Cast Members of 8 to Appear on Morning Joe and MSNBC Live 9/19

"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) at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on Monday, September 19, 2011. That morning (tomorrow), two of the reading's stars will appear on MSNBC news programs to discuss their roles in "8."

Rob Reiner (AFER Board Member) will sit down with Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and Bradley Whitford will visit Thomas Roberts at "MSNBC Live" to discuss the one night-only reading and the political and social issues at stake in the Prop. 8 trial and Black's onstage portrayal of this defining moment in American history. "Morning Joe" will air Monday morning between 6:00am and 9:00am - Reiner's interview will air at approximately 8:15am; "MSNBC Live" will air Monday morning between 11:00am and 12:00pm - Whitford's interview will air in the 11:30am half-hour. MSBNC's "Morning Joe" and "MSNBC Live" air locally on Channel 14. Check local listings.

"8" 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.

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.

For more information including how to buy tickets, visit: www.afer.org/broadway8
For information on how your local theater can produce "8," visit:
www.BROADWAYIMPACT.com
Follow "8" on Twitter: @8theplay or on Facebook.

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