Artistic creations can be a means of exploring human attitudes, feelings and behaviors. Performing arts is an example of an artistic medium that can be used in this way. For example, the use of theater and cinema can be used to explore certain human attitudes, feelings and behaviors related to topics such as tolerance, acceptance, anger, hatred and also forgiveness. Two examples of performing arts are The Laramie Project and Shakespeare, performed in the Secure Housing Unit (SHU) at Wabash Valley Correctional Center (WVCF), a maximum security prison located in the state of Indiana. These productions offer their creators and viewers the opportunity to learn a lot about attitudes and actions regarding how people interact with each other. They also offer people the opportunity to understand each other better. The Laramie Project, developed by Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Company, includes both a stage performance and an HBO film based on the real-life 1998 murder of 21-year-old University of Wyoming alumnus Matthew Shepard. On October 6, 1998, Mr. Shepard was tied to a fence, beaten and left to die in the suburbs of the small town of Laramie, Wyoming. He died from his injuries six days later. This was a hate crime since Matthew was targeted because he was gay. The Laramie Project began when members of the Tectonic Theater Company traveled to Laramie to interview residents about the circumstances surrounding the murder of Matthew Shepard, as well as their reactions to the incident, in order to put on a production relating to these events. .Shakespeare, as presented...... middle of document ......films have the ability to impact our perceptions of others, and they also have the ability to impact the perception we have of ourselves. The performing arts can be used to create a space in which we can examine areas of our lives and the lives of others that we may not otherwise wish to look at. When we take the time to examine our attitudes, feelings and behaviors, including the consequences they may have on others, we can discover within ourselves a greater degree of compassion and a greater willingness to help. accept human imperfection. In doing so, we become more responsible to ourselves and to society as a whole. References: Scott-Douglass, A. (2007). Shakespeare Inside: The Bard Behind Bars. Bloomsbury Publishing. The Laramie Project. (nd). [Audiovisual material]. (Original work published in 2002) Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1qiTmF0p4