Entertaining, well-timed visual effects and solid acting were key factors in the success of “The Laramie Project,” performed by ISU Theatre.

This unconventional play, written like a documentary, focuses on the city of Laramie, Wyo., and the events during and following Matthew Shepard’s death.

Shepard was a homosexual college student who was kidnapped by two Laramie residents, savagely beaten, tortured and tied to a fence out in the middle of nowhere, and left to die.

His death and the trial of his murderers became a media feeding frenzy and spurred national controversy with gay rights and hate crime activists. This incident and exposure left a tarnish on Laramie, labeling it as a place of hatred and intolerance.

The writers of this play, Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project, traveled to Laramie six times, gathering information and interviews to develop a storyline to capture Laramie’s perspective on and feelings towards Shepard’s death.

Their completed project, performed by ISU Theatre, is a collection of monologues and small group scenes simulating interviews from the many different types of Laramie residents.

Each actor had a responsibility to represent from six to 14 characters, and to make each of them memorable and distinguishable. All actors succeeded in their job, and almost every character was vibrant and unique, despite the same faces playing them.

The play gave a view of the residents of Laramie that one could not determine through a news program or documentary, says ISU alumna Rose Brannon.

“The play does an excellent job showing off people in the town, giving a wider perspective,” she says. “It captured the town better than any other media could.”

The well-designed stage served as an adequate backdrop, with the wooden fence lying in the background. To increase visual appeal, ISU Theatre tried some interesting techniques.

During the second act, television sets were suspended from the ceiling and the actors all became news anchors, dispersed throughout the stage. A camera was focused on each of the actors, placing their image on a television screen and portraying a variety of different voices of media.

Perhaps the most well-played scene was Shepard’s funeral. The Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church, played by Jason Hurst, senior in music, attended the funeral proclaiming his “God Hates Fags” and “No Fags in Heaven” philosophy. As Phelps, red-faced, screaming and swinging his picket sign like a sword, spread his messages of hate and intolerance, the other cast members began to sing “Amazing Grace” and soon overpowered Phelps so only their song was heard.

A demonstrator for peace, dressed as a white-clad angel, stood in front of Phelps and spread her wings, smiled and blocked the view of the furious preacher. This theme of love conquering hate reappeared several times throughout the play.

The performance hit a wide variety of perspectives throughout the incident and brought the issue of hate into a more real light, says Lin Oishi, who attended Saturday’s production.

“[The play] tried to incorporate all aspects of this issue, including negativity,” Oishi says. “It would be disproportionate to say hate, such as this, did not go on every day in every city.”

The play proved to be an informative and artistic production that intrigued thought and spurred conversation in the audience about intolerance and hate.