8 (play)

8 is an American play that portrays the closing arguments of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, a federal trial that led to the overturn of Proposition 8, an amendment banning same-sex marriages in California. It was created by Dustin Lance Black in light of the court's denial of a motion to release a video recording of the trial and to give the public a true account of what transpired in the courtroom.

8
Official Poster
Written byDustin Lance Black
Date premieredSeptember 19, 2011 (Broadway)
March 3, 2012 (worldwide broadcast)
Place premieredEugene O'Neill Theatre
Ebell of Los Angeles broadcast live on YouTube
SubjectPerry v. Schwarzenegger trial reenactment using original court transcripts and first-hand interviews of the people involved
Genreverbatim theatre
documentary theatre
Official site

The play is written in the style of verbatim theatre reenactment, using transcripts from the trial, journalist records, and media interviews from the plaintiffs, defendants and proponents involved. 8 first premiered on September 19, 2011 at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in New York City, and later broadcast worldwide from the Ebell of Los Angeles on March 3, 2012.[1][2] On October 22, 2012, a one-night-only reading was performed at the downtown Crest Theater in Sacramento, California, U.S.[3]

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact, sponsors of the play, have licensed the play for readings nationwide on college campuses and in community theaters free of charge, as an educational tool.[4]

A radio adaptation was broadcast on JOY 94.9, a LGBTIQ community radio station in Melbourne, Australia, on March 27, 2014.

Context

In May 2009, AFER filed a lawsuit, Perry v. Schwarzenegger, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on behalf of plaintiffs, two same-sex couples, to challenge a voter-approved constitutional amendment, known as Proposition 8, that eliminated same-sex couples' right to marry in the state.[5][6] The same-sex couples were represented by David Boies and former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson, two high-profile attorneys who opposed each other in the U.S. Supreme Court case, Bush v. Gore.[7]

Characters

The following is a list of the cast of characters, along with the actors that portrayed them in the play's premieres.

The Court

The Plaintiffs
  • Kris Perry[8]
  • Sandy Stier[8]
  • Spencer Perry – son of Plaintiff[8]
    • Bridger Zadina (Ebell of Los Angeles)
    • Jay Armstrong Johnson (Broadway)
    • Austin Laut (Sacramento)
  • Elliot Perry – son of Plaintiff[8]
    • Jansen Panettiere (Ebell of Los Angeles)
    • Ben Rosenfeld (Broadway)
    • Grant Laut (Sacramento)
  • Jeff Zarrillo[8]
    • Matt Bomer (Ebell of Los Angeles)
    • Matt Bomer (Broadway)
    • Thai Rivera (Sacramento)
  • Paul Katami[8]

Witnesses for Plaintiffs

Witnesses for Defense

Other Characters

See also

References
  1. Ng, David (March 4, 2012). "George Clooney, Brad Pitt lead all-star Prop. 8 play reading". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  2. "Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Martin Sheen headline West Coast premiere of marriage-rights play". Associated Press. March 5, 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  3. "Dustin Lance Black's "8" Comes to Sacramento - Sacramento Press". Sacramento Press. October 13, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  4. See
  5. McKinley, Jesse (May 27, 2009). "Bush v. Gore Foes Join to Fight Gay Marriage Ban". The New York Times. Retrieved November 11, 2009.
  6. "Complaint, Perry v. Schwarzenegger" (PDF). American Foundation for Equal Rights. May 22, 2009. Retrieved November 11, 2009.
  7. Brown, Willie (May 31, 2009). "Bush–Gore legal pair push gay marriage suit". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  8. "The Characters". American Foundation for Equal Rights. afer.org. Archived from the original on January 11, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
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