Catie-Reagan is new to Goochland Community Theatre. She brings immense talent to our tiny little stage, and we can’t wait for you to see it.

Catie-Reagan King is thrilled to perform in her first production at Goochland Community Theatre! Her latest credits include Kate in Never Too Late (Henrico Theatre Company) and Lisa in Collected Stories (River City Community Players) along with various OTARP productions. She is deeply grateful to her friends and family for their support and encouragement.

What’s challenging about bringing this script to life?

What’s most challenging, and also rewarding, is finding the humanity in every character—whether they’re speaking from a place of empathy, anger, fear, or confusion. This isn’t just a play about a hate crime—it’s about how a community processes trauma, how people deal with conflict, and how they reconcile with their own beliefs. It’s a delicate balance, because as actors, we must portray these individuals with respect and without judgment.

Why did you want to be involved in this production?

When I saw The Laramie Project for the first time, it really shook me. I was fresh out of high school, still adjusting to college life, and I think it was the first time I saw something that made me confront how real and complex hate and intolerance can be. The themes in this play are timeless, and they speak to so much more than just one person or one event. They speak to the way we treat each other, the way we listen, and the way we react when things make us uncomfortable.

Who should not come see this show?

This show isn’t for everyone. It deals with heavy, real-world issues like hate and violence. The events surrounding Matthew Shepard’s murder are not just hard to hear about—they’re gut-wrenching, and the way the play portrays the aftermath can be really emotionally intense. If someone isn’t ready to confront those kinds of difficult conversations or isn’t open to engaging with the complexities of human behavior—particularly the darker parts of our society—this might not be the right show for them.

As you play many characters, can you tell us which one is most like you and which one is least like you?  And why?

I’d say the one most like me is Amanda Gronich. She’s a journalist who is deeply affected by what happens in Laramie, and I really resonate with her empathy and desire to understand the situation on a human level. Amanda is someone who listens intently and is trying to make sense of the tragedy, connect the dots, and figure out how this could happen. That’s something I can relate to—being someone who often looks for meaning in complex situations, trying to understand all sides and not just accept things at face value. Her curiosity, her emotional investment, and her desire to create dialogue are qualities I see in myself, especially when it comes to tackling difficult or sensitive topics.

On the other hand, the character who is the least like me is Sherry, a local woman in Laramie who is more resistant to the idea that the town could be complicit in the events surrounding Matthew Shepard’s murder. She comes across as defensive and in denial about the bigotry and hate in the community, and I struggle to connect with her mindset. Her refusal to confront the ugliness of what happened in Laramie feels distant from my own approach, where I tend to be more open and willing to examine uncomfortable truths, even when they challenge my beliefs. Sherry’s reluctance to engage with these difficult conversations is something I find hard to understand, and that’s why she feels the most different from me.

But that contrast is one of the things I love about the play—it shows the diversity of human perspectives and forces me, as an actor, to step into viewpoints that are outside my own. Every character, even those I don’t relate to as much, helps me grow and understand the complexity of the world around us.

If you could play any other character in this show, who would it be?

I think I’d choose Reggie Fluty, the police officer who is one of the first responders to the scene when Matthew Shepard is found. Reggie’s character really stands out to me because she’s dealing with a lot of emotional weight, not just in the moment of finding Matthew, but also in the aftermath. She’s one of the few people in the play who is directly exposed to the brutality of the crime, and her humanity is on full display as she grapples with the horror of what she’s witnessed. Reggie represents the idea that sometimes doing the right thing, or witnessing something tragic, doesn’t have a clear resolution. It’s complicated, and it doesn’t always end with justice or understanding.

What makes Reggie especially intriguing to me is how she processes what happened. She’s trying to do the right thing, but she also has to contend with the shock and trauma of what she experienced, as well as the public backlash and the way the case plays out in the media. There’s a lot of tension in her character—she’s someone who is both trying to remain professional, but also deeply affected by what she’s seen, and that conflict between duty and personal emotion is something I find really interesting to explore.

What will the audience be thinking about in the car as they drive home after this show?

Audiences may leave asking themselves, “What would I have said? How would I have acted?” The play doesn’t let us off the hook; it challenges us to think about our own role in the world, in how we treat people, and in how we respond to injustice.

How is this production bringing something, if anything, new to this story?

In this production, we’re bringing new layers of immediacy, relevance, and inclusivity to a timeless story, allowing it to feel both rooted in history and urgent in the present. It’s about making the play not just a reflection on the past but a call to action for the future.

Why should audiences be excited for this show?

What makes this show so compelling is how it forces us to confront uncomfortable truths, but in a way that feels accessible and honest. Every character in the play is complex, and the actors portray these real people with such care and nuance that it’s hard not to be moved by their stories.