Cleveland Playhouse Raises Over $8,000 from '8' Benefit Performance

Cleveland Play House (CPH) raised and donated over $8,000 from its recent production of "8," Dustin Lance Black's play about the California Proposition 8 trial. The donation continues CPH's mission to serve the community, with the $8,231 shared equally between the American Foundation for Equal Rights and the Cleveland chapter of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).

"8" is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Hollingsworth v. Perry), the case filed to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of the freedom to marry. On June 26, just four days before the CPH production, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed a lower court ruling to stand that struck down California's Proposition 8 ballot initiative. Black immediately incorporated that decision in the script, and that new version was premiered at Cleveland Play House.

The CPH production, organized and directed by CPH Artistic Associate Corey Atkins, with the support of CPH Board Member Jeffrey Grover, featured leaders from area government, social, education and arts organizations, along with a cast of the area's best actors. Many local organizations also joined as community and promotional partners, including: The AIDS Task Force of Greater Cleveland; Bob Sferra's Culinary Occasions; Cleveland Stonewall Democrats; Equality Ohio; Human Rights Campaign (HRC); Ideastream; LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland; Log Cabin Republicans of Greater Cleveland; PFLAG; Plexus - LGBT and Allies Chamber of Commerce; R Strategy Group; WH2 - Women's Happy Hour; Baldwin Wallace University; The Beck Center for the Arts; Cain Park; CWRU College of Arts & Sciences; CWRU LGBT Center; Chagrin Arts; Cleveland Public Theatre; CSU Theatre & Dance; Dobama Theatre; Ensemble Theatre; Great Lakes Theater; NEOH Alliance for College/University GSAs; Oberlin College; PlayhouseSquare, and CBS Radio with New 102 FM on-air personality Kory.

"We are thrilled with the success of 8," and to be able to pass the proceeds on to such worthy organizations," said CPH Managing Director Kevin Moore. "Perhaps more importantly, it was gratifying to see so many community partner organizations, the all-volunteer cast of professionals and civic leaders, and the audience come together around an issue with such importance to our society."

"8" was produced with license from the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact. Jenny Kanelos, Executive Director of Broadway Impact remarked, "Rory O'Malley, Gavin Creel and myself want to say a sincere thank you to everyone who supported the Cleveland Play House production of "8." We are thrilled to have had the Cleveland premiere with such an incredible group of people dedicated to bringing the message of equality to the community. Your generous donation will help us continue our work and will ensure that "8" is seen by many more people and communities. We, at Broadway Impact, are dedicated to changing hearts and minds through theatre until everyone in all 50 states have full equal rights. We thank you for being a part of the movement.