Richard Dreyfuss, Lance Bass, Annette O'Toole and More to Headline San Diego Reading of '8', 11/19

Production & Celebrity Entertainment, 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 an unprecedented 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 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.

The San Diego, one night only benefit reading of "8" will be staged on Monday November 19th 2012 at 7:30PM at the historic Birch North Park Theatre (2891 University Avenue San Diego, CA 92104). Net proceeds from the reading will benefit the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and will feature a cast of high profile celebrity actors.

Scheduled to appear are Lance Bass (NSYNC), Richard Dreyfuss (Academy Award-Winner), Annette O'Toole (Academy Award-nominee, TV's Smallville), and Bruce Vilanch (Emmy Award-winning Comic, Hollywood Squares), as well as San Diego's best local talent. Beloved San Diegans; City Councilman Todd Gloria will read the part of Judge Vaughn Walker and Lisa Sanders will read the part of Court Clerk. More celebrities will be announced in the coming weeks. The play will be directed by San Diego Theatre Critics Circle award winner, Brian Wells. Immediately following the reading, there will be a short talk back session featuring marriage equality advocates including writer Dustin Lance Black, Honorable Mayor of San Diego, Jerry Sanders, and other very special guests. The San Diego reading of "8" is sponsored in part by Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, Merrill Lynch and Imperial Court de San Diego. More cast members to be announced shortly.

Tickets are available by calling the Birch North Park Theatre box office at 619.239.8836 or online at www.birchnorthparktheatre.net. Tickets START at $19.50. A limited amount of VIP tickets will be available for $75.00 each. VIP tickets include preferred seating and access to Meet and Greet (scheduled for 6:00PM Monday November 19th) with the cast and special guests.

Special Guest Speakers at Talk-back Session
Dustin Lance Black
Honorable Jerry Sanders, Mayor of San Diego

PRODUCTION TEAM
Gregory Cruz, Producer
Brian Wells, Director
Jeannette Thomas, Assistant Director
Jennifer Wheeler Kahn, Stage Manager
Joe Altbaum, Associate Producer

Additional information can be found at www.pcebookings.com. The official production listing can be viewed HERE.

"8" had its much-heralded Broadway world premiere on September 19, 2011, at the sold-out Eugene O'Neill Theatre in New York City. The production brought in over $1 million to support AFER's efforts to achieve full federal marriage equality.

"8" had its West Coast premiere reading at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Saturday, March 3, 2012, in Los Angeles. The West Coast premiere reading of "8" featured an all-star cast led by Golden Globe Award-winner and Academy and Emmy Award-nominee Brad Pitt as United States District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker; and Academy and Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee George Clooney and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Martin Sheen as Plaintiffs' lead co-counsel David Boies and Theodore B. Olson. The benefit reading was directed by AFER Founding Board Member Rob Reiner, and raised more than $2 million for the fight to secure full federal marriage equality.

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