Will Texas Theater Cancel ?

A community theater in Tyler, Texas, may cancel its plan for a June production of The Laramie Project because a few citizens have expressed concern about the subject matter.

According to KLTV, the Tyler Civic Theatre board voted unanimously last month to present The Laramie Project. The play by Moises Kaufman examines how the murder of Matthew Shepard, the 21-year-old college student killed in 1998 because he was gay, affected his Wyoming town.

However, the theater is reconsidering the commitment because it has received objections from some people in Tyler.

"We are told the Tyler Civic Theatre received at least three letters from citizens expressing concern about the subject matter of the play," reports KLTV. "Just days ago, the information on the upcoming play was pulled from the civic theater's website. We contacted board president Ray Deal who declined to comment."

Board members are expected to discuss the issue at their meeting Tuesday night.

The Laramie Project could hold special resonance for Tyler residents in East Texas, where a 23-year-old gay man, Nicholas West, was kidnapped, robbed, and shot to death in 1994 because he was gay.