āThatās the point of Art, right? To reflect the world? To take something raw, painful, maybe even hopeless, and make it beautiful?ā
Ā Ā Ā I have never felt so devastated about the cancellation of a TV show. Like I donāt even know how to react. And no one in my house understands why Iām so upset. They think Iām being overdramatic.
Ā Which in all honesty, maybe I am.
Ā Ā Ā But if anything deserves an overdramatic reaction, itās the cancellation of RISE- because it is so important. I know some people probably expect this to be some narrative of how it brought the importance of performance arts to the attention of the masses, and I know I could go on and on about the representation it has and how important that is too. But this show is doing so much more than that. Weāve had TV shows which have portrayed performance arts programs, like Fame and Glee, but while they were great- RISE IS REAL. I know a lot have people have said that, but it is so true. When I talk about RISE, I mention thereās a musical in it, but I canāt shut up about all the amazing storylines and how every single one of them means something that is so much bigger than whether thereās representation for performance arts.
(Also, I could talk about how theatre programs and other performance arts programs are actually really beneficial for education and human development- but I wonāt.)
The most important part of RISE is, as previously mentioned, it is so REAL.
Every storyline is something that has happened.
Every storyline is something that is happening.
Every storyline is something that will happen.
Ā Ā And yes, there are so many shows that do the same thing, but this is the ONLY network television show that does this with all the extra production. RISE doesnāt need a season/series long mystery that needs solving, it doesnāt need tons of special effects, it doesnāt need superpowers and epic fight choreography, it doesnāt need fairytale magic.
Ā Ā Because RISE creates magic on itās own- by telling the true and authentic stories of a small town that echoes so many small towns in America and around the world.
Ā Ā If youāre unaware if the stories this show is telling, using Stanton Dramaās production of āSpring Awakeningā as a backdrop- Iāll give you a brief overview:
(Also, done in a way as to not give away charactersā stories or ruin the plot for those who havenāt seen it yet.)
Ā· A single working mother.
Ā· A teenage girl who works to help cover rent and shares in providing aĀ family income.
Ā· A transgender student, PLAYED BY A TRANSGENDER ACTOR.
Ā· A teenage boy who is the sole caretaker for his sick mother.
Ā· A teenage boy raised in a strict catholic family, struggling with hisĀ sexuality, while fighting his own internal homophobia.
Ā· Marital Affairs, Divorce, and how both effect the children involved.
Ā· A teenage boy whose struggling to balance everything in life, whileĀ the whole town is counting on him to carry the football teamās winsĀ and losses on his shoulders.
Ā· HOW FUCKING HARD IT ACTUALLY IS TO BE A TEENAGER IN THISĀ WORLD!!!!!
Ā· Actual teenage relationships with actual communication and functionĀ properly.
Ā· Even though they come from broken homes with parents strugglingĀ with relationships.
Ā Ā· A teenage boy whoās been in and out of the foster system and hasĀ finally found somewhere where he can finally call home and is trulyĀ loved even though he doesnāt really know how to handle it.
Ā· A young girl with Downās Syndrome who is literally the pureĀ embodiment of sunshine.
Ā Ā· Teenage pregnancy and the struggle when you realize what you want to do might not be what others think you should do and dealing with the lack of support.
Ā· TEACHERS CARING MORE ABOUT HOW WHAT THEY DO CHANGE THEIR STUDENTSā LIVES THAN ANY PTA OR BOARD OF EDUCATION EVER WOULD!!
And thatās only a fraction of what they could do in the future.
This is why this show is so important, because it is telling real stories in a real way. Ā Without sugarcoating it.
Without shielding the audiences.
Without shying away from the hard and uncomfortable stuff.
Ā Ā RISE is telling these stories- these gut-wrenching, uncomfortable, sometimes ugly, seemingly hopeless, and realistic stories- that we need in society (and not just in our America, but everywhere) because these things and worse things are having everyday.
Ā Ā Another important thing to mention is how the show uses āSpring Awakeningā. Ā One of the main points of the musical, is to show how dangerous it can be when young adults are sheltered by the adults in their lives from the inevitable in life. And at Stanton High School, by petitioning the performance of this musical, the adults are doing the same thing to the Troupe.
Ā Ā The actions the adults in āSpring Awakeningā, in RISE- they are trying to stop the young adults from expressing themselves, discovering themselves, from being themselves.
And the young adults donāt let them stop them.
The Stanton Drama Troupe doesnāt stop their show.
They donāt let the PTA get the better of them.
Ā Ā And now, to NBC Entertainment- I know you are only looking out for your Network. But this is more important than that, trust me. Tonight, as the Season, and now suddenly, Series Finale Airs- I urge you, I beg you, I plead with you, to watch the show tonight and remember every time someone told you something wasnāt appropriate, or possible, or that you just plain couldnāt do something and you didnāt listen.
Ā Ā Because I bet if youād listened, you wouldnāt be where you are today- you wouldnāt be working for NBC Entertainment. (Just Saying).
Watch tonightās episode, and put yourself in the Town of Stantonās Shoes.
Put Yourself in The Stanton Theatre Troupeās Shoes.
Put Yourself in the shoes of the Young Adults.
Put Yourself in the Shoes of the Siblingās.
Put Yourself in the shoes of the Parents.
Put Yourself in The Characterās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Gwenās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Simonās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Liletteās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Robbieās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Jeremyās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Maashousās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Michaelās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Joleneās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Gordyās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Harmonyās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Sashaās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Clarkās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Francisās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Cherylās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Lexiās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Annabelleās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Kaitlinās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Sundeepās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Violetās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Sadieās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Emmaās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Vanessaās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Gailās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Samās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Patriciaās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Deniseās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Robertās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Detrellās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Andyās Shoes.
Put Yourself in Traceyās Shoes
Put Yourself in Louās Shoes.
Ā Ā Put yourself in these humanās shoes, and think for a moment- āWhat would I do it I were them? What would I do if I had to do what they were doing?ā, because Iām sure it will tug at your heart strings and force you to change everything you thought about this āLittle Show that Couldā.
And now, to the Creators, Crew, and Cast of RISE.
I donāt want to accept that this is the end. We only just began, didnāt we?
And maybe thatās why this is so hard.
And honestly, I am not ready to say goodbye.
But I do want to Thank You.
Because you deserve it so much.
Jason, thank you for taking this story and giving this beautiful story a voice- It means the world to so many people, I promise.
Ā Josh, Thank you for showing how real and true teachers care and how we take on the jobs we never thought we would when it comes to our students.
Rosie, thank you for being that tough as nails teacher, who really does just want to love her students as her own children and goes above and beyond for them because they are.
AuliāI, thank you for so wonderfully portraying the strength it takes to carry yourself when your parent wonāt be your parent and it becomes your job to provide for yourself.
Damon, thank you for showing the pressures put on the āGolden Boyā and for really showing how much teenagers can be dealing with that no one knows about.
Shirley, thank you for giving single mothers all over the world such a amazing voice and for so gracefully proving that they actually are superheroes, no matter how many mistakes they might make.
Joe, thank you for finally giving the struggle of divorce and that decision an accurate portrayal, for showing how much it can take out of a person.
Ted, thank you for giving the struggle of discovering your sexuality and the fear of self-rejection a voice full of grace and truth, for showing the world how difficult it is.
Amy, thank you for such a gorgeous and heart-wrenching portrayal of what it is like to have your world torn into pieces in front of your eyes and how much a broken family impacts a child.
Rarmian, thank you for giving children of the foster system a voice, for showing that true impact of and broken parts of being in the system and for showing how these children get their hopes up and get them broken down.
Casey, thank you for shining such a genuine light on a story which no one wants to talk about, for so genuinely portraying such a beautiful struggle that is so real and prevalent.
Taylor, thank you for your bringing such a wonderful light to the show and the world, for showing how being positive always makes things better, even if it only better for a little while and showing us how to hope for our own futures.
Ellie, thank you for finally telling a story in a format which itās never been told, for telling the part of a story everyone seems to believe doesnāt matter, because it really does matter.
Shannon, thank you for portraying the side of a coming out story that no one talks about, and for doing so with such patience and honesty.
Sean, thank you giving a voice to the out person who is just trying to help someone through a struggle, for showing those who are struggling that one day there is a light waiting for them.
Erin, thank you for giving such an honest voice to the struggle of the part of teenage pregnancy stories which arenāt talked about often enough. (and for āSASHA, WHY ARE YOU EATING A BANANA?ā)
Jennifer, thank you for showing the strength of a mother, and for showing how it transcends borders and can help give out compassion even when you donāt want to.
Stephanie, thank you for portraying a story that proves that your beliefs are not always the most important thing, even if it turns your world upside down.
Stephen, thank you for showing the struggle of fighting for what you believe and what is right, for showing the struggle of keeping your family the same.
Mark, thank you for portraying a father who only wants whatās best for their child, even if it may not be what the child wants.
To those, who have not gotten the chance to tell their characterās full stories, thank you for always being there- for always making us laugh, and smile, and sometimes cry- for being our favorites even when youāve not yet gotten to delve into your characters.
Thank You, to Stanton High School.
Thank You, to the Stanton Theatre Troupe.
For being here when we needed you.
For helping us believe in the power of theatre.
For giving us a way to escape our real world but to not forget it entirely.
For giving a voice to the real stories and experiences of teenagers today.
For showing us how to fight for what is right.
Thank You for Everything.
And as a Thank You- the Risers will Fight for You and Our Little Show, as Stanton Drama Fought for āSpring Awakeningā, because this is important and no one will ever change that.
And if our journey really is over, this Little Show will always be ours, and the Stanton Spirit will always be inside each and every one of us.
