Act I

Reading Check

1. Over 200 interviews with the people of Laramie and journal entries (Act I, Moment 1)

2. “[T]hey’re just missing the whole point.” (Act I, Moment 1)

3. Because they believe that being gay is wrong (Act I, Moment 4)

4. “HATE IS NOT A LARAMIE VALUE.” (Act I, Moment 5)

5. The Fireside Bar (Act I, Moment 14)

6. “[A] pilgrimage site” (Act I, Moment 16)

Short Answer

1. Jedadiah Shultz says that Laramie has become “defined by an accident, a crime.” As a result, the community is like “Waco” or “Jasper.” (Act I, Moment 1)

2. The “Journal Entries” Moment is written from the perspective of the actors who were invited to accompany Kaufman, while the “A Definition” Moment is written from the perspective of the interviewees in Laramie, with the actors jumping in and out of various roles. (Act I, Moments 1-2)

3. Various characters discuss their impressions of Matthew; for example, he was mainly known as “choo-choo” with an interest in human rights and political affairs. He smiled frequently and had recently joined the LGBTQ+ society on campus before his murder.