Theatre or Theater

On Monday everything fell into place to allow me to go to the Dallas Theater Center's reading of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later. I had really wanted to see this but failed to make a reservation or ask for the evening off from work. However, since school was out that day, I only had students until 5 and I found out that the production hadn't sold out.

I wanted to see the reading because it was being done in over 150 theaters across the world including one in Oxford Ohio where my son was taking part. I couldn't see him, but I could still see the same play at the same time. I didn't get to see Kevin, but the Dallas production had Tony award winning actress, Betty Buckley in it -- and that was a cool thing.

The Laramie Project was done 10 years ago about how Laramie Wyoming had reacted to the death of Matthew Shepherd who was killed because he was gay. This production 10 years later, the same people went back to Laramie to see how Laramie had changed in 10 years.

It was very well done. This time they were even able to interview the two perpetrators -- one is remorseful, one not so much.

After the play, the audience took part in a discussion as to how Dallas and the US have changed. It was interesting.

But, the reason I'm writing this isn't just about how moving the play is -- it's how I feel when I go to the theatre in Dallas. For some reason I feel like everyone else is a cool Dallas urbanite and I'm the country suburbanite. I feel like wearing a t-shirt that says "I'm not really a theatre person, but I raised one -- and he's cool!" It's like I want to say "I know I'm not cool, but my son's cool - so I'm ok". It's hard to explain.

Another thing, this was the last performance of the DTC in this theatre because they just opened their new one in the Dallas Arts District and I may not be cool -- but I definitely want to go see that building.

Oh, about 60% of the audience was gay and of course the discussion was about acceptance of gays. I really wished that the pastor of my church could have been there. I don't think he could actually sit in a room where there were that many gay people -- but he needs to hear that hate is not the answer!

I was impressed that the performance was complementary of the DTC, and donations were accepted for the Matthew Shepherd Foundation.

Before the play, there was a live webcast from New York which had the the main guy from the Tectonic group who wrote the play introduced people involved in it -- and he introduced one and said that he was the dramaturg -- and I knew what that was! Maybe I'm more cool than I think.

So why is theater spelled two ways? Is it theatre or theater?