By Claire Schneider

The University of Louisville Department of Theatre Arts is opening “The Laramie Project” at the Thrust Theatre this weekend. 

“The Laramie Project” is named after a town in Wyoming, where gay college student Matthew Shepard was murdered in 1998. The play is a series of actual interviews with residents of Laramie, centering on those affected by the hate crime. Students are performing the transcripts of these interviews and bringing those voices to life.

People behind the project

Senior theatre major Skylar Swalls proposed “The Laramie Project” as an undergraduate representative on the play selection committee last year. Swalls is from Murray and became familiar with the play after students at Murray State University performed it several years ago. She recalled a friend whose parents grew more accepting because of it. 

“I thought that this was a very important story to tell, and I wanted to be a part of telling the story,” Swalls said. 

Swalls, like her fellow “The Laramie Project” actors, plays five to seven characters. Because of this, the process to distinguish each character was extensive.

Jay Nicole performs as a resident in “The Laramie Project,” April 8, 2026. (Photo by Claire Schneider / The Louisville Cardinal)

“It was really involved with getting every actor in a room, sitting them down, going through all of their lines, doing character work,” said assistant director Elliot Meadows.

Bailey Klei plays Catherine Connelly, a lesbian professor at the University of Wyoming. Klei notes Connelly’s fears about being the victim of a hate crime. 

“She’s scared letting her son walk the streets, scared seeing a truck, thinking that it’s going to come after her,” Klei said.

Setting the stage

“The Laramie Project” is set in the late ‘90s, and the costumes align with this. Even the makeup pulls direct inspiration, with photos of Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Aniston pinned on mirrors in the dressing room. The amount of characters however, does present challenges.

“A lot of actors have to quick change and switch into different characters, so we assist them backstage,” said costume crew member Breanna Oliver.

The stage itself has been transformed into Laramie. The floor is painted a rocky texture. The back of the stage is lined with a fence, representing where Shepard was found.

The cast of “The Laramie Project” faces away from the audience as the play begins, April 8, 2026. (Photo by Claire Schneider / The Louisville Cardinal)

Creatives find the humanity in “The Laramie Project”

Above all, “The Laramie Project” is about the aftermath of homophobia and violence. Throughout the play, the characters are constantly asking how this could happen in Laramie. 

“This show speaks to the humanity of everyone involved in this heinous crime,” Meadows said.

Meadows was unaware of Shepard before being a part of “The Laramie Project,” but soon realized the importance of his legacy. The play is interceded with interviews from Louisville’s own LGBTQ+ community, indicating the far reaching effects of the hate crime.

“The questions that we asked them are, ‘were you aware of Matthew Shepard? Did you attend any vigils? What is queer love like and what is queer joy like?’” Meadows said. 

“The Laramie Project” will run from April 10-19. Shows on April 10, 16 and 17 start at 7:30 p.m. Shows on April 11, 12 and 19 start at 2 p.m. And the April 15 show starts at 10 a.m.

Tickets range from $10 to $20 and can be found here.

“This is the type of stuff that people should see, especially as a live production, being there in the present moment and almost feeling like you’re experiencing it yourself,” Oliver said. 

Photo by Claire Schneider / The Louisville Cardinal