8

For his intensely emotional play, screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (J. EDGAR) draws on actual transcripts of the 2010 trial that examined the unconstitutionality of California's notorious Proposition 8, which eliminated the rights of same-sex couples to marry. At turns comical and deeply upsetting, the play is beautifully cast--from Brad Pitt's subtle Chief Judge Walker to George Clooney's gentlemanly attorney, Boies. Jane Lynch's expert portrayal of Maggie Gallagher (National Organization for Marriage) is downright maddening, and Chris Colfer's reading of Ryan Kendall will make you desperate to go home and hug your kids. But the trial isn't the crux of this story. Instead, it is the portrayals of the Perry family (Jamie Lee Curtis, Christine Lahti, Jansen Panettiere, and Bridger Zadina) that are the most authentic, the most tender, the most crucial to understanding why everyone, regardless of political leaning, should hear this stunning production. A.H.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Starred review from May 28, 2012
Recorded in front of a live audience in Los Angeles, this full-cast, all-star production of Black’s play chronicles the efforts of the American Federation for Equal Rights to overturn Proposition 8, the state constitutional amendment that eliminated the rights of same-sex couples to marry in California. Directed by Rob Reiner and featuring outstanding performances from the likes of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen, Kevin Bacon, Jamie Lee Curtis, John C. Reilly, and Jane Lynch (just to name a few), this audiobook provides an inside look at the historical trial that overturned Prop 8. Among the standout performances are Clooney and Sheen as attorneys David Bois and Theodore B. Olson, respectively, Lynch as the fiery Maggie Gallagher, and Pitt as evenhanded Chief Judge Vaughn Walker. Educational, affecting, funny, and absolutely gripping, this important audiobook should be required listening for all Americans.

Starred review from June 1, 2012

Academy Award-winning screenwriter Black dramatizes the lawsuit filed by the American Federation for Equal Rights on behalf of gay and lesbian citizens against the State of California following the passage of Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment rendering same-sex marriages illegal. The dialog comes directly from court transcripts and interviews with the plaintiffs. Rob Reiner directs a stellar cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon, Martin Sheen, John C. Reilly, Christine Lahti, and Jamie Lee Curtis in this live production recorded in March. The scenes alternate between the courtroom and a married lesbian couple there discussing the trial with their children. This is powerful stuff, handled with finesse and honest emotion by Reiner and his Hollywood heavyweights. Although Clooney and company deliver top performances, Sheen brings down the house with a three-minute speech that will leave listeners breathless. VERDICT A monumentally important topic presented stylishly by an all-star cast. This superb production deserves a standing ovation. Listeners interested in marriage equality will be enthralled. [A full-length video of the production is available on YouTube.--Ed.]--Mike Rogers, Library Journal

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