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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to the author in the Introduction, when he and the members of the Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Laramie, Wyoming, they did not know that they would devote how much time to the project?

2. Jedadiah Schultz says in Act 1 that his parents reacted how when he told them he would be doing a scene from Angels in America for a high school competition?

3. At what university did Matthew Shepard study?

4. What is Matthew Shepard’s father’s name?

5. On what date did the United States Congress pass the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act?

Short Essay Questions

1. How was Matthew Shepard discovered? Where was he taken?

2. Where was Moisés Kaufman from? When did he enter the theater?

3. When was The Laramie Project adapted to film? Where was it first presented?

4. Who is the first person introduced in Act 1 that knew Matthew Shepard?

5. What awards has Moisés Kaufman won in the United States?

6. What does Moisés Kaufman say about the role of theater and its structure in the Introduction?

7. Describe Moisés Kaufman. How is he involved with the Tectonic Theater Project?

8. How does Act 1 of The Laramie Project begin? How is this “scene” defined?

9. What does Marge Murray say about bias and prejudice within Laramie in Act 1?

10. What structural purpose do Kaufman’s “moments” have in the play?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the media frenzy surrounding the attack on Matthew Shepard, and define and discuss sensationalism, dramatic conflict, and controversy. What conflicts are introduced to the narrative of the play with the introduction of the media? What impressions do these different journalists give of the town of Laramie and its residents? How do these impressions coincide with those depicted in the play?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss AIDS, HIV, and “gay-panic” in the narrative. How is “gay-panic” used as a defense tactic in court? When did Reggie Fluty discover that Matthew Shepard was HIV positive? What was her reaction? What chance did Fluty have of contracting the disease?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss how contrast and juxtaposition are used as tools in Epic Theater. In what ways did Brecht employ these elements? How does his use compare to the use of juxtaposition in The Laramie Project?

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