“8” is a play written by Dustin Lance Black which chronicles the federal trial for marriage equality in California, known as Proposition 8. It actually uses transcripts from the suit which was brought by two same sex couples. As such, the reading felt a lot like a real trial… which sometimes felt a bit more like a lesson in the law rather than a play. Aside from the actors reading the transcripts there were also small “interludes” where we witnessed the actors portraying the couples who filed the suit as they relayed some of their personal feelings and stories.

Randy played the role of Evan Wolfson and reporter. He had one of these “interludes” where for about a grand total of three minutes he argued with another reporter who was associated with a defense of marriage group. She spoke, he spoke, she interrupted, and he told her to stop interrupting. He also tried to change the subject… apparently some of the woman’s tactics were under investigation in several states.

And that was it!

The reading lasted about 90 minutes… There was a Q & A session after the play and I was more than a little surprised that Randy was one of about 5 actors who stayed! He was asked by the moderator to relay some personal experiences with people who may not agree with the idea of marriage equality. I did actually record this part on my phone, but since I was not very close to the stage, and the fact that Randy seemed to be fighting some kind of cold or maybe allergies, it was very difficult to hear his response. His voice was a bit rough, he was coughing a bit and he sounded a bit nasal… I will try and clean up the vid tomorrow.

The pictures are also from the Q&A, and once again they were taken with my phone, so quality is not the best. But you can plainly see that Randy looked great… The suit was his nice beige with the subtle blue striping through it; the shirt was a soft looking cotton in baby blue. He wore dark brown dress shoes and navy blue socks. His hair was combed perfectly and he kept sliding those glasses up!

Sorry we didn’t get to see him do more, but it was still great fun and it was for a very good cause. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to attend the pre-play reception. Look for some professional pics to surface, as there was a photo set-up in the lobby.