The Laramie Project Characters

Alison Mears is a longtime Laramie resident and a friend of Marge Murray. Alison works for the local social service agency.

Amanda Gronich is a member of Tectonic Theater Project. She interviews the Baptist Minister about his views on Matthew’s murder after attending his church service one Sunday.

Andrew Gomez is a young man who spends time in jail with Aaron McKinney. Andrew tells the interviewers about Aaron’s reputation in jail and his conversations with Aaron about why he killed Matthew Shepard.

Andy Paris is a member of Tectonic Theater Project and one of the interviewers for The Laramie Project. He speaks the final lines of the play as the theater company leaves Laramie for the last time.

This friend of Aaron McKinney, who chose to be interviewed anonymously, expresses shock at Aaron’s crimes and tells the interviewers a little about Aaron’s personal and family life.

April Silva is a bisexual university student in Laramie. April, who grew up in Cody, Wyoming, prefers Laramie to her old town.

The Bailiff is one of the staff members of the court who announces the beginning of Russell and Aaron’s trials.

Barbara Pitts is a member of the Tectonic Theater Project. She goes with Stephen Belber to interview Matt Mickelson and Matt Galloway at the Fireside Bar.

Bill McKinney is Aaron McKinney’s father. Bill feels that, because of the media attention the case received, Aaron is not receiving a fair trial.

Cal Rerucha is the prosecuting attorney on Aaron McKinney’s case. Cal intended to pursue the death penalty, but deferred to the Shepard family’s wishes.

Conrad Miller is a car mechanic and a local Laramie resident. Conrad Miller believes that homosexuality is animalistic and wrong.

Doug Laws is the Mormon minister in Laramie. Doug Laws says that Mormons believe that God is still speaking to everyday people, and he also indicates that, in the Mormon Church, homosexuality is not accepted.

Gil and Eileen Engen are a ranching couple in Laramie. Gil and Eileen both believe that Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson are “bad apples” and do not see Matthew Shepard’s murder as connected to a culture of homophobia in Laramie.

Governor Jim Geringer is Wyoming’s Republican governor at the time of Matthew Shepard’s murder. Jim expresses his outrage at Matthew’s murder, but warns against using it to give gay people “special rights over others.”

Harry Woods is a gay Laramie resident. In the play, Harry describes his reaction to the Homecoming Parade and the people walking in support of Matthew Shepard, expressing how he felt incredibly moved and thankful for the demonstrators and for Matthew.

Jeffrey Lockwood is a middle-aged Laramie resident. The interviewers ask him about his reaction to the murder.

Jen is Aaron McKinney’s friend from childhood. Stephen Belber runs into Jen at the Fireside Bar one night with Shannon. Jen talks with Stephen about her feelings about Aaron and the murder.

Jon Peacock is Matthew Shepard’s academic advisor and a political science professor at the University of Wyoming. Jon thought highly of Matthew’s academic potential was shocked and horrified to learn of Matthew’s murder. Jon Peacock helps to contextualize Matthew’s life before his murder.

Judy Shepard is Matthew Shepard’s mother. While Judy is not actually played by any actor in The Laramie Project, several characters refer to her throughout the play.

Kerry Drake is a reporter for the Caspar Star Tribune. In the play, Kerry recalls Fred Phelps protesting Matthew’s funeral.

Kristin is Aaron McKinney’s girlfriend. Kristin is charged as an accessory to Matthew Shepard’s murder.

Lucy Thompson is Russell Henderson’s grandmother. At Russell’s trial, Lucy offers her sympathy to the Shepard family and begs the court to give Russell his two life sentences concurrently rather than consecutively.

Phil Labrie was a friend of Matthew Shepard’s who helps to provide the theater company with context about what Matthew was like. He takes Greg Pierotti and a few other interviewers out to see the fence where Matthew was found.

Philip Dubois is the president of the University of Wyoming. After Matthew Shepard’s murder, he received an email accusing him and the rest of Laramie of being complicit in Matthew’s murder.

Russell Henderson’s Mormon Home Teacher is a friend of the Henderson family who has known Russell Henderson since he was a child. The teacher laments Russell’s crime and punishment and describes how, after Russell was convicted, the Mormon Church excommunicated him.

Shadow was the DJ working at Fireside Bar the night Matthew Shepard was killed, and he is the last person besides Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson who talked to Matthew before his death.

Sherry Aanenson was Russell Henderson’s landlord. Sherry was surprised and upset by the news of Russell’s crime, because in her experience Russell was always very “sweet.”

Sherry Johnson is a Laramie resident and the wife of a police officer. Sherry expresses sympathy for Matthew Shepard, but objects to the classification of the murder as a hate crime, since she feels it gives gay people special privileges.

Stephen Belber is a member of the Tectonic Theater Project and one of the interviewers for The Laramie Project. Stephen’s interviewees include the workers at the Fireside Bar and the limousine driver Doc O’Connor.

Sergeant Hing is a detective in the Laramie Police Department. Sergeant Hing is proud of his Laramie roots and feels that the national media misjudged Laramie, but is also shocked that a murder like Matthew Shepard’s could occur in a state that he sees as “Live and Let Live.”

Trish Steger is the owner of a local shop in Laramie and is Romaine Patterson’s sister. Trish knew Matthew Shepard personally, and she broke the news to Romaine about Matthew’s attack.

Zackie Salmon is an administrator at the University of Wyoming and a lesbian woman originally from Texas. Zackie loves that Laramie is such a close-knit community, but feels unsafe in town after Matthew Shepard’s murder. Zackie supports the death penalty for Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson for their crimes.