The Laramie Project

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Doc O’Connor asserts that there are more gay people in Laramie than are immediately apparent. At the same time, he tells readers that the gay people in Laramie are not “the queens, the gay people, the queens, you know run around faggot type people” (Act I, Moment 8).

• What does Doc’s comment suggest about how the LGBTQ+ community is commonly portrayed? (topic sentence)
• Identify 2-3 examples from the text and analyze the damaging effect of the stereotypes of the LGBTQ+ community.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, consider how the persistence of harmful stereotypes speaks to the larger theme of The Violent Effects of Anti-LGBTQ+ Bias.

2. Laramie’s religious leaders express a range of responses to the murder of Matthew Shepard.

• How do religious beliefs influence the situation in Laramie in the wake of Matthew’s death? (topic sentence)
• Compare and contrast at least three of these responses and explain how and/or why the beliefs behind them are influential.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, consider whether or not Religion and Tolerance can coexist enough to allow acceptance of—even love for— the LGBTQ+ community.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. In his Introduction to the play, Kaufman explains that he wanted to pose the following question: “Is theatre a medium that can contribute to the national dialogue on current events?” Consider the content and formal elements of the play in relation to Kaufman’s question. What might prevent the theater from providing an effective commentary on current affairs? Is there an inherent bias in the representation of events through theater? Does Kaufman’s play overcome any potential biases? Why or why not?

2. Throughout the play, the media presence is described as overwhelming and predatory. There is a sense that the residents of Laramie are being put on the spot and do not have a chance to reflect on what is, for many, a very personal tragedy. At the same time, the media focus on Laramie forced a reckoning with exactly what happened to Matthew Shepard. What, in your opinion, was the role of the media in the aftermath of Matthew’s death? Was this media coverage appropriate given the circumstances, or invasive? In what way does the media coverage of Matthew’s murder differ from Kaufman’s play? Does Kaufman’s coverage differ in its invasiveness? Why or why not?

3. The play is composed of material taken from interviews with Laramie residents and people involved in the Matthew Shepard case. What is the effect of hearing different people’s voices? How do Kaufman’s techniques shape the way the audience receives and understands these attitudes? Do you think the play offers a balanced view of what happened in Laramie? Use specific examples from the text to support your answer.