WEB ARTICLE 2025:
June 28, 2025
The Murder that Altered America
An Echoing Spring: A Story of Matthew Shepard is a haunting, powerful, and pointedly timely testament to love, loss, and the enduring fight for justice – a searing reminder that hate may fracture a life, but courage and compassion can forge an unbreakable legacy.
By Tayler Smith
USE ARROWS TO MOVE THROUGH IMAGES
When Greg West, director of fine arts, had a vision in mind, he reached out to playwright Mike Broemmel to bring his vision to life on stage. As West’s vision became clearer, the story he beautifully captured on stage will forever echo in the silence of the theatre, the news reports, the rumors, the untold stories, and the void people felt the day Matthew Shepard’s life got brutely taken. The production An Echoing Spring: A Story of Matthew Shepard, by Mike Broemmel, encapsulated everything that Matt is, was, and will be remembered by.
The cast was carefully chosen. Director West voiced, “I needed Matt to have innocent qualities where you feel like pinching his cheeks. Whereas, I needed Judy, Matt’s mother, to exhibit inner-strength.” Aiden Evans played the role of Matthew Shepard and Suzanne Nepi played the role of Judy Shepard. When Suzanne Nepi first read the script, she mentioned how “unusual this piece is because it breaks the fourth wall with the audience, but it’s like being baptized by fire. [The storyline] grabbed me and wrapped me so painfully.” Both Nepi and West emphasized how this production has been extremely heartbreaking, but the story is not only about the brutality nor only about the murder of Matt; it’s about how humans treat humans. It’s about how “hate is awful. It’s about asking, ‘why do people do this to other people?’” Greg West became very passionate when asked what this play means to him and why he decided to take part in directing such a heavy and monumental event in the LGBTQIA+ community. West wanted to help capture how this is an opportunity to learn about the person and not about the death. Suzanne Nepi emotionally piggybacked off of that, “as a mother myself, I was instantly put into Judy’s perspective. I admire her strength. Judy is a badass, and it has been an honor to have this role.” The character development was thoughtful and deliberate. The themes were sensitive and purposeful.
Image provided by Mike Broemmel
An Echoing Spring: A Story of Matthew Shepard is a haunting, powerful, and pointedly timely testament to love, loss, and the enduring fight for justice – a searing reminder that hate may fracture a life, but courage and compassion can forge an unbreakable legacy. This description of the production captured the essence of what the audience felt. Suzanne Nepi encouraged friends and family to see this live performance, but the pushback was about how “people didn’t want to go see it because of its rawness.” However, that’s the point. The rawness peels the layers away to honor Matthew Shepard’s remarkable life while simultaneously confronting the ongoing issues of hate crimes that are still happening in the country as a whole. We cannot pretend that this tragedy never happened. There’s no better time to shine light from 1998 in today’s 2025 climate.
As we enter Pride of 2025, we all need a strong reminder that Pride started as a protest against the criminalization of people’s identities. Greg West emphasized that as people leave this production, “it will help serve as a part of history for the community, especially the younger generation. Many younger queer kids do not know about the people and the events that gave them the rights they have today. This performance has been a stance, and we need to fight!” West opened up about how this production was doubtlessly mournful, but it is “poetic, thought-provoking, and about forgiveness.” Suzanne also described the script as “hopeful, inspirational, and poignant.” All of these powerful descriptors are exactly what needs to be felt in today’s time.
Image provided by Mike Broemmel
The production was presented at two different locations: The Salida Steamplant on May 24th and 25th, as well as at The Three Leaches Theatre in Lakewood/Denver on June 6th and 7th. There is rumor that the production may try and appear in Wyoming, but that is currently uncertain. If the production appears in Wyoming, it will appear later in the year. As an audience member who was able to attend the production, this will never be forgotten. The storyline developed throughout intentional sounds, lights, and props. The play goes through the seasons, much like life. Though the performance certainly impacted the audiences in Colorado, this is a production that should appear everywhere. Similarly to The Laramie Project, by Moisés Kaufman, An Echoing Spring: A Story of Matthew Shepard is used as a method to teach everyone about prejudice and combating homophobia by looking through the lens of Matthew’s life of who he really was as a person.
“Like spring, [Matt’s] story continues to emerge anew, fostering growth and transformation in its wake,” Mike Broemmel accentuated. As An Echoing Spring: A Story of Matthew Shepard connected the past to the present. The story, that became such a pivotal moment in history, will never relinquish. The approach to understanding and healing stems with the knowledge of the human heart, the kindness, the lessons, and the unfathomable forgiveness we (as humans) must sacrifice to attempt to understand why tragic events happen to the people we love. The sudden, unexpected loss of a loved one will forever speak an echoing dialect only the broken-hearted understand.
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About the author
Tayler Smith is a dental professional by day and a writer by night. Along with being a part-time barista, Tayler knows when to put the work aside and indulge in the arts. Growing up in Colorado, Tayler masters the craft of connecting with others, especially amongst the Denver community; she thrives on getting to know people through art shows, open mics, bookstores, concerts, and tasty cuisine. Talery has published a book of poetry and is a skilled writer.
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