"8" by Dustin Lance Black
a staged reading directed by Fred Sebulske
"8" is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown), the case filed with the intent of overturning 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 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.
"8" will be presented for one night in Grand Rapids and will feature performances by:
Alice Kennedy
Shelley Irwin
Jon March
Joe Miller
Jon Clausen
Billy Konsoer
Larry Young
Patrick Ziegler
Teresa Thome
Tracey Walker
Sheila Shotwell
Richard Carnegie
Jean Reed Bahle
Tommy Allen
Justin Kilduff
Ben Boerkel
Neil Trevisan
Greg L. Rogers
+ more!
Purchase Tickets:
Saturday, February 23, 2013 - 7:00PM
This staged reading is produced in partnership by Actors' Theatre and Fubble Entertainment, LLC as a fundraiser for the American Foundation for Equal Rights
Meet the Artists
- Dustin Lance Black, Playwright
Dustin Lance Black is a screenwriter, producer, director and social activist, having won the Academy Award and two WGA Awards for Best Original Screenplay for MILK, the biopic of the late civil rights activist Harvey Milk starring Sean Penn. He is also a founding board members of the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) which is leading the Federal Case against Prop 8 in CA with lawyers David Boise and Ted Olson.
In 2012 Black merged his passions with "8" a new play based on the Federal Prop 8 trial. Black's LA cast included George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen, Kevin Bacon and John C. Reilly. The play was broadcast live and continues to break viewership records online. Hundreds of original productions are now scheduled across the United States.- Fred Sebulske, Director
Fred's recent directing credits include Next to Normal, 2012's August: Osage County (Winner: 2012 Grand Award for Best Production of a Play), 2011's Spring Awakening (Winner: 2012 Grand Award for Best Production of a Musical), 2010's Distracted and recently, at Circle Theatre, Hair. Among his many awards and accolades, he is the recipient of 12 Grand Awards for outstanding direction, the Norma Brink Lifetime Achievement Award and the Arts Council Arts Award.
Fred is the founder of Actors' Theatre. He served as its Managing Director from 1980-2006 and continues his involvement as an Artistic Consultant for the Organization.
