AA-S Best Bet: The basis for the dirigo group's newest production, Carlos Murillo's "A Human Interest Story, Or The Gory Details and All," is intriguing.

At its core, the play is an examination the constant barrage of violence on television. It hinges on a "fictional version of something that actually happened," said director Lowell Bartholomee. "A politician who committed suicide on camera during a press conference is the centerpiece of the story." And breaking out of that is a series of stories, including a mother who tells the story of a child involved in Columbine-type tragedy; a group of friends visiting in Massachusetts; and a woman with a cat that paints.

The production is "written for six voices," with six actors -- Wayne Alan Brenner, Heather Hanna, Ellie McBride, Leigh Anderson Fisher, Michael T. Mergen, and Dan Dietz -- playing multiple characters.

Bartholomee worked closely with Murillo on the production, which also has been staged in Los Angeles and Chicago. "I've been in almost constant contact with Carlos. . . He's been really great and really, really gracious." -- Ginger Cowles