigil, which were also shown on CRTVs placed around the stage. His funeral, the anti-gay protests by minister Fred Phelps, and the subsequent counter-protest by Matthew’s friend Romaine Patterson, marked one of the more emotional moments of the show, as well as a testimony that was read in court by Dennis Sheppard to Russell Henderson.
The gravity of the show was noted by members of the cast, as well as university theater professors Adam Boyer (who did the scenic and lighting design), Harry Schueren IV (technical director), and Jonathan Strayer (director). In a note to the audience in the program, the three reflected on the performance’s meaning, saying that “more than 25 years later… The Laramie Project remains as powerful and resonant as ever… Despite our differences we are one humanity – one community continually crafted through courage, empathy, and compassion.” The note concluded with an encouragement for the audience to listen, remember the story, and to “be moved toward compassion, understanding, and hope.”
Sierra Hensley, a member of the show’s cast, reflected on the importance of the show today and on her own experiences, saying, “Matthew’s story really hit me hard, especially the first time I ever heard about it. What really hit me the most was how similar Laramie was to my own hometown.” She added that it was a reminder to her that his story is not just exclusive to Laramie but all over the world, noting that she “had a lot of [her] own personal experiences that eerily resembled a lot of what was happening in Laramie.” She shared the same sentiment as what was in the program note, saying that she felt that “this show is a reminder to keep fighting.”
“Matt lived unapologetically, and I think that’s something to look up to.”
