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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. Rulon Stacey states in “Moment: Medical Update” in Act 2 that Matthew Shepard was admitted to the hospital in critical condition on what date?

2. Who was the girlfriend of Aaron McKinney at the time of Matthew Shepard’s murder?

3. What is the title of Moisés Kaufman’s adaptation of Tennessee Williams’s later one-acts?

4. Russell Henderson’s Mormon Home Teacher claims to have known Russell for how many years in “Moment: Russell Henderson” of Act 3?

5. Who claims in “Moment: Seeing Matthew” of Act 2, “Ultimately, no matter how you dice it, I did have an opportunity”?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the genre of docudrama defined?

2. What interspersed speeches appear in Act 2? What scene follows the first speech?

3. What question is left open-ended regarding the murder of Matthew Shepard in the play?

4. What takes place in the beginning of Act 3?

5. What sentencing does Russell Henderson receive in Act 3?

6. What internal conflicts are evident in the citizens of Laramie in the play?

7. In the past, legislative attempts to define hate crimes have sparked national debate. Should the definitions include crimes committed against disabled people or people of different nationalities?

8. How is the trial of Aaron McKinney described in Act 3? What verdict does the jury find?

9. How have the rights of homosexuals changed in the past 50 years?

10. What historical incident sparked the gay-rights movement in the United States?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe Reverend Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church. When was the Westboro Baptist Church formed? Is it recognized as a place of worship in the United States? What nations have banned protests from members of the Westboro Baptist Church? What does Phelps represent in The Laramie Project?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze character list of The Laramie Project. How many of the characters in the play are actual residents of Laramie? Who are the Tectonic Theater Project members? How are the characters described?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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