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Written by WiG
Jan 17, 2012
Dustin Lance Black
The American Foundation for Equal Rights and Broadway Impact on Jan. 17 announced a set of at least 40 nationwide productions of “8,” a play chronicling the historic trial in the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8. Academy Award-winning screenwriter and AFER Founding board member Dustin Lance Black wrote “8.”
The play is an account of the U.S. District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown), AFER’s case to overturn Proposition 8, which barred same-sex marriage in California.
Black, who wrote “Milk” and “J. Edgar,” based “8” on the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.
Throughout 2012, AFER and Broadway Impact are licensing “8” for free to colleges and community theaters. Most productions will be followed by a talkback where cast and audience members can discuss the issues presented in the trial.
“This play will continue to show Americans—one by one—that prejudice and fear cannot stand up to truth and justice,” said AFER president Chad Griffin. “Try as they might, the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8 cannot hide their discriminatory arguments from the American people. Until every citizen can equally enjoy the freedom to marry, AFER will continue to fight in the courts of law and the court of public opinion – and we will win.”
The story for “8” is framed by the trial’s closing arguments in June 2010.
“People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter,” said Black. “I’ve built my career around exposing and uncovering ‘the real story.’ The goal of ‘8’ is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right and that those who would deny this basic freedom from loving, committed couples have only vitriol and baseless hyperbole to fall back on. The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light. We are doing all we can to help speed that process along.”
“8” is set to have its West Coast premiere at Los Angeles’ Wilshire Ebell Theatre on March 3. George Clooney will star and Rob Reiner will direct.
