Lake Worth Playhouse Presents Dustin Lance Black's '8,' Tonight, 9/14

Lake Worth Playhouse, with license from the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact, has announced a one-night-only 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 true to life 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 right 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.

Tonight, September 14th at 8pm, the Lake Worth Playhouse is partnering with Compass to feature a reading of "8" featuring a pre show reception catered by Callaro's Steakhouse and a post show talk back with the cast. Tickets to this special fundraiser are $40. Proceeds go directly to benefit the Lake Worth Playhouse, Compass and AFER.

"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."

"It's a piece of one of the most important issues that everyone needs to hear. I want in my lifetime to celebrate with my family and friends that everyone has the right to marry the person they love. That the Lake Worth Playhouse can be a part of that is very special to me." - Jodie Dixon-Mears, Artisitic Director, Lake Worth Playhouse

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."

To purchase tickets, visit lakeworthplayhouse.org or call the box office at 561-586-6410.

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