Showing posts with label Cheyenne Jackson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cheyenne Jackson. Show all posts
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Mat Bomer was pictured with Cheyenne Jackson
[Source]
Sep 20 2011 12:52 PM ET
'8': On the scene at the new, star-studded Broadway play by Dustin Lance Black
by Stephan Lee
For one night only, the stars turned out on Broadway last night to stage a reading of 8, the new dramatization — directed by Joe Mantello and penned by Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Milk — of Perry vs. Schwarzenegger, the landmark 2010 trial that led the Federal Court to rule Proposition 8 unconstitutional. To say that the night’s cast was star-studded is an understatement; performers included Morgan Freeman, Rob Reiner, John Lithgow, Bradley Whitford, Ellen Barkin, Cheyenne Jackson, Matt Bomer, and Christine Lahti, among many other big names.
A crowd of celebrities, theater lovers, and LGBT rights supporters packed into the small but historic Eugene O’Neill Theater. On the way to find my seat, I spotted Barbara Walters, Jeffrey Toobin, and Fran Drescher, with gay ex-husband Peter Marc Jacobson in tow. Amid set pieces for The Book of Mormon, which is currently in engagement at the Eugene O’Neill, the stage was set simply with director’s chairs arranged Inherit the Wind-style to represent a courtroom. The performers walked onstage to thunderous applause — it was really a heart-swelling, galvanizing moment to see the group taking their seats, especially on the eve of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’s official repeal.
Black based the play on transcripts from the actual trial — which opponents of marriage equality fought hard to keep from the public until now — in addition to interviews with key players, including the plaintiffs, couples Sandy Stier (played by Lahti) and Kris Perry (Barkin) and Jeff Zarrillo (Bomer) and Paul Katami (Jackson). Lithgow and Freeman, reading as the couples’ lawyers Ted Olson and David Boies, delivered rousing speeches, and Whitford gamely read the role of the opposition’s stumbling lawyer, Charles Cooper. Reiner drew big, wry laughs with his portrayal of Institute of American Values founder David Blankenhorn, as did Broadway veteran Jayne Houdyshell as anti-same-sex rights activist Maggie Gallagher, who, oddly enough, was in the audience.
Afterwards, the performance got a standing ovation as the real-life plaintiffs stood next to their celebrity counterparts (Zarrillo and Katami looked thrilled to be played by Bomer and Jackson — but who wouldn’t be?), and the party moved a few blocks downtown to Gotham Hall for a late dinner and cocktails. You really just had to follow the horde of svelte, well-dressed men through Times Square to find your way. At the after party, I ran into Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford, who is currently filming What to Expect when You’re Expecting opposite Anna Kendrick. “He’s a genius,” Crawford said of Black, a good friend. “I’d love to work with him some day.”
Next, my friend Mell introduced me to White Collar star Matt Bomer, who was graciously shaking hands and talking to a never-shrinking cluster of people all night. Bomer, whose intense eye contact and all-around pleasantness was a bit overwhelming — charisma overload — told me about his preparations for the night. “I called Jeff [Zarillo] when I got the job to see where he and Paul were during the trial, what they were going through, what they were feeling. They’re really incredible, brave people.”
I sat down with Lost alum Ken Leung, who played Dr. William Tam in 8 and worked with director Mantello 13 years ago in Corpus Christi, as he finished his dinner. He told me his interest in LGBT issues came just from being a “fellow human being.” I also asked him about his involvement in the rumored Showtime adaptation of the comic book Chew — he is indeed in talks with author John Layman, but nothing is official yet.
With some trepidation, I approached two of the biggest stars of the evening, twins Spencer and Elliott (portrayed by Jay Armstrong Johnson and Ben Rosenfeld in the play), sons of Perry and Stier. I wasn’t sure if the mama bears would appreciate their boys being hounded by the press, but they were bursting with pride for their moms. “I’m proud of them 24-7,” said Spencer, “but on days like today, my pride is just something else.” On their depictions in the play, Elliott said, “Towards the end, I felt like I was watching myself.” Spencer added, “When [Armstrong Johnson] started crying on stage after Kris’ speech, I started crying too — it was weird, like a mirror image.”
Sep 20 2011 12:52 PM ET
'8': On the scene at the new, star-studded Broadway play by Dustin Lance Black
by Stephan Lee
 |
| Image Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images |
A crowd of celebrities, theater lovers, and LGBT rights supporters packed into the small but historic Eugene O’Neill Theater. On the way to find my seat, I spotted Barbara Walters, Jeffrey Toobin, and Fran Drescher, with gay ex-husband Peter Marc Jacobson in tow. Amid set pieces for The Book of Mormon, which is currently in engagement at the Eugene O’Neill, the stage was set simply with director’s chairs arranged Inherit the Wind-style to represent a courtroom. The performers walked onstage to thunderous applause — it was really a heart-swelling, galvanizing moment to see the group taking their seats, especially on the eve of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’s official repeal.
Black based the play on transcripts from the actual trial — which opponents of marriage equality fought hard to keep from the public until now — in addition to interviews with key players, including the plaintiffs, couples Sandy Stier (played by Lahti) and Kris Perry (Barkin) and Jeff Zarrillo (Bomer) and Paul Katami (Jackson). Lithgow and Freeman, reading as the couples’ lawyers Ted Olson and David Boies, delivered rousing speeches, and Whitford gamely read the role of the opposition’s stumbling lawyer, Charles Cooper. Reiner drew big, wry laughs with his portrayal of Institute of American Values founder David Blankenhorn, as did Broadway veteran Jayne Houdyshell as anti-same-sex rights activist Maggie Gallagher, who, oddly enough, was in the audience.
Afterwards, the performance got a standing ovation as the real-life plaintiffs stood next to their celebrity counterparts (Zarrillo and Katami looked thrilled to be played by Bomer and Jackson — but who wouldn’t be?), and the party moved a few blocks downtown to Gotham Hall for a late dinner and cocktails. You really just had to follow the horde of svelte, well-dressed men through Times Square to find your way. At the after party, I ran into Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford, who is currently filming What to Expect when You’re Expecting opposite Anna Kendrick. “He’s a genius,” Crawford said of Black, a good friend. “I’d love to work with him some day.”
Next, my friend Mell introduced me to White Collar star Matt Bomer, who was graciously shaking hands and talking to a never-shrinking cluster of people all night. Bomer, whose intense eye contact and all-around pleasantness was a bit overwhelming — charisma overload — told me about his preparations for the night. “I called Jeff [Zarillo] when I got the job to see where he and Paul were during the trial, what they were going through, what they were feeling. They’re really incredible, brave people.”
I sat down with Lost alum Ken Leung, who played Dr. William Tam in 8 and worked with director Mantello 13 years ago in Corpus Christi, as he finished his dinner. He told me his interest in LGBT issues came just from being a “fellow human being.” I also asked him about his involvement in the rumored Showtime adaptation of the comic book Chew — he is indeed in talks with author John Layman, but nothing is official yet.
With some trepidation, I approached two of the biggest stars of the evening, twins Spencer and Elliott (portrayed by Jay Armstrong Johnson and Ben Rosenfeld in the play), sons of Perry and Stier. I wasn’t sure if the mama bears would appreciate their boys being hounded by the press, but they were bursting with pride for their moms. “I’m proud of them 24-7,” said Spencer, “but on days like today, my pride is just something else.” On their depictions in the play, Elliott said, “Towards the end, I felt like I was watching myself.” Spencer added, “When [Armstrong Johnson] started crying on stage after Kris’ speech, I started crying too — it was weird, like a mirror image.”
Matt Bomer plays at "8" in New York
[Source]
Dustin Lance Black Debuts Prop. 8 Play in New York
4:08 PM PDT 9/20/2011 by David Rooney
NEW YORK -- With Morgan Freeman needling witnesses and John Lithgow socking across the impassioned concluding arguments, there was bound to be some dramatic heat. But the most emotional moment of Monday's starry one-night-only Broadway presentation of Dustin Lance Black's play, 8, came when plaintiffs and prosecutors joined the actors portraying them onstage for the curtain call.
The play was composed out of transcripts, plaintiff interviews and courtroom observations from the 2010 Proposition 8 trial in San Francisco, at the end of which Chief Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that California's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. That decision currently is inching through the appeals process.
A 2009 Oscar winner for his original screenplay of Milk, Black was a vocal opponent of Prop. 8 during the 2008 election and is a board member of American Foundation for Equal Rights, the advocacy organization for which profits from the Broadway staged reading and all future presentations of 8 are destined.
STORY: Star-Studded Cast Debuts Dustin Lance Black's Prop. 8 Play
Black wrote the play during research trips for his screenplays on Warners' upcoming Clint Eastwood feature, J. Edgar, and his next project, Barefoot Bandit, which is coming together at Fox, with David Gordon Green likely to direct.
"I carried around these huge binders with trial transcripts and spent all my time combing through them looking for the choice bits that would tell the story of what went on inside that courtroom," Black said.
While Black doesn't rule out the possibility of developing the material into a feature, for now, the play is headed to drama-program workshops at Carnegie Mellon and Northwestern universities. "We want to personalize the play and deepen it to the point where it's ready to be seen by the world," he said.
"To me, this is an educational outreach tool," added Black. "It's important that people know the arguments on both sides as this case makes its way to the Supreme Court."
STORY: Dustin Lance Black Writing Barefoot Bandit Movie
Black said he was concerned about presenting the play for the first time in New York, given that the same-sex marriage bill was passed by state legislature in June, potentially robbing the issue of some urgency. But rousing support from actors signing on for the event, plus sponsors including Steve Bing, Roland Emmerich and David Geffen, who funded the production and its splashy after party at the Gotham Club, indicated that strong sentiment remains behind the push for equal rights on a federal level.
"New Yorkers just got it," said Black. "We didn't have to explain anything to the people who gave their time and money to this endeavor. They said, yes, we want to lead the way to full national equality."
In addition to Freeman and Lithgow as the crack litigating team of David Boies and Theodore B. Olson, the premiere of 8 featured Ellen Barkin, Christine Lahti, Matt Bomer and Cheyenne Jackson as the two couples that filed suit against Prop. 8 in Federal District Court, all of whom were in attendance at the event.
STORY: 'Milk' Scribe Joins GLAAD Against Newsweek
Directed by Joe Mantello (Wicked), the reading was staged at the Eugene O'Neill Theater, where Tony winner The Book of Mormon is playing to sell-out crowds. (That show has no Monday performance.) Given the financial support for the Prop. 8 campaign from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, there was a certain irony in 8 being performed beneath set designer Scott Pask's playful Mormon Tabernacle proscenium.
Also among the cast were Bradley Whitford as lead defense attorney Charles Cooper, Bob Balaban as a methodical Judge Walker and Yeardley Smith, bringing the voice of Lisa Simpson to an expert witness on the psychology of marriage. Rob Reiner drew the biggest laughs as defense witness David Blankenhorn, evading "yes" or "no" answers while inadvertently sabotaging his own shaky arguments.
Spotted in the audience were Bruce Cohen, Chace Crawford, Anna Deavere Smith, Thomas Roberts, Barbara Walters and Brian Williams.
STORY: Prop. 8 Opponents Know War Isn't Over
"I've been an advocate for women's rights all my life, and gay Americans are I think the last minority not granted equal rights under the law," said Lahti, summing up the reason so many actors lent their support. "I think theater has the power to make people think about their prejudices, and a play like this can help affect change. I'm honored to have been a part of it."
Dustin Lance Black Debuts Prop. 8 Play in New York
4:08 PM PDT 9/20/2011 by David Rooney
"To me, this is an educational outreach tool," the writer says at the star-studded one-night-only presentation. "It's important that people know the arguments on both sides as this case makes its way to the Supreme Court."
NEW YORK -- With Morgan Freeman needling witnesses and John Lithgow socking across the impassioned concluding arguments, there was bound to be some dramatic heat. But the most emotional moment of Monday's starry one-night-only Broadway presentation of Dustin Lance Black's play, 8, came when plaintiffs and prosecutors joined the actors portraying them onstage for the curtain call.
The play was composed out of transcripts, plaintiff interviews and courtroom observations from the 2010 Proposition 8 trial in San Francisco, at the end of which Chief Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that California's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. That decision currently is inching through the appeals process.
A 2009 Oscar winner for his original screenplay of Milk, Black was a vocal opponent of Prop. 8 during the 2008 election and is a board member of American Foundation for Equal Rights, the advocacy organization for which profits from the Broadway staged reading and all future presentations of 8 are destined.
STORY: Star-Studded Cast Debuts Dustin Lance Black's Prop. 8 Play
Black wrote the play during research trips for his screenplays on Warners' upcoming Clint Eastwood feature, J. Edgar, and his next project, Barefoot Bandit, which is coming together at Fox, with David Gordon Green likely to direct.
"I carried around these huge binders with trial transcripts and spent all my time combing through them looking for the choice bits that would tell the story of what went on inside that courtroom," Black said.
While Black doesn't rule out the possibility of developing the material into a feature, for now, the play is headed to drama-program workshops at Carnegie Mellon and Northwestern universities. "We want to personalize the play and deepen it to the point where it's ready to be seen by the world," he said.
"To me, this is an educational outreach tool," added Black. "It's important that people know the arguments on both sides as this case makes its way to the Supreme Court."
STORY: Dustin Lance Black Writing Barefoot Bandit Movie
Black said he was concerned about presenting the play for the first time in New York, given that the same-sex marriage bill was passed by state legislature in June, potentially robbing the issue of some urgency. But rousing support from actors signing on for the event, plus sponsors including Steve Bing, Roland Emmerich and David Geffen, who funded the production and its splashy after party at the Gotham Club, indicated that strong sentiment remains behind the push for equal rights on a federal level.
"New Yorkers just got it," said Black. "We didn't have to explain anything to the people who gave their time and money to this endeavor. They said, yes, we want to lead the way to full national equality."
In addition to Freeman and Lithgow as the crack litigating team of David Boies and Theodore B. Olson, the premiere of 8 featured Ellen Barkin, Christine Lahti, Matt Bomer and Cheyenne Jackson as the two couples that filed suit against Prop. 8 in Federal District Court, all of whom were in attendance at the event.
STORY: 'Milk' Scribe Joins GLAAD Against Newsweek
Directed by Joe Mantello (Wicked), the reading was staged at the Eugene O'Neill Theater, where Tony winner The Book of Mormon is playing to sell-out crowds. (That show has no Monday performance.) Given the financial support for the Prop. 8 campaign from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, there was a certain irony in 8 being performed beneath set designer Scott Pask's playful Mormon Tabernacle proscenium.
Also among the cast were Bradley Whitford as lead defense attorney Charles Cooper, Bob Balaban as a methodical Judge Walker and Yeardley Smith, bringing the voice of Lisa Simpson to an expert witness on the psychology of marriage. Rob Reiner drew the biggest laughs as defense witness David Blankenhorn, evading "yes" or "no" answers while inadvertently sabotaging his own shaky arguments.
Spotted in the audience were Bruce Cohen, Chace Crawford, Anna Deavere Smith, Thomas Roberts, Barbara Walters and Brian Williams.
STORY: Prop. 8 Opponents Know War Isn't Over
"I've been an advocate for women's rights all my life, and gay Americans are I think the last minority not granted equal rights under the law," said Lahti, summing up the reason so many actors lent their support. "I think theater has the power to make people think about their prejudices, and a play like this can help affect change. I'm honored to have been a part of it."
Monday, 19 September 2011
An article from The Wall Street Journal
[Source]
SEPTEMBER 19, 2011, 11:46 P.M. ET
Play about Prop 8 makes its Broadway debut
NEW YORK — A play based on last year's federal court fight over California's gay marriage ban made its Broadway debut on Monday night with an all-star cast, only hours after a federal judge decided to unseal the trial's video recordings.
Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black's play "8'' was born, in part, by frustration that Proposition 8 backers had succeeded in getting the U.S. Supreme Court to bar broadcast of the landmark case.
During the trial, former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson and attorney David Boies — best known as adversaries who represented opposing sides in the disputed 2000 presidential election — put on a powerfully clear argument in favor of gay marriage. Prop. 8 was eventually ruled unconstitutional in August 2010. The case is under appeal.
Black, a member of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, wrote his play using the trial transcript, firsthand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.
"It was extraordinary," Joe Mantello, who directed the reading, said afterward. "The actors really threw themselves in it. It was mind blowing."
The play was performed as a one-night-only reading at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre starring Morgan Freeman, Ellen Barkin, Anthony Edwards, Bradley Whitford, John Lithgow, Cheyenne Jackson, Campbell Brown, Christine Lahti, Rob Reiner and Larry Kramer, among others. The mood was festive and no mention was made of the latest judge's decision on stage.
The 21 actors read from binders that contained the script and sat in director's chairs on stage. The only props were the flags of California and the United States and a video monitor that played anti-gay marriage political ads. One odd note was struck inadvertently right at the beginning: The proscenium was decorated like a Mormon temple — the legacy of the show that usually plays in the space, "The Book of Mormon."
Freeman portrayed Boies, Lithgow played Olson, Whitford played pro-Prop 8 attorney Charles Cooper and Bob Balaban played the judge. The other actors played various plaintiffs, witnesses and experts. Celebrities spotted in the audience included newscasters Brian Williams and Barbara Walters, and actress Fran Drescher.
At the end of the reading, the cast invited the real Olson and Boies onto the stage, as well as the four plaintiffs: Sandy Stier (played by Barkin), Kris Perry (Lahti), Paul Katami (Jackson) and Jeff Zarrillo (Matt Bomer).
"I thought it was great," said Boies afterward. "It's a little bit humbling to see Morgan Freeman up there and a little bit worrisome — now my clients are going to want him and not me."
Boies said the judge's decision to release the video of the trial wouldn't harm the play's prospects. "Having all of these ways of expressing this issue is important. Theater has a way of reaching people and I think the people who did this did a terrific job of boiling down a three-and-a-half week trial down to 70 or 80 minutes."
The American Foundation for Equal Rights and fellow producer Broadway Impact, a gay-rights group, hope to license "8'' to schools and community organizations nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue and understanding.
Just hours before the play's debut, Chief U.S. District Judge James Ware in San Francisco ruled that no compelling reasons exist to keep the video recordings secret. His order will take effect on Sept. 30 unless a higher court overrules him.
Andy Pugno, general counsel to the Protect Marriage coalition, said his group would appeal immediately to the Ninth Circuit. He declined to comment on the Broadway reading or the play.
The audience at the reading was overwhelmingly pro-gay marriage, although Black tried to tease out both sides' best argument from trial. Reiner, who played a witness for the anti-gay marriage side, triggered laughs when he was cornered by the plaintiff's attorneys or fumbled for an answer.
The text itself was sometimes technical and dense, though Lithgow's passionate reading as Olson in closing arguments cut through much of the legalese and the audience cheered and clapped.
In an earlier interview, Black, who penned the Academy-Award winning feature film "Milk," said he wasn't worried if the trial video was one day made available, saying most Americans wouldn't have the patience to watch the dozens of hours of testimony. He also thought his play might act as a guide to editing the footage.
___
Online:
Play site: http://www.afer.org/broadway8
Broadway Impact: http://www.broadwayimpact.com
National Organization for Marriage: http://www.nationformarriage.org
___
Mark Kennedy can be reached at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
—Copyright 2011 Associated Press
SEPTEMBER 19, 2011, 11:46 P.M. ET
Play about Prop 8 makes its Broadway debut
NEW YORK — A play based on last year's federal court fight over California's gay marriage ban made its Broadway debut on Monday night with an all-star cast, only hours after a federal judge decided to unseal the trial's video recordings.
Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black's play "8'' was born, in part, by frustration that Proposition 8 backers had succeeded in getting the U.S. Supreme Court to bar broadcast of the landmark case.
During the trial, former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson and attorney David Boies — best known as adversaries who represented opposing sides in the disputed 2000 presidential election — put on a powerfully clear argument in favor of gay marriage. Prop. 8 was eventually ruled unconstitutional in August 2010. The case is under appeal.
Black, a member of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, wrote his play using the trial transcript, firsthand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.
"It was extraordinary," Joe Mantello, who directed the reading, said afterward. "The actors really threw themselves in it. It was mind blowing."
The play was performed as a one-night-only reading at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre starring Morgan Freeman, Ellen Barkin, Anthony Edwards, Bradley Whitford, John Lithgow, Cheyenne Jackson, Campbell Brown, Christine Lahti, Rob Reiner and Larry Kramer, among others. The mood was festive and no mention was made of the latest judge's decision on stage.
The 21 actors read from binders that contained the script and sat in director's chairs on stage. The only props were the flags of California and the United States and a video monitor that played anti-gay marriage political ads. One odd note was struck inadvertently right at the beginning: The proscenium was decorated like a Mormon temple — the legacy of the show that usually plays in the space, "The Book of Mormon."
Freeman portrayed Boies, Lithgow played Olson, Whitford played pro-Prop 8 attorney Charles Cooper and Bob Balaban played the judge. The other actors played various plaintiffs, witnesses and experts. Celebrities spotted in the audience included newscasters Brian Williams and Barbara Walters, and actress Fran Drescher.
At the end of the reading, the cast invited the real Olson and Boies onto the stage, as well as the four plaintiffs: Sandy Stier (played by Barkin), Kris Perry (Lahti), Paul Katami (Jackson) and Jeff Zarrillo (Matt Bomer).
"I thought it was great," said Boies afterward. "It's a little bit humbling to see Morgan Freeman up there and a little bit worrisome — now my clients are going to want him and not me."
Boies said the judge's decision to release the video of the trial wouldn't harm the play's prospects. "Having all of these ways of expressing this issue is important. Theater has a way of reaching people and I think the people who did this did a terrific job of boiling down a three-and-a-half week trial down to 70 or 80 minutes."
The American Foundation for Equal Rights and fellow producer Broadway Impact, a gay-rights group, hope to license "8'' to schools and community organizations nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue and understanding.
Just hours before the play's debut, Chief U.S. District Judge James Ware in San Francisco ruled that no compelling reasons exist to keep the video recordings secret. His order will take effect on Sept. 30 unless a higher court overrules him.
Andy Pugno, general counsel to the Protect Marriage coalition, said his group would appeal immediately to the Ninth Circuit. He declined to comment on the Broadway reading or the play.
The audience at the reading was overwhelmingly pro-gay marriage, although Black tried to tease out both sides' best argument from trial. Reiner, who played a witness for the anti-gay marriage side, triggered laughs when he was cornered by the plaintiff's attorneys or fumbled for an answer.
The text itself was sometimes technical and dense, though Lithgow's passionate reading as Olson in closing arguments cut through much of the legalese and the audience cheered and clapped.
In an earlier interview, Black, who penned the Academy-Award winning feature film "Milk," said he wasn't worried if the trial video was one day made available, saying most Americans wouldn't have the patience to watch the dozens of hours of testimony. He also thought his play might act as a guide to editing the footage.
___
Online:
Play site: http://www.afer.org/broadway8
Broadway Impact: http://www.broadwayimpact.com
National Organization for Marriage: http://www.nationformarriage.org
___
Mark Kennedy can be reached at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
—Copyright 2011 Associated Press
Cast debuts Prop. 8
[Source]
Star-Studded Cast Debuts Dustin Lance Black's Prop. 8 Play
5:10 PM PDT 9/19/2011 by Tina Daunt
Two of the entertainment industry’s leading advocates of marriage equality are combining forces Monday night in New York for a chamber reading of Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black’s new play 8, a drama based on the litigation to overturn California’s Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that reversed the state supreme court’s ruling recognizing a constitutional right to same-sex unions.
Rehearsals for the performance were transformed into a celebration when a California federal court ruled early Monday that video records of the trial can be released to the public, something the anti-marriage equality forces had opposed and vow to appeal.
STORY: Dustin Lance Black Writing Barefoot Bandit Movie
“This is a significant victory for the American people, who will soon be able to see the evidence put forward by both sides in this historic federal trial," said Chad Griffin, board president for the Los Angeles-based American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER). "The public will soon see the extraordinarily weak case that the anti-marriage proponents presented in a desperate attempt to defend this discriminatory law."
AFER is an organization rooted in the film industry and is the sole sponsor of the so-far successful federal court challenge to Proposition 8, which passed in 2008. The foundation -- with support from David Geffen and Steve Bing -- funded a federal challenge to the ballot proposition that successfully convinced a federal court to overturn the measure.
STORY: 'Milk' Scribe Joins GLAAD Against Newsweek
When the release of the tapes were in doubt, AFER teamed up with gay rights advocacy group Broadway Impact to sponsor Black's play 8 for a one night reading at New York's Eugene O’Neill Theatre. The play draws on the verbatim transcripts of the Proposition 8 trial, along with observations from the courtroom and interviews with the same-sex couples on whose behalf the challenge was mounted.
All proceeds -- which are expected to top $1 million -- from tonight’s readings will benefit the American Foundation for Equal Rights.
“Our opponents continue to fight tooth-and-nail to hide the video recordings of the Prop. 8 trial,” Griffin said. “But their campaign cannot survive in the face of our greatest strength: telling our stories proudly, openly and honestly.”
AFER and Broadway Impact have put together an all-star cast for tonight’s reading, including Emmy and Tony Award winner and two-time Golden Globe Award nominee Ellen Barkin; Tony Award nominee Jayne Houdyshell; Broadway star Kate Shindle; and two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Spinella, along with Bob Balaban, White Collar star Matt Bomer, Campbell Brown, Anthony Edwards, Morgan Freeman, Cheyenne Jackson, Larry Kramer, Christine Lahti, John Lithgow, Rory O’Malley, Rob Reiner, Yeardley Smith and Bradley Whitford.
Michele Reiner and Oscar-winning producer Bruce Cohen (who worked with Black on Milk, for which Black won his screenwriting Oscar) were instrumental in pulling the cast together. The production is directed by Joe Mantello, best known for his work on Wicked and Angels in America.
Balaban will play U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker, who found Prop. 8 unconstitutional. Freeman and Lithgow will play David Boies and Theodore B. Olson, the two high-profile attorneys—one a Democrat and the other a Republican—retained by the Foundation for Equal Rights—to argue the case. Bomer and Jackson will play Jeff Zarrillo and Paul Katami, a gay couple who were two of the four plaintiffs challenging Prop. 8. Barkin will play Sandy Stier and Lahti will play Kris Perry – the other plaintiffs – a lesbian couple that have been together for eleven years and are the parents of four boys.
Organizers are hopeful that others throughout the country will take the script -- like theater groups did with Laramie Project and Vagina Monologues -- and use it to stage their own productions.
“By helping to share the story of the fight for equality, you become a part of it,” Griffin said. “The dark walls of discrimination are crumbling quickly -- this play shows why.”
Email: tinadaunt@gmail.com
Star-Studded Cast Debuts Dustin Lance Black's Prop. 8 Play
5:10 PM PDT 9/19/2011 by Tina Daunt
Rehearsals for the performance were transformed into a celebration when a California federal court ruled early Monday that video records of the trial can be released to the public, something the anti-marriage equality forces had opposed and vow to appeal.
STORY: Dustin Lance Black Writing Barefoot Bandit Movie
“This is a significant victory for the American people, who will soon be able to see the evidence put forward by both sides in this historic federal trial," said Chad Griffin, board president for the Los Angeles-based American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER). "The public will soon see the extraordinarily weak case that the anti-marriage proponents presented in a desperate attempt to defend this discriminatory law."
AFER is an organization rooted in the film industry and is the sole sponsor of the so-far successful federal court challenge to Proposition 8, which passed in 2008. The foundation -- with support from David Geffen and Steve Bing -- funded a federal challenge to the ballot proposition that successfully convinced a federal court to overturn the measure.
STORY: 'Milk' Scribe Joins GLAAD Against Newsweek
When the release of the tapes were in doubt, AFER teamed up with gay rights advocacy group Broadway Impact to sponsor Black's play 8 for a one night reading at New York's Eugene O’Neill Theatre. The play draws on the verbatim transcripts of the Proposition 8 trial, along with observations from the courtroom and interviews with the same-sex couples on whose behalf the challenge was mounted.
All proceeds -- which are expected to top $1 million -- from tonight’s readings will benefit the American Foundation for Equal Rights.
“Our opponents continue to fight tooth-and-nail to hide the video recordings of the Prop. 8 trial,” Griffin said. “But their campaign cannot survive in the face of our greatest strength: telling our stories proudly, openly and honestly.”
AFER and Broadway Impact have put together an all-star cast for tonight’s reading, including Emmy and Tony Award winner and two-time Golden Globe Award nominee Ellen Barkin; Tony Award nominee Jayne Houdyshell; Broadway star Kate Shindle; and two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Spinella, along with Bob Balaban, White Collar star Matt Bomer, Campbell Brown, Anthony Edwards, Morgan Freeman, Cheyenne Jackson, Larry Kramer, Christine Lahti, John Lithgow, Rory O’Malley, Rob Reiner, Yeardley Smith and Bradley Whitford.
Michele Reiner and Oscar-winning producer Bruce Cohen (who worked with Black on Milk, for which Black won his screenwriting Oscar) were instrumental in pulling the cast together. The production is directed by Joe Mantello, best known for his work on Wicked and Angels in America.
Balaban will play U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker, who found Prop. 8 unconstitutional. Freeman and Lithgow will play David Boies and Theodore B. Olson, the two high-profile attorneys—one a Democrat and the other a Republican—retained by the Foundation for Equal Rights—to argue the case. Bomer and Jackson will play Jeff Zarrillo and Paul Katami, a gay couple who were two of the four plaintiffs challenging Prop. 8. Barkin will play Sandy Stier and Lahti will play Kris Perry – the other plaintiffs – a lesbian couple that have been together for eleven years and are the parents of four boys.
Organizers are hopeful that others throughout the country will take the script -- like theater groups did with Laramie Project and Vagina Monologues -- and use it to stage their own productions.
“By helping to share the story of the fight for equality, you become a part of it,” Griffin said. “The dark walls of discrimination are crumbling quickly -- this play shows why.”
Email: tinadaunt@gmail.com
Friday, 16 September 2011
An article from broadwayworld.com
[Source]
Dustin Lance Black's '8' Announces $40 Rush Tickets
Friday, September 16, 2011; Posted: 06:09 PM - by BWW News Desk
A limited number of $40 tickets to the World Premiere all-star staged reading of Dustin Lance Black's new play "8" will be released for public sale at 10:00AM Monday morning, September 19, 2011. Tickets will be sold at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street) until 6:00PM, and must be paid for by cash only. Tickets will be sold on a first-come first-served basis and are limited to two tickets per person.
"8," a new play chronicling the historic trial in the federal legal challenge to California's Proposition 8 will have its World Premiere on Broadway in a one night-only staged reading to benefit the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER). The play is written by AFER Founding Board Member and Academy Award-winning writer Dustin Lance Black and directed by two-time Tony Award-winning actor and director Joe Mantello. Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film Milk, 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.
The one night only Broadway staged reading stars Bob Balaban, Ellen Barkin, Matt Bomer, Campbell Brown, Anthony Edwards, K. Todd Freeman, Morgan Freeman, Jayne Houdyshell, Cheyenne Jackson, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Larry Kramer, Christine Lahti, Ken Leung, John Lithgow, Rory O'Malley, Rob Reiner, Ben Rosenfield, Kate Shindle, Yeardley Smith, Stephen Spinella and Bradley Whitford.
Following the New York debut on September 19th, AFER and Broadway Impact will license "8" to schools and community organizations nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue and understanding. AFER and Broadway Impact will coordinate these staged readings across the country, so that "8" will live on beyond its September premiere.
The story for "8" is framed by the trial's historic closing arguments in June 2010, but features the best arguments and witness testimony presented by both legal teams. Scenes include reenactments of many of the well-documented jaw-dropping moments of trial, such as the admission by the Prop. 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."
AFER prevailed in federal district court when, based on the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Chief Judge Walker concluded that California had no rational basis or vested interest in denying gays and lesbians marriage licenses and thus found Proposition 8 "unconstitutional" on August 4, 2010. It is currently under appeal by the anti-marriage proponents and is being expedited through the court system at a relatively rapid pace.
Unfortunately, the American public was not given a chance to witness the historic trial because the proponents of Proposition 8 launched a number of desperate attempts to forever hide the trial videotapes. Although the trial proceedings were open to the public, and all courtroom testimony and events were thoroughly documented, the trial video most vividly compares the weakness of the proponents' arguments to the well-reasoned, valid and constitutionally-based arguments and evidence put forth by AFER's renowned legal team, plaintiffs and expert witnesses.
The trial videotapes have been kept under seal due to a federal protective order. On August 29th, 2011, AFER's legal team made a strong case for the full and unedited release of the trial recordings at a hearing before Chief Judge Ware at US District Court. While a swift decision is expected from Chief Judge Ware, there is no guarantee that the trial footage will ever be available for the public to see. This is precisely the reason Black wrote "8."
Proceeds from the September 19th reading will go directly to the fight for full federal marriage equality and to support educational efforts on the freedom to marry nationwide.
Dustin Lance Black's '8' Announces $40 Rush Tickets
Friday, September 16, 2011; Posted: 06:09 PM - by BWW News Desk
A limited number of $40 tickets to the World Premiere all-star staged reading of Dustin Lance Black's new play "8" will be released for public sale at 10:00AM Monday morning, September 19, 2011. Tickets will be sold at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street) until 6:00PM, and must be paid for by cash only. Tickets will be sold on a first-come first-served basis and are limited to two tickets per person.
"8," a new play chronicling the historic trial in the federal legal challenge to California's Proposition 8 will have its World Premiere on Broadway in a one night-only staged reading to benefit the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER). The play is written by AFER Founding Board Member and Academy Award-winning writer Dustin Lance Black and directed by two-time Tony Award-winning actor and director Joe Mantello. Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film Milk, 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.
The one night only Broadway staged reading stars Bob Balaban, Ellen Barkin, Matt Bomer, Campbell Brown, Anthony Edwards, K. Todd Freeman, Morgan Freeman, Jayne Houdyshell, Cheyenne Jackson, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Larry Kramer, Christine Lahti, Ken Leung, John Lithgow, Rory O'Malley, Rob Reiner, Ben Rosenfield, Kate Shindle, Yeardley Smith, Stephen Spinella and Bradley Whitford.
Following the New York debut on September 19th, AFER and Broadway Impact will license "8" to schools and community organizations nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue and understanding. AFER and Broadway Impact will coordinate these staged readings across the country, so that "8" will live on beyond its September premiere.
The story for "8" is framed by the trial's historic closing arguments in June 2010, but features the best arguments and witness testimony presented by both legal teams. Scenes include reenactments of many of the well-documented jaw-dropping moments of trial, such as the admission by the Prop. 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."
AFER prevailed in federal district court when, based on the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Chief Judge Walker concluded that California had no rational basis or vested interest in denying gays and lesbians marriage licenses and thus found Proposition 8 "unconstitutional" on August 4, 2010. It is currently under appeal by the anti-marriage proponents and is being expedited through the court system at a relatively rapid pace.
Unfortunately, the American public was not given a chance to witness the historic trial because the proponents of Proposition 8 launched a number of desperate attempts to forever hide the trial videotapes. Although the trial proceedings were open to the public, and all courtroom testimony and events were thoroughly documented, the trial video most vividly compares the weakness of the proponents' arguments to the well-reasoned, valid and constitutionally-based arguments and evidence put forth by AFER's renowned legal team, plaintiffs and expert witnesses.
The trial videotapes have been kept under seal due to a federal protective order. On August 29th, 2011, AFER's legal team made a strong case for the full and unedited release of the trial recordings at a hearing before Chief Judge Ware at US District Court. While a swift decision is expected from Chief Judge Ware, there is no guarantee that the trial footage will ever be available for the public to see. This is precisely the reason Black wrote "8."
Proceeds from the September 19th reading will go directly to the fight for full federal marriage equality and to support educational efforts on the freedom to marry nationwide.
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Cast from "8"
[Source]
About “8”
“8,” a new play chronicling the historic trial in the federal legal challenge to California’s Proposition 8, written by American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) Founding Board Member and Academy-Award winning writer Dustin Lance Black and directed by Tony Award-winning actor and director Joe Mantello, will have its world premiere on Broadway in an exclusive, one-night-only fundraiser to benefit AFER at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on Monday, September 19, 2011.
The production is an unprecedented account of the federal District Court trial of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the case filed by AFER to overturn Prop. 8, which banned the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples in California.
Following the New York debut on September 19, AFER and fellow producer Broadway Impact will license “8” to schools and community organizations nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue and understanding. AFER and Broadway Impact will help produce these staged readings across the country, so that “8” will live on beyond its September premiere. If you represent a local theater interested in staging a production of “8,” email contact@broadwayimpact.com.
CAMPBELL BROWN (Broadcast Journalist) is an award-winning journalist who has covered stories around the globe for CNN and NBC News. Most recently, Brown hosted the primetime nightly news program, “Campbell Brown for CNN.” While at CNN, Brown won accolades for her political coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign. Brown was chosen to moderate and direct questions at two of the Presidential Debates during the 2008 election. Prior to CNN, Brown spent 11 years at NBC News where she served as White House Correspondent and primary substitute anchor for Brian Williams on “NBC Nightly News.” Brown also hosted the weekend edition of “The Today Show,” the nation’s top-rated weekend news program. She has interviewed and profiled world political and business leaders, including the last three sitting Presidents. Brown lives in New York City with her husband and two sons.
Monday, 17 May 2010
Temperamentals TalkOUTS - 11 Cheyenne Jackson & Michael Urie
One of my favourite actors, Michael Urie was in Temperamentals Talk OUTS
And an article from AfterElton.
And an article from AfterElton.
Cheyenne Jackson and Michael Urie Rip "Newsweek"'s Ramin Setoodeh For "Gays Can't Play Straight" Article
by Wayman Wong
When asked to comment on Ramin Setoodeh's recent article about how openly gay actors can't convincingly play heterosexual roles, Cheyenne Jackson and Michael Urie straight-out called the Newsweek entertainment writer an ''asshole'' who's ''unconscionable.'' The two out actors were speaking at a talkback after Monday's performance of The Temperamentals, Jon Marans' acclaimed Off-Broadway play about early gay rights activists in the 1950s.Cheyenne Jackson, Michael Urie
After moderator Frank DeCaro asked Jackson what he thought of Setoodeh's piece, the Broadway star of Finian's Rainbow and TV guest star of 30 Rock said:
It was infuriating on so many levels. Not only does [Setoodeh] say that a gay man can't play straight, he got personal, picking on Sean Hayes in Promises, Promises, [pointing out] certain scenes where he thinks [Sean] is stiff and uncomfortable. And then he picks on Jonathan Groff, who just came out. He's a young teen heartthrob [in Glee]. He's so talented and so delicious and needs our love and support. Instead, [Setoodeh] says he's not believable at all. It was very veiled self-loathing. Really upsetting.Urie, who stars in The Temperamentals as Viennese designer Rudi Gernreich, added:
Everytime we go forward, some asshole like this takes us back a bit. I was really glad that Kristin Chenoweth wrote what she did [in defense of her Promises, Promises co-star Sean Hayes and other openly gay actors]. She sent it to me before it went out and about. I was very proud of her. For me to stand up and say, 'F*ck you,' that's what you'd expect. But for someone like Kristin, she stands up for what she believes in and is very committed.
Look, I'm not from f*cking Vienna. We're all actors, and the audiences get it. When I saw Sean Hayes in Promises, Promises, it was a full house and everyone was completely in love with him. And I saw it at a Wednesday matinee full of tourists. They've all seen Sean in Will & Grace, and they loved him and believed in his relationship with Kristin. It worked.Jackson added: ''That's because when straight actors play gay, they're so 'brave.' Why is it so f*cking 'brave'? It's a part and he's a good actor. I hope we can get to the day where the best actor gets the part. End of story.''
And to attack, to quote Ugly Betty, someone [like Groff] recently 'hatched from the gay egg' is unconscionable and he should strung be [up]. [Groff] made everyone want him in Spring Awakening. And Cheyenne was f*cking Elvis in All Shook Up. He was sexy and hot. He's always playing straight. And people buy tickets to see him. No straight critics accuse Sean Penn of not being able to play Harvey Milk or [criticize] Tom Hanks in Philadelphia.
(Wong edits entertainment at the New York Daily News. From 2003-2006, he originated and wrote ''The Leading Men'' column for Playbill.com, and Jackson publicly came out in his Sept. 2004 profile of him.)
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