Deaf Austin Theater premiers “The Laramie Project”
On July 26th, we reported that the Deaf Austin Theater (DAT) will premiere the first professional ASL and spoken English production of “The Laramie Project” from September 7th to 16th. The play has 14 cast members- 12 of them are Deaf and 2 of them are speaking/signing actors. This play is directed by a Deaf Trans Gay man named Jules Dameron, who is also one of the actors.
[ four photos - credit to @tatetullierphotography ]
[ one photo - credit to @deafaustintheater ]
“The Laramie Project” is one of the most performed plays based on the true story of Matthew Shepard, a gay man who was beaten and left to die in Laramie, Wyoming, in 1998.
For the opening night, a surprise happened for the audience- Matthew Shepard’s parents Judy and Dennis showed up to watch. They were also part of a “talkback” after the play.
A “talkback” is when the audience stays after a play to watch a discussion among cast members and some important people.
Having Matthew Shepard’s parents show up was a special moment for everyone at the theater for that night.
[ two photos - credit to @deafaustintheater ]
We reached out to Jules about his experience with being a director and actor at the same time and if there was anything that he would like to share with us.
[ guest clip begins ]
Jules Dameron: It’s an immense honor to be a part of The Laramie Project. That’s the bottom line because of today’s political climate and everything going on in the South with discrimination against the trans community and the LGBTQ+ community at large. I think this story is so necessary right now. We did have a conversation about this play about two years ago, though at that time we didn’t feel as strongly about its impact as we do right now. So I’m elated that it’s come together. At the same time, the Deaf community deserves to know more about Matthew Shepard. It’s an important part of history, and this isn’t about Matthew Shepard himself, but rather how everyone thinks about everything as it relates to the LGBTQ+ umbrella. So I encourage everyone to engage in this and learn.
As for what I want everyone to take away from this show, it’s crucial that we remain open to conversations and questions, that we keep researching and learning, and that we’re proactive. Because for me as a Deaf person, it’s really easy for me to just be passive and assume things don’t apply to me in the hearing world. No way. After many years throughout my work and my career, one tough lesson I had to learn is just that: I had to learn, regardless of whether something applies to me personally or not. And that applies to The Laramie Project because the point of the town of Laramie is that they’re closed-minded because they never learned anything about gay, lesbian, and queer lives, which would have gone a long way to reduce harm and affect them. Hate crimes arise from people who have no awareness or understanding of this community. Silence is violence.
[ guest clip ends ]
Renca: We also reached out to Dr. Brian Cheslik, who is the Artistic Director of Austin Deaf Theater, for his statement.
[ guest clip begins ]
Dr. Brian Cheslik: As the Artistic Director of Deaf Austin Theater, The Laramie Project is incredible. This show has really been a dream of mine for over seven years since I was a theater teacher at Texas School for the Deaf. I noticed that my students struggled to understand, they struggled to truly grasp the message of everything. So it’s been a dream ever since to work on the production of this show. Here I am now, it’s happened. Opening night was an amazing experience. Matthew Shepard’s parents came to see the show, which is something they don’t typically do. But they decided they were ready when it came to our show. In the 25-year history of this play, Matthew Shepard’s parents have only seen it three times; Deaf Austin Theater’s production was the third time. And it seems that was the first time they sat through the show in its entirety. I’m incredibly honored by their presence on opening night. It made the whole experience that more amazing. And the actors involved are amazing, as are the cast, the crew, and the production team. It’s so beyond everything I could have hoped for. So keep your eye on Deaf Austin Theater, bigger and bigger things are happening!
[ guest clip ends ]
Renca: We thank them for their time.
Tickets to watch “The Laramie Project” are still available until this Saturday, the last night. The prices range from $25 to $35. If you cannot make it in person, you can watch it through live streaming on October 12th. The ticket cost for live streaming is $25. DAT shared with us that October 12th is the exact day for the 25th anniversary of Matthew Shepard.
We have included a link to the Deaf Austin Theater website in this transcript to find your tickets and other information about the play.
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