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<strong><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE ANNOUNCES CASTING OF DUSTIN LANCE BLACK’S “8”</span></strong><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><br>
</span><em><span style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Government, Arts, and Community Leaders Take the Stage in<o:p></o:p></span></em></p>
<p align="center" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center">
<em><span style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">One-Night-Only Reading of Marriage Equality Play
<o:p></o:p></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>CLEVELAND, OH (June 10, 2013) </b>–<b> Cleveland Play House</b>, with license from the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact, will produce a one-night-only staged reading of
<i>“8,”</i> 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.
<b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>“8</i>” is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in
<em><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Perry v. Schwarzenegger</span></em> (now<em><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""> Hollingsworth v. Perry</span></em>), the case filed by AFER to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and
lesbian Californians of the fundamental freedom to marry. The Supreme Court will hand down a decision on the constitutionality of this case in this month.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The reading will be held in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, Sunday, June 30, 2013 at 5:00 pm. Tickets are on sale now, at two levels: $25 public ticket (includes reading and post-show discussion), and a limited number of $100 premium
tickets (includes priority seating for the reading, post-discussion and a private reception with cast and special guests). All net proceeds will be shared equally between the American Foundation for Equal Rights and the Cleveland chapter of Parents, Families,
and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). Call 216-241-6000 or visit <i>clevelandplayhouse.com
</i>to purchase tickets. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The 21-person cast of the Cleveland Play House production will feature community leaders including Senator
<b>Nina Turner</b>, Cleveland City Councilman<b> Joe Cimperman</b>, Cash Mob creator<b> Andrew Samtoy</b>, and
<b>Christopher “Kory” Beale </b>of Cleveland’s New 102 (102.1FM), along with many prominent local actors. Contributing personal video messages will be Senator<b> Sherrod Brown, Chad Griffin -
</b>President, Human Rights Campaign, and <b>Rory O’Malley, </b>Lakewood native, Tony Award nominee and co-founder of Broadway Impact.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>Complete “8” Cast (In Alphabetical Order):<o:p></o:p></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Catherine Albers<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Heather Anderson Boll <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Christopher "Kory" Beale, of Cleveland's New 102<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Councilman Joe Cimperman<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Celeste Consentino<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jeffrey Grover<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Joel Hammer<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX">David Hansen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX">Charles Kartali<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX">Dan Kilbane<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sarah Kinsey<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Peter Lawson Jones<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Michael Mauldin<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cameron McKendry<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Chris Richards<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Andrew Samtoy<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Scott Spence<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Miles Sternfeld<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Senator Nina Turner<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Beth Wood<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jimmie Woody<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Post-Performance Discussion</u></b><b><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moderator: <b>Dan Moulthrop - </b>CEO, The City Club of Cleveland<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Panelists: <b>Tim Downing - </b>National Board of Directors, Human Rights Campaign and
<b>Aliya Rahman: </b>Field Director, Equality Ohio. <i>(Third panelist TBA)</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To purchase tickets, call 216-241-6000 or visit clevelandplayhouse.com.<b>
</b>For information on how your local theater can produce <strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">“8</span></strong><em><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">,</span></em><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">”</span></strong>
visit: <a href="http://www.8theplay.com">www.8theplay.com</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Follow <strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">“8”</span></strong>on Twitter:
<a href="http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=866141&destination=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2F%23%21%2F8theplay">
@8theplay</a> or on <a href="http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=&msgid=0&act=11111&c=866141&destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2F8-the-Play%2F139474492802776%23%21%2Fpages%2F8-the-Play%2F139474492802776%3Fsk%3Dwall">
Facebook</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black">Ed Gilchrist<br>
</span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Director of Marketing and Communications</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Cleveland Play House</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">1901 E. 13th Street, Suite 200</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Cleveland, OH 44114</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">216.400.7020</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><br>
<a href="mailto:egilchrist@clevelandplayhouse.com"><span style="color:blue">egilchrist@clevelandplayhouse.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><a href="http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com/"><span style="color:purple">clevelandplayhouse.com<br>
</span></a></span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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