Black told Entertainment Weekly that he removed some of the "redundant" legal arguments from the original version and developed the plaintiffs' side. He explained, "I felt after the New York version that I wanted to know the plaintiffs more...[so] I added more personal stories. Really, in the end, it's the personal stories that change people's minds."
Rob Reiner directed the reading and, along with Black, is one of the founding board members of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, one of the main organizations behind the Prop 8 case as well as the evening's performance. Reiner told the AP that over 200,000 people watched the live stream. He added that Black condensed weeks of trial transcripts into this play because groups funding the defense of Prop 8 have successfully prevented video recordings of the 2010 federal trial from being broadcast. In February, the Nine Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional, but anti-gay marriage advocates are expected to take the case to a higher court.
Watch video of the event below.
