The Raleigh Ensemble Players Theatre Company Announces April 21st Reading of Dustin Lance Black’s New Play “8”
REP Joins Nationwide Productions of Landmark Marriage Equality Play by Academy Award-Winning Screenwriter of Milk & J. Edgar
Raleigh, NC – The Raleigh Ensemble Players Theatre Company (REP), with license from the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact, is proud to announce a one-night-only community-wide reading of “8,” a play chronicling the historic trial in the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8, written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black.
“8” is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown), the case filed by AFER to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of the fundamental freedom to marry.
Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film Milk and the new critically-acclaimed film J. Edgar, based “8” on the actual words of the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.
REP’s production will take place at 8pm on April 21, 2012 at the Cary Academy Fine and Performing Arts Center located at 1500 North Harrison Avenue (Exit 287 from I-40). Admission is FREE, but reservations are required. For reservations and information, go to www.realtheatre.org.
The Raleigh Ensemble Players Theatre Company is the Triangle’s oldest producer of powerful, penetrating and provocative theatre experiences. 2012 marks the company’s 30th Anniversary and REP is honored to have been granted the opportunity to produce the Raleigh area reading of “8.”
The April 21st reading will feature theatre professionals representing many of the area’s theatre companies and community leaders. Long-time REP Ensemble member and director Jesse R. Gephart will lead a company that includes Ira David Wood (Theatre in the Park Artistic Director); Jerry Davis* (Burning Coal Theatre Artistic Director); Haskell Fitz-Simmons (Raleigh Little Theatre Artistic Director); Jay O’Berski (Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern Artistic Director); Steven Roten* (Stillwater Theatre Company Artistic Director); community leader Dr. Anne McLaurin, REP Ensemble members and other well-known theatre artists/educators.
“8” had its much-heralded Broadway world premiere on September 19, 2011, at the sold-out Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York City. The production brought in over $1 million to support AFER’s efforts to achieve full federal marriage equality.
“8” had its West Coast premiere reading at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Saturday, March 3, 2012, in Los Angeles. The West Coast premiere reading of “8” featured an all-star cast led by Golden Globe Award-winner and Academy and Emmy Award-nominee Brad Pitt as United States District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker; and Academy and Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee George Clooney and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Martin Sheen as Plaintiffs’ lead co-counsel David Boies and Theodore B. Olson. The benefit reading was directed by AFER Founding Board Member Rob Reiner, and raised more than $2 million for the fight to secure full federal marriage equality.
“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 AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black. “The goal of ‘8’ is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right. The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light. AFER and Broadway Impact are doing all we can to help speed that process along.”
Throughout 2012, AFER and Broadway Impact are licensing “8” for free to colleges and community theatres nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue and understanding. Most productions will be followed by a talkback where cast and audience members can discuss the issues presented in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial.
The story for “8” is framed by the trial’s historic closing arguments in June 2010, and features the best arguments and testimony from both sides. Scenes include flashbacks to some of the more jaw-dropping moments of trial, such as the admission by the Proposition 8 supporters’ star witness, David Blankenhorn, that “we would be more American on the day we permitted same-sex marriage than we were on the day before.”
On February 7, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a landmark decision upholding the historic August 2010 ruling of the Federal District Court that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional. The Ninth Circuit concluded:
“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples. The Constitution simply does not allow for laws of this sort.”
For information on how your local theater can produce “8,” visit: www.8theplay.com. Follow “8”on Twitter: @8theplay or on Facebook.
“8” Raleigh Ensemble Players Theatre Company CAST LIST
| Clerk |
Lori Ingle Taylor (REP Ensemble 2008-12) |
| Broadcast Journalist |
(TBA) |
| Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker |
Haskell Fitz-Simmons (Raleigh Little Theatre) |
| Theodore B. Olson (Plaintiffs’ attorney) |
Ira David Wood III (Theatre in the Park) |
| David Boies (Plaintiffs’ attorney) |
Jay O’Berski (Little Green Pig) |
| Charles J. Cooper (Proponents’ attorney) |
Steven Roten* (Stillwater Theatre) |
| Jeff Zarrillo (Plaintiff) |
Jason Peck* (Triangle Artist) |
| Paul Katami (Plaintiff) |
David Henderson (REP Ensemble 2002-11) |
| Sandy Stier (Plaintiff) |
Sandi Sullivan (REP Ensemble 2009-10) |
| Kris Perry (Plaintiff) |
[TBA] |
| Elliott (Kris & Sandy’s son) |
Ryan Hinn (REP Ensemble 2010-11) |
| Spencer (Kris & Sandy’s son) |
Dylan Goodman (Triangle Student Artist) |
| Dr. Nancy Cott (Plaintiffs’ witness) |
Anne McLaurin (Community Leader) |
| Maggie Gallagher (Marriage equality opponent) |
Maggie Rasnick (REP Ensemble 2006-10) |
| Dr. Ilan Meyer (Plaintiffs’ witness) |
J Chachula (Flying Machine Theatre) |
| Ryan Kendall (Plaintiffs’ witness) |
Byron Jennings (REP Ensemble 2010-11) |
| Dr. Gregory Herek (Plaintiffs’ witness) |
John Honeycutt (REP Ensemble 2006-12) |
| Dr. Gary Segura (Plaintiffs’ witness) |
Tony Lea (Triangle Director) |
| Dr. William Tam (Prop. 8 proponent) |
Brenda Lo (REP Ensemble 2004-12) |
| David Blankenhorn (Proponents’ witness) |
Thomas Mauney (Triangle Design Artist) |
| Evan Wolfson (Marriage equality advocate) |
Jerry Davis* (Burning Coal Theatre) |
*Appears Courtesy of Actor’s Equity Association
ABOUT THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR EQUAL RIGHTS
The American Foundation for Equal Rights is the sole sponsor of the Perry case. After bringing together Theodore B. Olson and David Boies to lead its legal team, AFER successfully advanced the Perry case through Federal District Court and is now leading it through the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals before the case is brought to the United States Supreme Court. The Foundation is committed to achieving full federal marriage equality. AFER Board of Directors includes Chad Griffin (President), Bruce Cohen (Treasurer), Dustin Lance Black, Jonathan Lewis, Ken Mehlman, Michele Reiner and Rob Reiner.
www.AFER.org
ABOUT BROADWAY IMPACT
BROADWAY IMPACT is a non-profit organization of theatre artists and fans mobilized in support of marriage equality. Founded in 2008 by Tony-nominated performers Rory O’Malley (Book of Mormon), Gavin Creel (HAIR) and Production Coordinator Jenny Kanelos, BROADWAY IMPACT works to educate and inspire the theatre community into action. Recent initiatives include helping to staff the phone banking efforts in New York State, creating a 3,000 piece letter writing campaign, gaining the funding for 1,400 supporters to attend the National Equality March and producing a rally for over 5,000 attendees in Midtown Manhattan where speakers included, Cynthia Nixon, Audra McDonald, David Hyde Pierce, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Governor David Paterson. BROADWAY IMPACT was awarded the 2009 Human Rights Campaign Community Award. www.BROADWAYIMPACT.com
ABOUT RALEIGH ENSEMBLE PLAYERS THEATRE COMPANY
The Raleigh Ensemble Players Theatre Company (REP) is the oldest producer of Powerful, Penetrating, and Provocative Theatre Experiences in the Triangle. For 30 seasons, REP has entertained, challenged, and inspired area audiences with its professional and unique brand of storytelling. Throughout its history, REP has garnered regional and national acclaim recently receiving a second grant of support from the TONY RANDALL THEATRICAL FUND in New York to assist in the completion of REP’s new home at 213 Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. Previously, REP received the inaugural TONY’S HOPE AWARD (Hats Off for Performance Excellence) in 2007. Visit www.realtheatre.org for more information.
866-488-7386
