Matthew Morrison, Jesse Tyler Ferguson join ‘8’ reading

Convincing major actors to commit to a theater project in Los Angeles isn’t always the easiest sell. But “8,” the play by Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, is proving to be the exception to the rule, with a cast that will feature George Clooney and a host of television stars including Matthew Morrison of “Glee” and Jesse Tyler Ferguson of “Modern Family.”

“8,” which will have a one-night reading at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on March 3, deals with the 2010 federal court case Perry vs. Schwarzenegger, which sought to overturn Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that outlawed same-sex marriage in California. The performance will serve as a benefit for the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the nonprofit group that brought the case to court.

The play reading, which is expected to raise $2 million, also shines a light on the fundraising needs of an organization that is waging an expensive and ongoing court battle. The judge in the case ruled that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional, but the decision has been appealed.

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Morrison, who plays Will Schuester on “Glee,” said in an interview that he had been working with Black on a separate screen project when the writer asked him to join the reading of “8.”

“I grew up in theater and I have a lot of gay friends who’ve gotten married,” Morrison said during a break from taping an episode of “Glee.” Morrison will play Paul Katami, one of the plaintiffs. Jane Lynch, his “Glee” co-star, will play Maggie Gallagher, co-founder of National Organization for Marriage, a group that is working to fight the legalization of same-sex marriage.

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