On March 3, the YouTube live streaming of the play 8 came to life with a star-studded cast, headed by Brad Pitt and George Clooney. The play reenacted the Federal District court trial that questioned the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8. Proposition 8 is also known as the California Marriage Protection Act, which defines marriage as a contract between a man and a woman and, in effect, bans gay marriage.

Even before this play, both Pitt and Clooney have expressed support for the gay rights movement. Pitt has been famously quoted for saying that he will only marry Angelina Jolie when everyone is allowed to marry whoever they want. In 2008, Clooney spoke out against Proposition 8, saying, "At some point in our lifetime, gay marriage won't be an issue, and everyone who stood against this civil right will look as outdated as George Wallace standing on the school steps keeping James Hood from entering the University of Alabama because he was black."

According to BBC News, the play was written by Dustin Lance Black, an Academy Award–winning screenwriter, and directed by Rob Reiner, an Oscar-nominated director and co-founder of the American Foundation for Equal Rights. Other Hollywood stars who took part in the play were John C. Reilly (Chicago, Magnolia), Jaime Lee Curtis (True Lies, Freaky Friday), and Jane Lynch (Glee, The L Word).

In an interview on Reuters.com, Jane Lynch said, "I hope that there are some people who tuned in because they're interested in seeing George Clooney, they're interested in seeing Brad Pitt be a judge and in the process got moved and now understand that it's a big part of the civil rights puzzle that needs to be in place."

You can watch the entire play below:

(Screencap via YouTube)