The L8est

A few months ago, I wrote about "8: The Play," a theatrical piece written by Dustin Lance Black, based on the transcripts of the Proposition 8 trial in California. I noted the all-star reading that can be viewed online, but also commented that local stagings of the play are occurring all over the country. One such reading took place tonight here in Denver, at the Denver Center Theater Company.

Going back to my high school days, I was able to shadow several play rehearsals at the Denver Center, and got to meet several of the actors working there. It's nearly 20 years later, and many of those actors are no longer part of the company. But a few of them are, and some of those were part of tonight's staged reading. So while it's true that I didn't get to see the likes of Martin Sheen, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Kevin Bacon performing live for my entertainment, I did get to see some performances by a few actors I have at least a slightly closer connection to.

I've watched that big LA performance online a few times. I also bought the audio recording, and have listened to that many times more. So watching the live reading tonight was an interesting study in how different actors interpret the same material. And while I've certainly seen different casts stage plays I like in different ways on other occasions, there was an extra added layer here to knowing that the bulk of this play was taken straight from the actual court transcripts, using the words the actual trial participants said. And seeing what a difference this made demonstrated all the more clearly how sad it was that the Supreme Court ruled to prohibit the distribution of the actual trial footage. What could be better than seeing it all exactly as it truly happened?

I don't want to get too much into comparing and contrasting Denver local actors to A-list Hollywood celebrities. But it was interesting to note, for example, how DCTC regular Kathleen Brady served up a trial judge much more probing, even snide and caustic, than I'd heard in the widely distributed recording. As plaintiffs' attorney David Boies, actor Sam Gregory found a good deal more humor in the role than I'd perceived before. Of course, this was a staged reading done with very little rehearsal, so some of the other performances weren't crisp or polished -- but in most cases, the words still rang through with sharp clarity.

This was a one night only event, so unfortunately I can't tell everyone to go out and see it. But I can reiterate that I found it a great experience even already knowing the play quite well. So I'll end this post as I ended my last on 8, by encouraging all my readers to check out the play's official website, to see if there's a local performance happening any time soon in your area. It's well worth it.