Matt Galloway was the bartender at the Fireside Bar on the night that Matthew Shepard was murdered. Matt Galloway admired Matthew, calling him the perfect bar customer. He testifies in Matthew’s court case as a key eyewitness. Matt regrets that he did not realize Matthew was in danger as he left with Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson that night, wishing he could have foreseen what was happening and stopped it. Because of his proximity to Matthew on the night of his attack, Matt Galloway feels drawn into activism after the murder, and he participates in many pro-LGBT demonstrations.
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Matt Galloway Character Timeline in The Laramie Project
The timeline below shows where the character Matt Galloway appears in The Laramie Project. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1: The Fireside
...came into the bar for a beer. Matt Mickelson suggests that the interviewers talk to Matt Galloway , the bartender. Matt Galloway tells them that Matthew showed up alone around ten-thirty and...
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Matt Galloway says that on that night at around eleven forty-five, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, Matthew’s...
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Matt Galloway says he saw Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson talking to Matthew Shepard after they came...
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...often felt lonely, and he thinks that being alone must have made Matthew more vulnerable. Matt Galloway resumes his account of the events of the night, noting that he is an eyewitness...
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Act 2: A Laramie Man
Next, Matt Galloway and Matt Mickelson, bartenders at the Fireside bar where Matthew Shepard was last seen at...
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Act 2: Seeing Matthew
...describes her new feelings of fear walking down the street with her son. Meanwhile, bartender Matt Galloway processes his guilt, wishing he had noticed something was wrong the night of Matthew’s murder...
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Act 2: Homecoming
Matt Galloway , the bartender at Fireside the night of Matthew Shepard’s attack, participated in the parade....
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Act 3: Snow
Act Three opens with different characters talking about their experiences at Matthew’s funeral. Matt Galloway speaks first, saying that the day of the funeral was snowy, and the funeral took...
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Act 3: A Death Penalty Case
...Aaron to be put to death, but he hopes Aaron is locked up for life. Matt Galloway agrees.
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Act 3: Aftermath
...finally understood that God wanted him to find Matthew Shepard so he didn’t die alone. Matt Galloway says he is happy the case is over and that he found testifying very difficult.
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Act 3: Departure
...Belber talks about how Doc O’Connor asked them to write a book about Laramie, and Matt Galloway offered them a place to stay and asked if the play would have open auditions.
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