When a news story has had its time in the limelight and its most blatantly dramatic moments have concluded, we, and the new media, tend to move on quickly to the next big story.

But there are always people, of course, who are more directly involved with these events; and for many of them, the psychological and emotional fallout from the original news story shapes their lives, for good or for bad, for years to come.

Such is the premise of Moises Kaufman’s “The Laramie Project,” an innovative play constructed from over 200 interviews collected (by members of the Tectonic Theatre Project) over the course of 2 years. The play’s being produced May 6-9 by Ann Arbor Civic Theatre.

Who were the interviewees? The residents of Laramie, Wyoming, and others who were personally changed or affected by the case of Matthew Shepard — an openly gay college student who was beaten, tied to a fence on a freezing cold night, and left for dead.

“At times, the show has felt overwhelming because we … take the responsibility of representing the voices of the people of Laramie very seriously,” said director Kat Walsh. “We also want to find the humor in this play, as it's easy to lose that when weighed down by the issues. But as we read the text, it becomes more and more evident that there is a simple way to do justice to this piece: just tell the story. The words of these people speak for themselves.”

The play is truly an ensemble piece, with 14 actors collectively taking on more than 60 roles. Consequently, there’s no 1 performer who carries the show.

“The production team knew that the cast required actors who were open to the process, ferocious in their approach to theatre, and able to ask, ‘What does this play want from us?’” said Walsh. “To accomplish this, we had to cast a group representing a cross-section of society. Therefore, we targeted different age groups who brought different gifts to the process — from humor, to fearlessness, to heart.”

Through the years, productions of “Laramie” have been picketed by Fred Phelps (who appears as a character in the play) and members of his Topeka-based Westboro Baptist Church, who claim that Shepard’s murder, as well as natural disasters and terrorist attacks that befall the United States, are God’s punishment to a society that tolerates homosexuality.

And indeed, on April 5, Walsh found her e-mail box flooded with news of the WBC adding the Saturday night performance of A2CT’s “Laramie” production to its protest schedule, as well as plans for local counter-protests.

“Although funding for the arts is being slashed across the country, these protests affirm the transformative power of theatre and demonstrate how art can shape public policy in our communities,” Walsh said.

But what originally inspired Walsh to take on “Laramie”?

“According to American theater director Anne Bogart, ‘Inside every good play lives a question. A great play asks big questions that endure through time,’” said Walsh. “This play fits Bogart’s mold.” Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.