Ken Subedi

Instructor: Deborah Merola

Contemporary American Drama
Date: 4/21/2015

Lessons from Laramie

At a time when the issues of sexuality and more importantly homosexuality are considered to be
ignominy in Nepal, One World Theaters The Laramie Project, a play about hate crime,
especially in terms of the third sex has left the media in Nepal to cover the performance play
aggressively. Though the production of play began first in 2000 A.D in New York by Moises
Kaufman and the members of the Tectonic Theatre Project, its significance in Nepal is relatively
great and the nepali society thats still overcoming gender inequality among two genders has
found a new path earlier so as to cope homosexuality.
We have watched many plays where there are innumerable numbers of deaths but this
play where there is portrayal of a death of one university student drags our emotion and make us
to think if homosexuality is in itself a crime. It also gives us lan to resist hate crime generating
awareness in us. Definitely this play is a stepping stone to advocate for implementation of the
laws necessary against hate crime and more significantly in terms of gay rights.
In words of Kurchi Dasgupta such plays let us to dig into subjects that are not much
discussed, talked and spoken in our everyday life. She opines that the play deals with
homophobia and marginalization of sexualities that are different from the norm. Though a single
incident has been shown, it sensify our mind brings craving of tolerance.
Archana Thapa writes in Republica that The Laramie Project does not focus on the actual
incident of hate crime, as media coverage usually has us believe. It however, attempts to

represent the watershed moments where the residents experiences and reactions become more
important than the crime incident.
The docu-drama uses large number of interview as its significant tool to comprehend the
post incident experience. Hundreds of Locals, mostly ranchers and university people are
interviewed by Tectonic theatre project. With the help of those interviews, artists reveal stories
that carry greater truths through perspectives of residents.
The play also shows how people have different perspectives and feelings on a subject,
here hate crime. There come mixed emotions. Every persons reaction towards homosexuality is
in one way or another different.
The play gives us lessons of becoming tolerant towards gay people who are different. I
got insights that gay people have same humane qualities like compassion and love as we have.
They are also human as we are. The only difference is their sexuality and being different in terms
of sex only should not be a reason for someone to be made criminal.
It is also terrifying to know that Matthew Shepard had to die because of his sexual
orientation of gayness. There is also significant portray regarding how inhumane are we so called
heterogeneous people towards homosexuals. There is no reason to torture homosexuals simply
due to their bizarre sexuality. But when we have come to know that there exist a identifiable
percentage of such people, there should be tolerance and harmony. The government and society
can assign social roles to them to minimize hate crime on the basis of homosexuality.
After reading the play and its performance I have series of questions in my mind like:
Will a nepali gay be able to confess his sexual orientation in public. Does the slogan live and let
live work in Nepal? How long will it take for nepali society to establish homosexuality inside
its social norms of familiarity? I dont have answers for these questions right now. They need

serious attention and awareness. The plays performance has been successful in hitting the
similar questions to audience in Nepal and medias role in promotion of the play and subject of
positive resistance to homosexuality is commendable. Alok Nembang, a nepali film maker
commits suicide here due to his inability to confess his sexual orientation of gay whereas Tim
Cook, an IT tycoon in USA publicly proclaims that he is a gay. There are many spaces to fill in
the dots in nepali society and such plays are vital in showcasing the real time issues to overcome
them in future.