doing some good. we hope it's changing some lives. i could go on and on and on about this but i'm not. we'll have a little q and a session after this. can you hear me? i'm an actor, i don't need this. we'll answer questions about how it got going and what it's about. the way we start this out at the schools is i come out and introduce myself, introduce the guys a little bit, these are my students at sacramento city college then kick it off, hello, local celebrity, a guy from sacramento who does performances in poetry, he's an actor, he does rap music, all kinds of stuff, he doesn't juggle but he has a lot of

talent and i'm sure he could. now we'll go to the spoken word with lsg >> wow, once you learn something, you own it. you can share it, no one can take it from you. i want you to leave here with something today. i want you to leave here with some of our knowledge. we are a group of actors, rappers, dancers and poets and if they will allow them to, all of them will sing you a chorus. this is based on true, real life stories, stories about kids just like you. kids have to make decisions every day like who are you going to be friends with, paying attention in class or even showing up are

all choices you have to make every day. so i want you to pay attention to the choices that are made in this play so that later, when we come talk to you, you can tell us how you would handle these situations. so it's time for you to use your mind and listen so you can learn how to make the wise choice, the right choice, to be leaders instead of followers. did i forget to mention? the name of this play is the fall of (inaudible). drop dead.

>> what's up, what's up. >> welcome to the prologue. how are you doing out there? >> great. >> i said, how are you doing out there? all right, all right, now be quiet. we are here today to save your lives. maybe, it can happen, just listen. we're just like you, we're students. we got some students from john f. kennedy high school, and here we got some students from martin luther king junior high school out there. and we'd like to give a special shout out to assistant principal braxton. we'd like to present something for you to think about and then come to your groups and talk about it and hopefully we end

something and hopefully we don't end our lives in tragedy. this isn't tragedy like the ancient greeks used to do like sophocles and euripides. we have our principal characters and a greek chorus (music). >> i'm an ares, i'll be playing the role of the prince.

that's it for costumes, guys, we're on a tight budget. what makes a tragedy a tragedy? the ancient greeks would say it's from a king falls from grace. he was once a great king but a few scenes later he was blind and starving. it's the choices you make that determine your outcomes. now, before we begin i want you to guys to remember this story is based on true events. this is fictionalized. >> we didn't paint that on that wall. >> look at my store. every time someone paints on my wall, you show up. >> i'm sorry, but according to the city's ordinance. >> according to the ordinance, it costs over $200. you know who is doing it, what are you going to do to stop them. >> are you the police?

>> code enforcement. >> code enforcement, the garbage man, i don't care. i called over an hour ago. just because my door faces the boulevard these kids treat it like it's their own personal billboard or something. i mean, look at that. >> probably have to come down --. >> you going to write a citation. i can't believe this. i been victimized twice, first by the kids and then by code enforcement. >> please, can't you do something about it? this is the fifth time. we pay our taxes. >> yes, ma'am. you see, this is a bad situation. when private property is vandalized innocent people are stuck with the expense of fixing it and when public property is fixed, tax dollars are spent cleaning it up instead of providing other

services to the public. you want to know who's doing it? >> yes. >> (music). >> hey, check this out. i think that's ed. >> what you got? let me see. that you? >> what have you got? >> no way, man. >> no way, man. >> don't nobody believe you. if you are x, prove it. >> hey, sure looks like it to

me . >> oh, man, he's x >> let me see. well, well, well, can this be true. little danny plimpton is the infamous x how can they be, danny boy? why x, you trying to be malcolm x or dmx or racer x or something. >> my first name is xavier daniel plimpton. >> how did you get to the walking bridge on i-5. >> and the fire station over on 14th, how did you get all the way up there. >> didn't i tell y'all? spiderman is my cousin. >> man, i don't believe you. >> so the infamous x, serious,

i don't know x, i seen that tag before. seems to have a bad vibe. >> you mean like x marks the spot? >> no, like x finds the buried treasure. >> no, like x is a marked man. >> chill out, man, we just playing. >> i'm not lying, though, i think it means you are claiming something. >> you mean like some kind of gang? i'm not some kind of gangster. i don't want nothing from those gangsters. >> if tivo is right, you better be careful. >> some of your best art work is being crossed out. >> that's cool, i'll move on and do another. the q's, quality and quantity is my game. >> you better quit, spiderman.

guys like you, they got no back-up. >> true. i'll run with you guys. >> look, you can't decide you are kicking with us, we don't bang, we don't want nothing from your gang. >> you mean to tell me if a gang crossed you out, you do nothing. >> i do this for the fun, the thrill. you start banging, i'm quiting. >> the gang, x1, city-wide damage. i don't want any of that. >> we'll see, man, we'll see. (music). >> (inaudible) dangerous element but it's all about fun, right? until.

>> hey, mr. torrez, are you all right? >> they ran in, they grabbed all the money out of the register, they even grabbed a case of beer. >> i'll call the police. >> what is that going to do? that's it. you know they are coming back and next time i'm going to be ready. >> i'm worried about him. he can't sleep. he keeps hoping -- hopping out of bed every time he hears a sound. >> i know what you're going through. my boy would have graduated high school this year. >> i remember him. he was such a polite boy. just in the wrong place at the wrong time. another innocent victim of random violence.

>> why do so many children have guns anyway. isn't there anything we can do to stop it? >> i don't know. i just don't know. i guess all we can do is hope and pray. >> what is the value of a human life? maybe that's what we need to think about. the ancient greeks had a word for it i think may be part of the problem today, hubris they called it, excessive pride. it's what they called a character flaw, the kind of flaw that can bring down kings. (music). >> man, nice, nice, you do nice work, man. so what's up? cleanest tag ever, man, what you planning.

>> i'm not planning a thing. i'm trying to express myself. >> (inaudible). >> no, man, must be a misunderstanding. >> come on, we know they make all the new recruits do all the tagging, it's part of your initiation. >> i'm not planning anything. >> you know i'm really tired of your disrespect. >> you're x1? >> no one man is x1. >> this is a big mistake. >> shut up. (shouting) what's up, that part of your work? >> of course i am. i don't belong to x2, i'm x xavier.

>> looks like x to me. >> your pride is what's going to bring you down. now we got to do something. now we have to make an example out of you. >> help! help! help!. (music). >> so what's up, man? i was asleep when you called. >> there it is, what do you think. >> talking about the freeway. >> yeah, if we tag up there we're going to get a lot of respect. >> i don't know, man, sure

you're going to have enough room. >> look at the outline. >> you are not doing --. >> shut up. >> yeah, i am, he said i could. >> i ain't acting stupid. >> shut up, stupid. >> start right here and flow down the side down here. >> what's it going to be? going to be a masterpiece. >> check it out. after the outline going to do this area right here light blue and then put bill in big bold letters right there. >> oh, man, that's going to be tight. >> here comes crass with more paint. >> crass, i want you to do the top. >> this all the paint you brought, two cans of powder blue. >> this is ridiculous. >> what was that about x >> i was just asking if you guys seen him lately. >> this isn't fair. i need

more paint. >> where? >> no, wait, i think torrez is closed. you're going to have to go all the way to broadway. >> torrez is closed? no problem. i know another way in. >> why do you bother with him, man? he's dumb. >> we got to bring on the dumb ones, right? what were you saying about x >> have you guys seen him lately? >> no, man, why. >> i saw his mom talking to the police. said he hasn't been seen in two days. >> maybe he went to disneyland. >> his mom was crying. he looked in the alley and then on the way over here, a car pulled up on me, i'm carrying ought all this paint but all he did

was ask a bunch of questions about x >> we gonna do this or not? >> chill out, we got all night. >> what are you doing out so late. >> does your mother know you're not in school. >> school? >> come on, boys, let's go. >> all right, just be careful. >> all right, who's gonna go first. >> i'll go first then you, hey --. >> no, i got it.

(music) (screaming) (sound of police sirens). . >> the question has come up, choices have to be made. >> mrs. torrez >> i'm sorry, i have to go. >> mrs. torrez, how are you holding up? >> i'm fine, thank you. >> how's mr. torrez >> he's doing his best, still trying to raise bail. >> first they murder and then on the very same day. >> that was no accident. my husband shot that poor boy down in cold blood when he bought

that gun he carried it with him everywhere hoping something would happen. he had so much rage. now he just sits there and barely speaks. he knew that boy. the one they call ill, he knew him since he was a small boy. but it was dark and all he could see was someone coming through the window. why must there be so many guns? >> i don't know. i don't know. >> and then those boys, paul, the one they call pratt, falling to his death from a freeway overpass. what was he doing out there so late at night. >> the kid was climbing up the freeway sign to tag it and lost his footing. they said he was hit by two cars. >> does life mean nothing any more? what can be done?

(music). >> all right, listen up. this ain't kid stuff any more. this is war. everybody attack, all

the gangs beating on us, now it's time we take back the hood. we're going to tag it up big and reclaim the store. my cousin coming strapped for back-up so if anything happens. >> hey, what's up, man? >> what y'all planning. >> we hit them back and we hit them hard. >> listen to me, all of you. go home. go home before you get yourselves killed. >> what are you talking about? >> can't you see what's going on in your own hood? you think we're going to let that happen? no, i'm not. >> come on, tibo, you're a leader. >> yeah, but i also want to (inaudible). >> i want to lead as many of these kids out of here as i can. >> we ain't playing no more, this is real. three of our

kids are dead now. >> a coward would stay home and let you get shot over something stupid. >> go home and lead. the rest of us got work to do. >> you don't have to do this. you don't have to buy this kind of trouble. you can good a little further and do the right thing. >> what's that? >> i don't know, but it ain't this. this is negative. kids die young over this kind of stuff. >> we're in a war. >> no you're not. >> it's a stupid war, then. go home, all of y'all. go home now!. >> hey, come back here right now. come back here right now. that's it, heat, you ain't my folk. >> i am your folk. >> you ain't my folk. >> i am your best friend. i

can take that but i'm not going to your funeral, man. i ain't going to no more funerals. >> come back. >> let's look at what happens to (inaudible) and tibo >> yo >> what's up, man? >> not much, man. what you been up to since last we talked? >> i just been thinking a lot about what you said. >> i didn't mean to come off so hard. >> that's just it, you were right. do the right thing. i'm heading to college, art class. >> go ahead, i'm proud of you,

man. >> bad boys, bad boys. >> believe it or not, for a tragedy, it does have a happy ending but it raises some questions to talk about like what is the value of your human life. what can you do as an individual who live a positive life? where does that begin? how will you choose? before we come to talk to you about it, i think you need to hear this.

(music). >> now is question and answer time. well done. make some noise for wild and done. (applause). >> anybody have questions?

any questions? >> what we did was i scoured basically the internet and found stories throughout the country and a lot of these stories that we weave together did come from sacramento. for example, jacob over here who was playing bill went in to a store to try to steal some paint and that actually did happen in sacramento, where they broke in, the guy was upstairs, he was the owner, he was being, you know, vandalized or stolen from and the kid got shot just for some containers of liquor. when we say these things happened, we did weave them together. is there a question back there?

>> i was wondering on your personal opinion on the beating. >> our personal on gravanis, the whole thing is it's permission based. now, i know a lot of artists go out there and do gravanis art with permission, murals, commissioned art. for us that's not a big deal. there are a lot of murals in sacramento and san francisco that is all permission based. for us, we're kind of a sdae zero tolerance city in sacramento. you go out and you vandalize something, that's a crime. that's how we view that in our city. >> i tell them it's art, you

got to express yourself but you cannot damage other people's property. i usually say how many of you have a little brother or sister, you don't want to teach them to steal. how do you feel when they mess up your stuff? that's how i approach it. >> also we try to leave that at the end where tibo, played by anthony over here, that's basically how the character evolves throughout the play, being this leader of this crew and, you know, he kind of teaches everybody but says, yeah, you have a leader but i ain't going to do what you are going to do. robert over here who plays damage, he's the antagonist. he's kind of damaged but at the end, you know, these guys, oh, hey, you know what, you gt a talent,