Must See TV: Dustin Lance Black’s “8” To Be Streamed Live this Saturday

Brad Pitt George Clooney, Martin Sheen, Kevin Bacon, Jane Lynch and a whole bunch of other stars are coming to your favorite computer this Saturday night for a free live performance of the real life courtroom drama over marriage equality.

Based on actual trial transcripts of the Perry v. Schwarzenegger case, which successfully challenged California’s discriminatory Prop. 8 marriage ban in federal court, it maybe the closest we can get to seeing the civil rights showdown, thanks to a recent court ruling.

According to a press release from the American Foundation for Equal Rights,”In a court of law, where truth and facts matter, equality and love triumphed over prejudice and fear. Now everyone will be able to see what happened during the historic Prop. 8 trial.”

“By using the actual trial transcripts intertwined with the powerful personal stories of the two couples challenging Prop. 8 in court, Dustin Lance Black’s play demonstrates why no American should be denied the fundamental freedom to marry the person they love.”

According to Huffington Post,””8″ began as a one-night-only benefit in New York City last September — starring Morgan Freeman, Rob Reiner and Marisa Tomei, among others — but has since announced national plans, including this reading in Los Angeles and dozens of productions across the U.S. where gay marriage battles are underway, including Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire and North Carolina.”

“For the Los Angeles reading, Clooney and Sheen star as plaintiffs’ lead co-counsel David Boies and Theodore B. Olson, respectively, the attorneys known for opposing one another in Bush v. Gore. Pitt will star as United States District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who found Proposition 8 unconstitutional during its public trial,” reports the website.

Black, who won an Academy Award for his inspiring screenplay “Milk”, also narrated 2010’s 8: The Mormon Proposition, which detailed the LDS church’s involvement in Prop 8. He also wrote the screenplay for last year’s “J. Edgar.”

“8” will stream live on Saturday, March 3rd at 8:45 p.m. MST. To pre-register for the free webcast, CLICK HERE.

Prop 8 Watch: Trial Videos to Collect Dust Forever

It’s looking more and more like the only chance we are going to get to see the anti-marriage equality people make fools of themselves during California’s Prop 8 trial is by watching the Dustin Lance Black play,”8″.

It’s been a long and bumpy ride for the poor trial tapes. First the tapes were made public, then they were ordered sealed, then they were unsealed but sealed again and now the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals says Judge Vaughn Walker promised to only use them in the courtroom.

According to the LA Times,”Thursday’s ruling said that retired U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker — who presided over the 2010 Proposition 8 trial and ruled the measure unconstitutional — repeatedly had reassured opponents of gay marriage that the tapes would not be broadcast.”

“Before the prop 8 trial started, Walker announced that portions of it would be broadcast on a delayed basis on the Internet and shown by videotape in other federal courthouses around the country. ProtectMarriage objected and obtained a U.S. Supreme Court ruling prohibiting broadcast. The group argued its witnesses would be intimidated and vulnerable to harassment.”

The head of the American Foundation for Equal Rights issued a statement following Thursday’s ruling,”It speaks volumes that the proponents of Proposition 8 spent millions on a political campaign to publicize their views, yet they have done everything they can to stop the public from seeing the weak case they put on at trial. They know the videotape would expose their baseless campaign of fear and let the public see the powerful evidence we submitted showing that Proposition 8 flatly violates the United States Constitution.  That’s why they fought so hard to keep the tapes secret,”wrote AFER Board President,Chad Griffin.

The Courage Campaign agreed,”“We are disappointed in the 9th Circuit’s decision to not release the videotapes from the historic Prop 8 hearing. In our minds, it never made sense that transcripts from the hearing could be easily accessed by anyone but not the videotapes. That just proves that our cowardly opponents knew they did a poor job defending their bigotry and homophobia in court. We sincerely hope this decision does not herald more bad news regarding the unconstitutionally of Prop 8. Lives are depending on it.”

The Ninth Circuit is also expected to rule any day now on prop 8 itself.

On Sept. 19th, 2011, a stage reading of the new play “8” written by Dustin Lance Black and directed by Joe Mantello brought to life last year’s federal court hearings where two gay couples filed suit against Proposition 8 in Federal Court. Interviews with Christine Lahti, John Lithgow, Matt Bomer, Dustin Lance. The play is expected to go nationwide soon.