By: Taylor Gates
Pride is parades and concerts. It’s rainbow flags and colorful beads. It’s going to gay bars and laughing with friends. But Pride is also fighting for a more accepting future for the LGBTQ+ community. It’s remembering how far we’ve come. It’s honoring those we’ve lost. Considering Matthew Shepard, composed by Craig Hella Johnson and commissioned by Fran and Larry Collmann with Conspirare, encompasses and accomplishes all of that with a rare, aching beauty.
Developed by Johnson and Michael Dennis Brown, the libretto was inspired by a combination of Shepard’s own diary entries, Lesléa Newman’s poetry book October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard and Wyoming nature writers John Nesbit and Sue Wallis. The result is a layered portrait of Matthew, his community and everyone his story touched.
Each song is poignant, creatively shifting points of view at various stages of Matthew’s story. For example, the upbeat “Ordinary Boy” acts as a setup, employing Matthew’s own straightforward, innocent and happy voice: “I love theatre/I love good friends/I love succeeding/I love pasta/I love jogging/I love walking and feeling good. During the song, four paneled screens on the back of the stage show his actual journal with this list in his own handwriting. We are also introduced to his caring mother Judy: You knew him as Matthew/To us he was Matt…He was my son, my first born, and more/He was my friend, my confidant, my constant reminder of how good life can be—and how hurtful.”
The taunting “A Protestor,” which comes right after Matthew’s death, is a cutting, angry anthem from the voice of the Westboro Baptist Church protestors: “The fires of Hell burn hot and red/The only good fag is a fag that’s dead.” Though hard to listen to, it’s a reminder of the hate and ignorance that caused and surrounded this tragedy. The soft and lyrical “Deer Song” is from the perspective of the doe that was found lying near Matt all night and offers some comfort and antidote from the cruelty.
Perhaps the most unexpected but impactful voice, though, is the point of view of the fence Matt was tied to. The fence becomes its own character as we revisit it four times throughout various points. There’s the before (“Will I always be out here/exposed and alone?), that night (“I cradled him just like a mother/I held him all night long”), one week later (“But I don’t mind/being a shrine/is better than being/the scene of the crime”) and after it has been torn down (“Prayed upon/frowned upon/revered/feared”).
Considering Matthew Shepard is performed by a choir of twenty-two people and an orchestra of sixteen. On their own, each voice has an impressive range. Together, though, the blended harmony is powerful to the point of feeling mystic. The score contains a hybrid of styles giving the performance a full, rich and surprising sound. There are traditional orchestra pieces mixed together with rock-like anthems, not dissimilar to shows like Jesus Christ Superstar.
For example, two of the most sonically impressive songs, “I Am Like You” and “Fire of the Ancient Heart,” are vastly different. “I Am Like You” features only four of the performers singing acapella and utilizing a chilling dissonance to talk about the murderers. “Fire of the Ancient Heart” captures the pure rage at the unfairness of Matthew’s death. Red lights and drum beats punctuate the performance and its theatricality is both show-stopping and therapeutic.
Beyond the songs, there are some miniature reenactments and recitations woven in as well. For me, the saddest moment was when an actor read a real speech Matthew’s father wrote to the court a little over a year after Matthew passed away. In it, he talks about how he feels better knowing that the nature and memories kept Matthew company during his final hours.
There’s an inherent risk to developing a production around a tragic, true story. But rest assured, Considering Matthew Shepard never feels exploitive or sensationalized, nor does it ever get overly sentimental or simplistic. The attack, for instance, is not graphically shown, but instead explained in a concise yet direct way. The mixture of subtlety and rawness makes the performance a moving tribute to Matthew Shepard, his family and his legacy of hope and love.
Considering Matthew Shepard will be offering a performance at Festival Concert Hall in Fargo, ND, which will be presented as part of NDSU Choral Symposium Concerts. Tickets are on sale now for the October 12th, 2018 show at 7:30pm.