To mark 20 years since Matthew Shepard's death, a Twin Cities theater opens two plays

Gay college student Matthew Shepard was beaten, tortured and tied to a fence on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming on Oct. 6, 1998. He died six days later, becoming a martyr in the nation's long march toward justice and inclusivity.

Shepard's remains will finally be laid to rest Friday at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

On the same day, a small Twin Cities theater company is opening its production of two dramas inspired by, and testifying to, Shepard's humanity.

Uprising Theatre is producing Moisés Kaufman's 2000 docudrama, "The Laramie Project," and the follow-up, "The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later."

It's the first time that both works will be produced simultaneously in the Twin Cities. A cast of seven actors will portray more than 150 characters from both works, under the helm of directors Sarah Catcher and Ashley Hovell.

Both "Laramie Projects" will have alternate performances at the Howard Conn Theatre at Plymouth Congregational Church, 1900 Nicollet Av. S., Minneapolis.