JU students invited to attend showing of “8” for free at UNF Nov. 30

Jacksonville University students can attend for free a Nov. 30 production of “8,” a play using actual court transcripts to document the historic California Supreme Court case on gay marriage that was at the center of the battle over Amendment 8. 

Steven Lance Stoll, a JU adjunct professor who teaches social sciences in the Accelerated Degree Program, obtained the rights to the stage reading from the non-profit Broadway Impact. The play, to be staged at 8 p.m. at the University of North Florida’s Robinson Theatre, is free for high school and college students with ID, and $25 and $35 for others for reserved seating. All proceeds go to the American Foundation for Equal Rights and the UNF LGBT Resource Center. 

“Since it is a historical event, we’d like to invite professors and students to attend and encourage history, sociology, anthropology, political science and other disciplines to encourage students to attend,” Stoll said via email.  “This is a play written from the transcripts of the Supreme Court case in California. Most of what is read is taken directly from court testimony.” 

From the play’s website: 

Uncover the truth about marriage for gay and lesbian Americans. “8”—a new play by Academy-award winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk, J. Edgar)—demystifies the debate around marriage equality by chronicling the landmark trial of Perry v. Schwarzenegger. Learn about the historical context of marriage from expert testimony. See the human cost of discrimination. Uncover the arguments used to justify bans on marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Using the actual court transcripts from the landmark federal trial of California’s Prop. 8 and first-hand interviews, “8” shows both sides of the debate in a moving 90-minute play. 

For more on the play, visit http://www.8theplay.com.