When it comes to making theater, it’s a good sign if you can get people to cry.

Paul Lucas was in the process of conducting dozens of interviews with transgender people with the plan of weaving their stories into a documentary theater piece. He had just heard another anecdote about the fierce bigotry faced by many in the trans community. But Lucas didn’t realize how deeply the story had touched him until his partner picked him up after the interview and asked, “How did it go?”

Lucas remembers his response. “I just started bawling,” he said.

Lucas said he hopes he captured some of that emotional punch in his resulting play, “Trans Scripts, Part 1: The Women,” running Jan. 19 to Feb. 5 at the American Repertory Theater’s Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge. It marks the U.S. premiere of the play, which won a Fringe First Award at the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

In the play, seven transgender females tell their stories, gleaned from interviews that, in some cases, lasted as long as six hours. Their willingness to share the private and sometimes painful details of their lives suggests that Lucas is a good listener.

“I like to think there’s something about my demeanor that encourages people, even strangers, to open up to me,” says Lucas, a 55-year-old resident of New York City. “I think they feel safe with me. And now I want to honor them on stage. I feel very protective of these seven characters. They trusted me, and now it’s up to me to celebrate their individuality.”

That instinct to safeguard is a long way from the chilly moment that spawned the play. Chatting with a gay acquaintance about five years ago, Lucas mentioned a transgender gospel singer, and the man responded, “You know, I don’t really believe in transgender people.”

Lucas said it was a surprising comment from a left-leaning man who knew all about being marginalized by society.

“You’d hope that he was able to get outside of himself and realize that just because this [trans person’s] experience wasn’t the same as his, that didn’t mean it was invalid,” said Lucas. “I had been looking for an idea to develop [into a play]. And then that happened, and I said, ‘That’s it!’ It found me.”

As Lucas began interviewing people, he wasn’t sure of the direction of his piece, but he knew what he wanted to avoid.

“When a disenfranchised group emerges, the first versions of their stories that we get are often the tragic versions,” he said. “I wanted to steer away from that.”

Instead, “Trans Scripts” reflects a wide range of experiences, from difficult stories of people locked in ongoing personal struggles to uplifting testimonials that are touching and funny.

It’s easy for outsiders to assume that the transgender movement is gliding along smoothly, but Lucas offers a sobering reminder.

“The amount of violence against trans people continues to rise,” he said. “And trans women of color are murdered at a disproportional rate.”

It’s a complicated topic, and the diversity of ardent views can sometimes make it difficult to have the conversation, both in person and on stage. For example, some people in the transgender community even dislike the term “transitioning.” They feel it’s inaccurate: A person with a man’s anatomy who chooses to have reassignment surgery isn’t “transitioning” into a female; she was always a female.

All of this complicates casting as well. It’s no longer appropriate for a white man to play Othello. Is it OK to cast “Trans Scripts” with people who aren’t trans?

“We were very committed to finding as many trans performers as we could,” said Lucas. “But I also wanted to honor the people I interviewed. And it wasn’t always possible to find a match. God willing, we’ll be able to cast all seven roles with trans women in the future. That would be fantastic.”

The play arrives at an interesting time. The transgender movement has woven its way into pop culture. Ground Zero may have been the moment when Bruce Jenner, the former Greatest Athlete in the World, turned into Caitlyn Jenner in prime time.

She may be the highest-profile member of the trans community, but she’s far from the only one who’s represented in pop culture. The 2015 film “The Danish Girl” was based on one of the first gender reassignment recipients, the reality series “I Am Jazz” follows a teen in the process of transitioning, and in 2015 trans actress Laverne Cox landed on the cover of Time magazine, dubbed one of the 100 most influential people.

But, more importantly, this topic is in the news. Transgender people have successfully fought for the right to serve in the military, while the political brain trust in North Carolina continues to try to figure out where a transgender person is allowed to pee.

And, be clear, said Lucas: This topic that has appeared in the news and in pop culture is now headed to your living room, if it isn’t already there.

“This issue will be coming home to everyone,” said the playwright. “Your children will be in school with trans kids, or you’ll be side-by-side with a transgender person at your workplace.”

And he said he thinks that’s one more good reason to see his show.

“In a 90-minute play, you’re getting a primer on this issue that’s also an enjoyable evening of theater,” said Lucas. “I used to think trans people were ‘other’ than me. But I don’t feel that way anymore. I see myself reflected in their experiences. I think everyone, regardless of their gender, will be able to relate to their stories.”