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8

By: Dustin Lance Black
Narrated by: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen, Kevin Bacon, Jamie Lee Curtis, John C. Reilly, Jane Lynch
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Publisher's summary

An unconstitutional proposition.
An unprecedented decision.
An all-star cast.

Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Martin Sheen, 8 is written by Academy Award winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk, J. Edgar) and directed by acclaimed actor and director Rob Reiner.

The play is a powerful account of the case filed by the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) in the U.S. District Court in 2010 to overturn Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that eliminated the rights of same-sex couples to marry in the state of California. Framed around the trial's historic closing arguments in June 2010, 8 provides an intimate look what unfolded when the issue of same-sex marriage was on trial.

A full-cast performance featuring:

George Clooney as David Boies
Brad Pitt as Chief Judge Vaughn Walker
Martin Sheen as Theodore B. Olson
Kevin Bacon as Charles Cooper
Jamie Lee Curtis as Sandy Stier
Christine Lahti as Kris Perry
John C. Reilly as David Blankenhorn
Jane Lynch as Maggie Gallagher
Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Dr. Ilan Meyer
Matthew Morrison as Paul Katami
Chris Colfer as Ryan Kendall
Yeardley Smith as Dr. Nancy Cott
Matt Bomer as Jeff Zarrillo
George Takei as Dr. William Tam
Rory O’Malley as Dr. Gregory Herek
Cleve Jones as Evan Wolfson
James Pickens, Jr. as Dr. Gary Segura
Jansen Panettiere as Elliott Perry
Bridger Zadina as Spencer Perry
Vanessa Garcia as Clerk
Campbell Brown as Broadcast Journalist

Directed by Rob Reiner. Recorded before a live audience at the Wilshire Ebell Theater, Los Angeles, on March 3, 2012.

©2012 L.A. Theatre Works (P)2012 L.A. Theatre Works
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What listeners say about 8

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A Relevant (unfortunate) Time-Capsule

Would you consider the audio edition of 8 to be better than the print version?

An audio edition, such as this one, might be superior to a print edition but certainly wouldn't prove superior to a live night at the theatre.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Martin Sheen was -ON-FIRE-.

What aspect of the narrators’s performance would you have changed?

Pitt, Clooney, and Sheen stand out. Each member of the cast performed their individual roles well, but as an ensemble they fell flat. Sometimes very flat.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"A Dark Moment in Human History...Hopefully Behind Us Forever"

Any additional comments?

Dustin Lance Black is a name to look for .

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So Appropriate for today's headlines on Marriage

Since this issue is such a hot topic nationally, it seemed appropriate to listen to this play which recounts the final arguments over the validity of California's Proposition 8. This play seems much like what is going on right now in the Supreme Court deciding on whether the nation should embrace the right for LGBT community to have the same access to marriage that heterosexuals are allowed. I feel as if this play is a compelling listen to anyone whom is wanting to be informed of the struggle of gays and lesbians for equal rights. Kudos goes out to LA Theater Works and Audible for presenting this program.

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3 people found this helpful

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Love the performers

This is a dramatization of some of the court transcripts from the California Prop 8 case that ultimately saw the demise of Prop 8's hate and illogic in favor of legalized gay marriage in California. The win doesn't mean that we've won everywhere, however, but the actors in this are having a great time performing all the different pro and con players in the case, and the audience loves it. This has great energy, humor, and moments of deep sorrow for those who have had to wait so long to finally be allowed to marry. But it also gives the rest of us hope who don't have marriage yet.

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Important Topic / Medium Questionable

Nothing bad to say about this read, but I found that the audiobook wasn't a great medium for it. Be wary of that and seek instead a live or visual performance, if available.

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gives me hope for humanity!

this was so inspirational to listen to! The actual performance is quite short, only about half of the recording time. The rest is interviews with the cast, director and screenwriter, and lawyers involved in the actual case.
The only difficulty I had was sometimes to identify who was speaking. Not being a big movie fan, I do not immediately recognize the voices of the actors, even if they are big names. But with context I figured out what was happening.
I didn't follow along the Proposition 8 case as it happened, but after listening to this, I sure am following the developments now as the US heads towards another election.

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I'm in the Squad!

As a queer person, I was cheering throughout this whole thing HOWEVER I couldn't hide how shocked I was at how thin and flimsy the argument on the other side was. I think this could be very eye-opening to people who may not know much about the cause.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Looking forward to a rework after SCOTUS arguments

In 2008, 52% of California voters approved Proposition 8 - "Only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." That promptly ended a period of a few months in California when same sex couples could, and did, marry.

'8' is dramatization of the arguments heard by Judge Vaughan Walker (Brad Pitt) of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in a case called Hollingsworth v. Perry.

'8' has a stunning cast. Martin Sheen was especially impassioned playing former Solicitor General Theodore B. Olson. George Clooney was played the more low-key David Boies. The dramatization was a reading, not a play. The actors used scripts, their was no blocking, and the reading was in front of a live LA Theater Works audience.

Do Olson and Boies sound familiar? They are the top constitutional lawyers in the United States, and were on opposite political sides in Bush v. Gore. Both men set aside their political differences to support marriage equality. There's an interview at the end that's enlightening.

The US Supreme Court (SCOTUS, for Supreme Court of the United States) will hear arguments on Hollingsworth v. Perry, and will answer the questions "Whether the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits the State of California from defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman; and (2) whether petitioners have standing under Article III, § 2 of the Constitution in this case."

These are the finest attorneys who can argue this issue before SCOTUS, and I am looking forward to Dustin Lance Black's update.

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8 is a 10!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

8 is a perfect example of those great dialogue-driven dramas of the radio stories our grandparents enjoyed.

What other book might you compare 8 (Dramatized) to and why?

Great courtroom dramas like Inherit The Wind and Judgement At Nuremberg excel because they are based on actual trials.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I felt like a member of the jury at the first line.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitely!

Any additional comments?

This story depicts the real-life stories of those involved with the same-sex marriage issue.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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AAA+ Performances

Would you listen to 8 again? Why?

Yes

Who was your favorite character and why?

All of them

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

The characters and events are real and the star studded re-enactments made this a very powerful and enjoyable listening experience.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The same sex couples who really have gotten the s*t-end of the stick thanks to our very outdated laws and policies.

Any additional comments?

I wasn't that interested in the same sex debate. But now I get it. Equal rights, let's go.

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Eyes opened

I had know idea how weak the case to overrule 8 was. Working in healthcare, I see and know how much the recognition of spouse is used. To be able to make critical health decisions about the one you love or to be able to ask about details of their condition is part of the partnership that marriage offers. I am a conservative republican and still believe I man and a woman, but if I am going to be a Christian, it is not my place to judge or ask God why these two women or two men cannot have the greatest commandment and that is of love.
If I ever have the opportunity to be able to read or act in this play, especially in NC, it would be an honor. Thank you for this gift of knowledge and wonderful production.

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