Moisés Kaufman, writer of the The Laramie Project, the play currently in pre-production by the Theatre Department, was one of the few awarded with the 2015 National Medal of Arts, for his contributions to American Theatre at the White House on September 22.

President Obama presented awards to over a dozen contributors of Arts and Humanities at the ceremony, including Morgan Freeman, Sandra Cisneros, and Kaufman.

“Today’s honorees…each possess a gift for this kind of creative empathy, a gift that allows us to exchange a sense of what’s most important and most profound in us,” praised President Barack Obama during the ceremony, prior to the presentation of awards.

Kaufman is a director, playwright, founder of the Tectonic Theatre Project, and completed his most famous work, The Laramie Project, along with his colleagues in Tectonic Theatre.

The Laramie Project is documentary play about the town of Laramie’s reaction to the 1998 murder of gay University of Wyoming student, Matthew Shepard, whose death was identified as a hate crime.

Shepard’s murder brought attention to lack of hate crime laws protecting the LGBT community in various states, and the reform that followed after. The play is known for teaching about prejudice and tolerance, and was a major contributor to combating homophobia.

The director of the Theater Department’s production of The Laramie Project, Professor Kirk Vichengrad, praises Kaufman’s work for normalizing and familiarizing homosexuality, as well as other groups of disenfranchised people.

“I think this play helps teach, especially young folks who are sort of still forming their way… what [the word] acceptance means, what tolerance means,” say Vichengrad.

During a 2013 interview with BAM.org, Kaufman discussed the message of his play, and the importance of it in American colleges today. In particular, he explains how despite the progress and tolerance felt in schools, there’s still work to be done.

“Communities often say, ‘well, my community is not much like Laramie’,” says Kaufman. After a survey of over 600 students, only 12 in attendance admitted to identifying as gay. “If the statistics  are remotely correct, that means there’s 50 people in this room right now, that are hiding from you… that don’t feel comfortable telling you that they’re gay.”

This idea of underlying intolerance in otherwise progressive communities is a pivotal topic in the play. Vichengrad explains: “One of the many journeys of the play, is the fact that [the audience] realizes, no, [the citizens of Laramie] are just like us…there are some people who are full of hate and bigotry,” individuals even in our own community.

“The whole notion of [Kaufman] using the theater as something to educate and illuminate folks, while also still entertaining…that’s the joy of theater,” says Vichengrad, complementing Kaufman work.

The Theater Department’s production of the The Laramie Project will be presented in the Wray Theater, beginning November 3 through the 5 at 8 PM, in addition to a matinee show on November 6 at 2 PM. Admission to the play is free.