Now the playwright behind "The Laramie Project" is writing a new epilogue to the play and plans first readings of the 80-minute piece at a theatre in Seattle.

"I didn't even blink, I said 'yes, of course we'll do it,' " said Seattle Repertory Theatre's Producing Artistic Director Jerry Manning.

Manning says playwright Moisés Kaufman asked him personally to hold the first reading, at the same time dozens of theatres across the country are holding first readings, on the 11th anniversary of the gay college student's killing.

"What have we learned in 10, 11 years," said Manning when asked why he was so quick to say yes to the project.

In writing "The Laramie Project," Kaufman and crew interviewed countless people in Laramie and connected to the crime. The words of dialogue in the play are direct quotes take from those interviews.

The play proved so popular, HBO produced a screenplay version and it continues to be performed regularly at college, community and professional theatres across the country.

Productions of "The Laramie Project" are not without controversy. Often protestors from a virulently anti-gay church based in Kansas travel to picket productions and schools.

For "The Laramie Project - 10 Years Later" Kaufman told Manning the goal was to see if attitudes have changed.

Recounting Kaufman's explanation, Manning said, "(They've) gone back to Laramie and are interviewing some of the people we saw and we want to respond to Matthew Shepard's murder 10 plus years later."

The epilogue also features a new interview with one of the killers, Aaron McKinney, from his prison cell. Kaufman so far hasn't revealed what McKinney said and Manning said he hasn't even seen the script.