CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD
A Note from stage director Katrina Ploof
At the very end of Tectonic Theatre Project’s monumental play, The Laramie Project, Laramie resident Jonas Slonaker asks: “What’s come out of it? What’s come out of this that’s concrete or lasting?” His frustration, grief and rage barely below the surface, this question, spoken in the early winter of 1999, feels more like a wail than clear thought.
But the grace and blessing of time have given us some answers to Jonas’s question. In 2024 the ongoing fight for compassion in the face of hatred is loud and proud – it is an unwavering testament to the spirit of love, resilience, and unity that resulted from Matthew’s murder.
Considering Matthew Shepard is a profound artistic response to an ugly moment that somehow, miraculously, finds a path to empathy and mercy through glorious music and language. I would like to imagine that Jonas has heard it, and has found peace in its message.
–Katrina Ploof
SOLARIA SINGERS
The Solaria Singers is a professional choir comprised of the finest vocalists in Central Florida. Conducted by Andrew Minear, Solaria performs fresh interpretations of the greatest choral works of history as well as the most adventurous, compelling, and meaningful music composed for vocal ensembles in the 21st century. Solaria has been hailed as “mind-blowing… delightful, entertaining and thought provoking”, and voted Orlando Weekly’s Best of Orlando for Best Chamber Music Group. The Solaria Singers are part of Orlando Sings, a performing arts nonprofit organization with a mission to elevate the choral art form and enrich the cultural fabric of Florida through extraordinary shared experiences for audiences and singers. Other choirs include Harmonia and the Orlando Sings Symphonic Chorus.
Aiden Rodrigues
Aiden Rodrigues is honored to be making his debut with Orlando Sings, portraying young Matthew Shepard. He sings with the UCF Children’s Choir and All Saints Church Children’s Choir. He is involved in the Percussion Ensemble and Musical Theater programs at Dommerich Elementary, and was selected to sing in the FMEA All State Elementary Chorus this past January.
A Note from Producer and Conductor Dr. Andrew Minear
“We’ve been walking through the darkness… For too long a time”
I will never forget waking up the morning of June 12, 2016 to notifications of friends and former students marking themselves as safe on social media. To hear the name Orlando, my magical hometown, the City Beautiful, associated with the deadliest mass shooting in United States history put a pit in my stomach. I watched the news coverage that evening and wept for the shattered lives of victims and their families, for my friends in the LGBTQ+ community and the pain and fear they were feeling, and I wept over the loss of my (mis)perceived distance from the hatred and violence of the world. “Where O where has the innocence gone?”
We had made so much progress towards equality since 1998, when Matthew Shepard became the victim of one of the most notorious anti-gay hate crimes in the nation’s history. The tragedy led a decade later to the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009. Almost exactly one year before Pulse, the United States Supreme Court granted same-sex couples in all 50 states the right to full, equal recognition under the law. Progress is certainly not steady. “You ask too much of us. You ask too little.”
How do we respond to tragedy? We must begin again. In the days that followed the Pulse tragedy, I was so proud of how our city came together with massive showings of hope and love. We can love one another and build a community where “all of us” find belonging. “Only in the Love, Love that lifts us up.”
Today as the dehumanizing effect of “othering” fractures our communities and poisons our political discourse, it seems especially important that we are presenting art and music that is about reconciliation and seeing ourselves in each other. Choral music is a powerful medium to remind us of our common humanity. I hope our performance of Considering Matthew Shepard reverberates beyond the walls of the theater and out into our community and world.
Thank you for being part of the community we are building together. At Orlando Sings, everybody is welcome. Together we strive to create spaces where everyone can be fully themselves and to build an inclusive culture that values and celebrates the diverse voices and life experiences of our community. Our mission is to elevate the choral art form and enrich the cultural fabric of Florida through extraordinary shared experiences for audiences and singers. If today’s experience inspires you, please consider donating at orlandosings.org. Thank you so much for your support of the arts and professional choral music in Orlando.
-Andrew Minear
ARTISTS
