History Theatre / TheLaramieProject

-->''"Mr. [=McKinney=], I am going to grant you life, as hard as it is for me to do so, because of Matthew. Every time you celebrate Christmas, a birthday, the Fourth of July remember that Matt isn't. Every time you wake up in your prison cell remember that you had the opportunity and the ability to stop your actions that night. You robbed me of something very precious and I will never forgive you for that. Mr. [=McKinney=] I give you life in the memory of one who no longer lives. May you have a long life and may you thank Matthew every day for it."''

* LoadsAndLoadsOfRoles: In the play, a total of eight actors perform over 70 roles. In the movie, however, each actor has one role.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: The play has over 70 characters.

%%* AdultFear: Matthew's attack.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: The real Matthew Shepard was a meth dealer and addict, and had actually had sexual encounters with [=McKinney=], a known homosexual. The trial never considered this, nor the rumor that Shepard was sitting on a $10,000 supply of meth, which his killers were most likely after. His murder was not a homophobic hate crime, but a drug deal gone wrong.

%* TheGhost: Matthew Shepard, most notably.

%%* TheGhost: Matthew Shepard, most notably.

--->'''Dennis''': "Mr. [=McKinney=], I am going to grant you life, as hard as it is for me to do so, because of Matthew. Every time you celebrate Christmas, a birthday, the Fourth of July remember that Matt isn't. Every time you wake up in your prison cell remember that you had the opportunity and the ability to stop your actions that night. You robbed me of something very precious and I will never forgive you for that. Mr. [=McKinney=] I give you life in the memory of one who no longer lives. May you have a long life and may you thank Matthew every day for it."

The piece is widely regarded as the most influential play centered on homosexuality since ''AngelsInAmerica''. It is used in schools across America and the UK to teach about prejudice and tolerance, and has inspired grassroots efforts to combat discrimination.

* AdultFear: Matthew's attack.

* BasedOnATrueStory: Almost verbatim.

* TheGhost: Matthew Shepard, most notably.
* GoodShepherd: Father Roger Schmit
* HeteronormativeCrusader: Reverend Fred Phelps
* IntrepidReporter: The members of the Tectonic Theater Project fit the bill.
* JustIgnoreIt: In the movie, this was the residents' response to Fred Phelps [[spoiler:by standing between him and his hate mongers and the public wearing winged angel costumes, blocking them from sight too]].

* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: the sequel, ''The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later,'' is this to the original play, though it's also a full-length work on its own.

The piece is widely regarded as one of the most socially important plays in recent memory, and the most influential play centered on homosexuality since ''AngelsInAmerica''. It is used in schools across America and the UK to teach about prejudice and tolerance, and has inspired grassroots efforts to combat discrimination.

* AllStarCast: TheMovie. Well, more like an All HeyItsThatGuy cast, but it's still an impressive amount of notable names, a lot of whom got more famous [[RetroactiveRecognition later]].

* CruelMercy: Matthew's father, Dennis Shepard, casts this upon Aaron McKinney when he asks for [[spoiler: Aaron to not be put to death for his crimes.]]
--->[[spoiler:'''Dennis''': "Mr. McKinney, I am going to grant you life, as hard as it is for me to do so, because of Matthew. Every time you celebrate Christmas, a birthday, the Fourth of July remember that Matt isn't. Every time you wake up in your prison cell remember that you had the opportunity and the ability to stop your actions that night. You robbed me of something very precious and I will never forgive you for that. Mr. McKinney I give you life in the memory of one who no longer lives. May you have a long life and may you thank Matthew every day for it."]]

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters / LoadsAndLoadsOfRoles: Over seventy, all performed by eight actors. In the movie, each actor does one role.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Completely averted, especially with the all-too-real [[JerkAss Rev. Fred Phelps]].
* OneSteveLimit: The subject of the show is the death of Matthew Shepard: there are two other Matthews, both of whom worked at the same bar. Both one of the murderers and the man who found Matthew were named Aaron. There are two unrelated Stephens. A pretty good example of how unrealistic the trope is.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters / LoadsAndLoadsOfRoles: Over seventy, all performed by eight actors.

* OneSceneWonder: A lot of characters, but most of all Matthew's father Dennis, who has the most famous monologue in the show.