Brad Pitt, George Clooney act in Prop 8 play

(CBS News) For one night only, many of Hollywood's biggest names were together in Los Angeles in a one-time-only benefit performance. But the issue that united them remains divisive in much of the country: same sex marriage.

Brad Pitt, Jane Lynch, Kevin Bacon, Martin Sheen, George Clooney and others performed a play about a real-life court case that challenged Proposition 8, California's ban on same-sex marriage.

Prop 8 play to be broadcast on YouTube
Pictures: Brad Pitt
Pictures: George Clooney

The performance was a reversal of sorts as some openly gay members of the cast read the testimony of those opposed to same sex marriage.

The real trial took place in San Francisco in 2010 and stretched over weeks. The entire trial was recorded, but the court has kept the video sealed. The Hollywood version directed by Rob Reiner called "8" lasted for about 90 minutes and has now been posted put on YouTube.

For those involved in the case on both sides, it's far from over with an appeal likely headed to the biggest legal stage: the U.S. Supreme Court.

For more on the performance and the real-life trial, watch the video in the player above.

John Blackstone

From his base in San Francisco, CBS News correspondent John Blackstone covers breaking stories throughout the West. That often means he is on the scene of wildfires, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and rumbling volcanoes. He also reports on the high-tech industry in Silicon Valley and on social and economic trends that frequently begin in the West.