The Monash University Choral Society (MonUCS) and Forest Collective present Considering Matthew Shepard, a fusion oratorio inspired by the 1998 murder of a young gay man in Wyoming. Composed by Craig Hella Johnson, this intensely powerful and intimate work will be brought to life for the first time in Victoria by MonUCS, a university student-led group, for the 25th anniversary of Matt's murder.

The three-part fusion oratorio speaks with a fresh and bold voice, incorporating a variety of musical styles seamlessly woven into a unified whole. Johnson sets a wide range of poetic and soulful texts by poets including Hildegard of Bingen, Lesléa Newman, Michael Dennis Browne, and Rumi. Passages from Matt’s personal journal, interviews and writings from his parents Judy and Dennis Shepard, newspaper reports, and additional texts by Johnson and Browne are poignantly appointed throughout the work.

Jason Marsden, former Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation called Considering Matthew Shepard “by far the most intricate, beautiful and unyielding artistic response to this notorious anti-gay hate crime.”

Ticket Pricing

Standard:$40

Concession*:$35

Group 8+:$35

Monash Staff:$30

Monash Student:$25

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Performance Information

Duration: Approximately 2 hours. No interval.

Age suitability: Recommended for ages 15+

Event warnings: includes themes of assault, murder, homophobia, hate crime, some derogatory language, anti-gay protests, religious discrimination and grief.

Alexander Theatre:

The Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts,

48 Exhibition Walk, Clayton 3800