laramie lines + cues

MOMENT 1: A DEFINITION

Rebecca Hilliker: There’s so much space between people and towns here, so much time for reflection

Narrator: Rebecca Hilliker, head of the theater department at the University of Wyoming

MOMENT 1: A DEFINITION

Doc O’Connor: I love it here.

Narrator: Doc O’Connor, limousine driver.

MOMENT 1: A DEFINITION

Phillip Dubois: I moved here after living in a couple of big cities.

Narrator: Phillip Dubois, president of the University of Wyoming.

MOMENT 1: A DEFINITION

April Silva: I grew up in Cody, Wyoming.

Narrator: April Silva, University student.

MOMENT 1: A DEFINITION

Jedadiah Schultz: It’s hard to talk about Laramie now, to tell you what Laramie is, for us.

Narrator: Jedadiah Schultz.

MOMENT: JOURNAL ENTRIES

Narrator: Moises Kaufman.

Moises Kaufman: The company has agreed that we should go to Laramie for a week and Interview people.

Am a bit afraid about taking ten people on a trip of this nature. Must make some safety rules. No one works alone. Everyone carries cell phones. Have made some preliminary contacts with Rebecca Hilliker, head of the theatre department at the University of Wyoming. She is hosting a party for us our first night in Laramie and has promised to introduce us to possible interviewees.

MOMENT: JOURNAL ENTRIES II
Waitress: Hi, my name is Debbie. I was born in 1954 and Debbie Reynolds was big then, so yes, there are a lot of us around, but I promise that I wont slap you if you leave your elbows on the table.

Moises Kaufman: Today the company tried to explain to me to no avail what chicken fried steak was.

MOMENT: JOURNAL ENTRIES III

Jonas Slonaker: … I mean, imagine if more gay people stayed in small towns… But it’s easier said than done, of course.

moment begins

Moises Kaufman: Today we are moving from our motel and heading for a Best Western

MOMENT: JOURNAL ENTRIES III

Narrator: Moises Kaufman.

Moises Kaufman: My hope is that it is a better Western.

MOMENT: THE FIRESIDE

Narrator: Phil Labrie, friend of Matthew Shepard.

Phil Labrie: Matt liked to drink Heineken and nothing else. Heineken even though you have to pay nine-fifty for a six pack. He’d always buy the same beer.

MOMENT: THE FIRESIDE

Romaine Patterson: … He never had any problem just striking up a conversation with ANYBODY.

Phil Labrie: Matt did feel lonely a lot of times. Me knowing that — and knowing how gullible Matt could be… he would have walked right into it. The fact that he was at the bar alone without any friends made him that much more vulnerable.

END OF ACT I

.

MOMENT: A LARAMIE MAN

John Peacock: By this time, I was starting to get upset, but still the severity wasn’t out yet.

Rulon Stacey: It was a Thursday afternoon.

MOMENT: A LARAMIE MAN

Narrator: Rulon Stacey at Poudre Valley Hospital.

Rulon Stacey: I got a call.

“We just got a kid in from Wyoming and it looks like he may be the victim of a hate crime. We have a couple of newspaper reporters here asking questions.”

And so, we agreed that we needed one spokesperson. As CEO, I’ll do that and we’ll try and gather all the information that we can.

MOMENT: MEDICAL UPDATE I

Narrator: Matthew Shepard medical update at three PM, Saturday, October tenth.

Rulon Stacey: By this point, I looked out there and where there had been two or three reporters… it must have been ten or fifteen still photographers, another twenty or thirty reporters and ten video cameras. The parents had just arrived. I had barely introduced myself to them. I looked out there and I thought, “My gosh, what am I going to do?”

MOMENT: MEDICAL UPDATE I

Rulon Stacey: “My gosh, what am I going to do?”

cameras on Rulon

Rulon Stacey: Matthew Shepard was admitted in critical condition approximately nine-fifteen PM, October seventh. When he arrived, he was unresponsive and breathing support was being provided.

Matthew’s major injuries upon arrival consisted of hypothermia and a fracture from behind his head to just in front of the right ear. This has caused bleeding in the brain, as well as pressure on the brain. There were also several lacerations on his head, face, and neck.

Matthew’s temperature has fluctuated over the last twenty-four hours, ranging from 98 to 106 degrees. We have had difficulty controlling Matthew’s temperature.

Matthew’s parents arrived at seven PM, October ninth, and are now at his bed side. The following is a statement from them:

“First of all, we want to thank the American public for their kind thoughts about Matthew and their fond wishes for his speedy recovery. We appreciate your prayers and good will, and we know that they are something Matthew would appreciate, too.

We also have a special request for the members of the media. Matthew is very much in need of his family at this time, and we ask that you respect our privacy, as well as Matthew’s so we can concentrate all of our efforts, thoughts and love on our son.

Thank you very much.”

MOMENT: MEDICAL UPDATE II

Narrator: Matthew Shepard medical update at nine AM, Sunday, October eleventh.

Rulon Stacey: As of nine AM today, Matthew Shepard remains in critical condition.

The family continues to emphasize that the media respect their privacy. The family also wants to thank the American public for their kind thoughts and concern for Matthew.

MOMENT: THAT NIGHT

(previous moment)

Amanda Gronich: Thank you, Reverend, I appreciate your speaking with me.

Rulon Stacey: About eleven-thirty that night, I had just barely gone to bed, and Margo our chief operating officer called and said, “his blood pressure has started to drop.” “Well, let’s wait and see.” She called me about ten after — he just died. So I quick got dressed and came in. And uh, and — and went into the ICU where the family was and Judy came up and she put her arms around me and I put my arms around her and we just stood there — honestly, for about ten minutes just — ‘cause what else do you do?

And then we had to sit and talk about things that you just —- “Dennis, it’s now public knowledge… and I’m gonna go out there now and tell the whole world that this has happened.”

‘Cause by this point it was clear to us that it was the world — it was the whole world.

And so Judy told me what she wanted me to say. And I went out at four o’clock AM.

MOMENT: MEDICAL UPDATE III

cameras on Rulon

Narrator: Matthew Shepard medical update for four-thirty AM, Monday October twelfth.

Rulon Stacey: At twelve midnight on Monday, October twelfth, Matthew Shepard’s blood pressure began to drop. We immediately notified his family who were already at the hospital.

At twelve fifty-three AM, Matthew Shepard died. His family was at his bedside.

The family did release the following statement:

The family again asked me to express their sincerest gratitude to the entire world for the overwhelming response for their son.

The family was grateful that they did not have to make a decision regarding whether or not to continue life support for their son. Like a good son, he was caring to the end and removed guilt or stress from the family.

He came into the world premature and left the world premature.

Matthew’s mother said, “Go home, give your kids a hug and don’t let a day go by without telling them that you love them.”

MOMENT: MAGNITUDE

(previous moment)

Rulon Stacey: “Go home, give your kids a hug and don’t let a day go by without telling them that you love them.”

Rulon Stacey: And — I don’t know how I let that happen — I lost it on national television, but, you know, we had been up for like seventy-two hours straight and gone home and gone to sleep for half an hour and had to get up and come in — and maybe I was just way — I don’t know — but (pause). In a moment of complete brain-deadness, while I was out there reading that statement I thought about my own four daughters — and “go home hug your kids” — (he begins to cry) and oh, she doesn’t have her kid anymore. (pause) And I guess, I didn’t understand the magnitude with which some people hate. And of all of the letters that we got, there were maybe two or three that were like that. Most of them were, thank you for your caring and compassion and Matthew had caring and compassion from the moment he got here.

MOMENT: JURY SELECTION

Trish Steger: … Would you be willing to put this person to death? and I understand that a lot of the comments were, “yes, I would.”

Juror 1: Yes I would, your Honor.

MOMENT: A DEATH PENALTY CASE

(previous moment)

Reggie Fluty: Oh, get over it, Ma!

Narrator: Almost a year to the day that Matthew Shepard died, the trial for Aaron James McKinney was set to begin.

MOMENT: A DEATH PENALTY CASE

Cal Rerucha: Probably the question that most of you have in your mind is, ah, ah, how the McKinney case will proceed.

Narrator: Cal Rerucha, prosecuting attorney.

MOMENT: DENNIS SHEPARD’S STATEMENT

(previous moment)

Jury Foreperson: … we find the defendant, Aaron James McKinney, guilty.

Narrator: Aaron McKinney was found guilty of felony murder which meant the jury could give him the death penalty. That evening, Judy and Dennis Shepard were approached by McKinney’s defense team, who pled for their client’s life. The prosecution indicated that they would defer to the family’s wishes as to whether or not to pursue the death penalty. The following morning, Dennis Shepard made a statement to the court. Here is some of what he said:

MOMENT: EPILOGUE

Jonas Slonaker: … What’s come out of it? What’s come out of this that’s concrete or lasting?

Moises Kaufman: We all said we would meet again — one last time at the fence.