Stage Review - The Laramie Project (ReAct Theatre)
Stage Review - The Laramie Project
Presented By: ReAct Theatre - Seattle, WA
Show Run: September 04 - September 28, 2025
Date Reviewed: Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Run Time: 2 Hours, 30 minutes (inclusive of a 15-minute intermission)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
Productions of The Laramie Project all share one crucial element: the story. The tragic, horrifying account of Matthew Shepard’s torture and death at the hands of two Laramie residents remains as powerful and gut-wrenching today as it was when it first shocked the world in 1998. This is a piece of theatre that demands honesty and care, its structure built from interviews conducted by members of the Tectonic Theater Project in the days, weeks, and months following the crime. Actors play dual roles—both as the members of the Tectonic group and as the residents of Laramie they interview—allowing the audience to experience the narrative through multiple, intertwining lenses. ReAct Theatre’s production, running through September 28th at the ReAct Theatre Studio in Seattle, carries that torch forward with a respectful and thoughtful staging.
What changes from production to production is how those stories are told: through the emotion each performer brings and through the production design that supports them. In this ReAct Theatre staging, director and designer David Hsieh crafts a clean, efficient space for his ensemble to inhabit. He has designed a series of “stations” that act almost like lockers, where characters’ costume pieces are kept for quick changes. This layout keeps the pace moving seamlessly, reflecting the documentary feel of the play and ensuring that transitions don’t pull focus away from the story.
The cast here is solid, delivering strong ensemble work and maintaining a consistent rhythm throughout the evening. The Laramie Project is, by its very nature, the ultimate ensemble piece—there are no clear leads or supporting players. Instead, its success relies on the timing and unity of the group, and this company rises to that challenge. The ensemble includes Maxime Soufer, Ka Ip, Aida Bagheri, Arielle Bloostein, Daniel Christensen (alternating with Christopher Peterson), Jacob Chung, Miles Liatos, Naleisha Pedro-Rabena, and Sara Leonetti.
While there are moments where the emotional depth could have been heightened—particularly in scenes where Matthew’s death is announced or when the Tectonic members reflect on their time in Laramie—the group generally handles the material with care and precision. At times, these pivotal moments feel more like recitation than lived experience, and leaning further into that rawness would make those scenes even more powerful.
There are many individual highlights within the ensemble. Naleisha shows remarkable versatility with accents, seamlessly shifting between characters and perspectives. Jacob delivers a particularly strong turn as Sergeant Hing, grounding his scenes with quiet authority. Sara stands out for her ability to make each of her characters memorable and distinct, offering some of the evening’s most poignant moments.
ReAct Theatre’s The Laramie Project is a thoughtful and well-paced production that honors the integrity of its source material. It may not always fully tap into the deepest wells of emotion, but it succeeds in telling a story that must continue to be told. Matthew Shepard’s legacy is not only a reminder of the consequences of hatred and violence but also a call to empathy and action. This production keeps that legacy alive, and in doing so, invites its audience to remember, reflect, and, most importantly, feel.
ReAct Theatre’s production of The Laramie Project runs on stage in Seattle through September 28. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://www.reacttheatre.org/.
