The 'Laramie' circle; Matthew Shepard's story goes from stage to screen at Sundance

SALT LAKE CITY - Two years ago "The Laramie Project," Moises Kaufman's documentary-style play about the brutal murder of a 21-year-old gay man, made its world premiere before 250 theatergoers in Denver, a site chosen in part for its proximity to the town where Matthew Shepard lived and died. On Thursday night the film based on that play debuted on a much larger and showier stage: opening night at the Sundance Film Festival, Robert Redford's signature showcase for independent film. In recent years Sundance has come to be defined - some would say overrun - by the huge media crush and caravan of movie stars and studio executives that descend upon it each January. Kaufman, a native Venezuelan, has been acclaimed for his work in New York theater the last decade, but this is his first try at directing a movie. Outside the 2,800-seat Abravanel Hall, a dramatic wedge of brick and glass that serves as home to the Utah Symphony, he worked the press line, answering questions in Spanish and English, looking unruffled and totally at ease. Kaufman may be better prepared than most for this part of the director's life. In developing "The Laramie Project," he and the members of his Tectonic Theater Project spent a year on the Shepard case, extracting moments of quiet authenticity from the blinding glare of TV cameras and the din of facile interpretation. "The play is now touring the country and it has a life of its own," said Kaufman, whose play was produced last summer at the Unicorn Theatre. "This feels like the beginning of something new." In more ways than one "The Laramie Project" was an ideal choice for opening night at Sundance. It was Sundance that supplied extra money and resources to Kaufman and Tectonic to complete their stageplay. The company made several trips to Wyoming to interview residents about Shepard, who was savagely beaten and left to die on a fencepost outside Laramie in the fall of 1998. More than 200 interviews were distilled into the three-act play, featuring more than 60 speaking parts, each with its own perspective on Shepard, his killers and the fateful events that bound them together. Kaufman included parts for the Tectonic members, several of whom are gay, so the audience would be able to scrutinize the group's own viewpoints as well as that of their subjects. Using an innovative stageplay that unfolds more like a documentary, "Laramie" is an experiment that succeeds in casting new light on the complex kinship between hate and forgiveness. It's also fitting that "The Laramie Project" was produced by HBO, the cable network that has assumed a leading role in small-film production. As independent producers and directors find it harder to secure funding and distribution through conventional channels, television - particularly cable TV, with its seemingly insatiable demand for movies - is coming to the rescue. HBO, Showtime, PBS, the Independent Film Channel and, of course, Sundance Channel are backing more than two dozen premieres at this year's festival. Sundance Institute also supplied major support for the HBO adaptation. To Kaufman, bringing the finished product to opening night "was the perfect end, like closing the circle." This marks the 15th year of the festival and the 20th anniversary of Sundance Institute, and Redford used his opening remarks Thursday night to remind his audience of the urgent need for alternative voices in the creative mainstream. In the confusion and self-searching that followed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Redford said, "here comes independent film, which provides a nice vehicle for that search." Redford is a man who needs no introduction and he certainly didn't wait for one before stepping out on stage to open this year's festival. As he began speaking, the press herd, which had been let in through a side door, crowded beneath the podium and added to Redford's aura with television lights and flashbulbs. With a chuckle, he told the audience, "This is also part of the Sundance process." When one of the herd's cell phones went off, Redford snapped, "If it's for me, tell them I'm speaking!" The audience cheered. After a few words from the festival's co-directors and Kaufman - on stage, he appeared nervous for the first time all night - the movie began. The logos and names of corporate sponsors filled five screens of mostly small type. This, too, is part of the Sundance process. With a running time of 97 minutes, "The Laramie Project" is an hour shorter than its stage version. Yet other than the obvious use of video editing to tighten some scenes and a thorough rewrite of the stageplay, the film and the play share a common vision that each carries out with integrity. As Kaufman suggested, the film has taken on a life of its own. It premieres in March on HBO, scheduled between action movies, boxing matches and people having sex in the back of taxicabs. Wherever "The Laramie Project" is performed in theaters, audiences typically respond by rising out of their seats and cheering, sending waves of gratitude over the actors assembled on stage. The world premiere of the "Laramie" movie was also well-received, but after applauding for a minute or so, the audience, still in their seats, silently watched the rest of the credits. Every now and then a name would come on screen - a member of the crew or an HBO executive - and, somewhere in the hall, a small group of the person's friends would cheer. The film festival continues through Jan. 20 with most screenings in the nearby ski village of Park City. You can reach Aaron Barnhart through the TV Barn Web site at www.tvbarn.com. @ART CAPTION:HBO's "The Laramie Project," about the beating death of a gay college student in Wyoming in 1998, opened the Sundance Film Festival Thursday night. Pictured (from left) are actors Andy Paris, Nestor Carbonell, Grant James Varjas, Clea Duvall and Kelli Simpkins. "The Laramie Project" will air in March. @ART CREDIT:HBO @ART CAPTION:"Laramie Project" director Moises Kaufman, left above, and actor Ben Foster were at Thursday's premiere in Salt Lake City, Utah. Joshua Jackson, above right, plays the bartender. @ART CAPTION:Robert Redford, right, addressed the festival audience at the premiere of "The Laramie Project." This is the festival's 20th year. @ART CREDIT:The Associated Press @ART:Photos (4, color)