Walkerville Collegiate stage transforms into Wyoming town for The Laramie Project

A play that probes the 1998 hate-crime murder of a young Wyoming student is being staged by high school students in Windsor.

The Laramie Project looks at the reaction of the residents in Laramie, Wyo., a year after the death of Matthew Shepard, a gay man who was beaten, tortured and left to die because of his sexual orientation.

The critically acclaimed production has been staged around the world, and was also adapted into a film by U.S. television channel HBO in 2002.

"This project is something I've been wanting to do for some time," said Walkerville Collegiate Institute teacher Walter Cassidy, who is directing the local production. 

"I remember the whole Matthew Shepard incident — it happened when I was in my 20s, [when] I was dealing with my own issues of sexuality," he added.

Many of his students, however, were not as familiar with the story.

"I was really surprised that I didn't hear anything about it, because it's such an important thing that happened," said grade 12 student Reese Labute, a member of the cast. 

"As a person that's in the LGBT [community], it definitely hit home," the 17-year-old added.

While The Laramie Project involves more than 50 characters, the Walkerville production is being performed by a cast of only 9 students.

Each actor plays multiple roles and remains on stage for the entire two hour performance.

"It's all about showing the character in your body, and the way you ... hold yourself," said cast member Leah Flynn, who is also in grade 12.

"One of my characters, I've decided she points with her finger a lot ... it's just things you decide, 'this is what this person would do.'"

Flynn and Labute say that despite significant advances in LGBT rights and societal perceptions since the murder of Shepard in 1998, The Laramie Project is still needed in 2017.

When searching for pictures a parent posted of the cast on social media, Labute came across a tweet from a user in the United States lambasting the parents for allowing their children to be in the play, saying that Shepard "is in hell for eternity."

"It was pretty heavy — and scary at the same time," Labute said. "It definitely hurt."

"Even though we're dealing with things better now ... there are still issues with people being segregated and hated on," Flynn said. "[This play] will just bring awareness to that issue."