This was above and beyond what I expected. The play, “8”, is not only from the transcripts of the actual closing arguments of the trial, but it manages to be entertaining, funny, accurate, serious, and heart-wrenching. I wasn’t able to watch it live, and when I did watch it, I had to break it up into at least 3 different sessions, because I’m still not quite able to concentrate for very long. And this play deserves every bit of your concentration – you won’t want to miss a moment of it. I also think that every person cast in this play was so very perfect for their part, and they did an amazing job.
The people I most want to share “8” with are the friends and acquaintances who sometimes express doubt about whether all of the activism and fighting for our rights is getting us anywhere; the people who feel so beaten down by the way things have been that they don’t see the bright, shiny light at the end of the tunnel. Seeing this piece of our history reenacted will bring you hope, and will help you see that the tide has turned, and equal rights, including marriage, is going to happen. This is our future.
No matter who you are, I beg of you that you watch just the first 10 minutes of the play, and see how you feel about it then.
The actual play starts at 29:30 (if you use the “skip ahead” button, you’ll miss a tiny bit). I would suggest that you also watch the highlight and news clips that begin at 17:50. It will remind you, not only of the story as it was presented to the public as the trial happened, but of who the real people involved were. You can watch the video directly on YouTube, or just click play below.
Saintless 