Marriage equality hits home for all-star cast

Marriage equality hits home for all-star cast

Producers Kate Whitbread and Spencer McLaren’s all-star cast of Australian performers for the upcoming Sydney and Melbourne readings of Dustin Lance Black’s acclaimed play 8 includes Rachel Griffiths, Magda Szubanski, Lisa McCune and Daniel McPherson.

The play details the US Federal Court case where pro- and anti-gay marriage foes faced off over the Proposition 8 ballot measure which stripped gay and lesbian couples of the freedom to marry in California.

MacPherson told the Star Observer his interest in the work was initially piqued during a trip to Los Angeles earlier this year.

“I was in the US when the LA reading was staged, and I saw the impact it had — particularly the impact of having people like George Clooney and Brad Pitt involved,” he said.

“Zoe [Ventoura, his partner] and I were living in the heart of West Hollywood with some very dear friends who desperately wanted to get married but couldn’t.

“When the email came through asking if I wanted to be involved, I didn’t even read the full thing. I just replied with ‘Yes, what can I do?’.”

MacPherson and co will participate in Bruce Myles-directed readings of the play at Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre on June 8 and at Sydney Town Hall on June 9. The cast will have roughly a week of rehearsal time beforehand, ensuring a polished delivery of the material.

All profits from the events will support Australian Marriage Equality and its fight to end marriage discrimination in Australia.

“The calibre of performers the project has drawn has shown how important the issue is,” MacPherson said.

“It is a landmark case, and a landmark time in history. And it’s a current global issue — the events on stage happened in 2010, not the ’70s or the ’80s.

“This is an exciting time for us as Australians to make our voices heard. Hopefully the play will help people to make up their own minds and empower themselves with knowledge.”

INFO: www.showbiz.com.au

Pictured: Bradd Pitt in a US reading of the play.

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