All language subtitles for My.So-Called.High.School.Rank.2022.WEBRip.x264-ION10_English

woman: Actors on stage,
we're doing "What The Hell!"

man: I'm gonna tell you
what I'm looking for and what
I didn't get last night,

so I want to make sure
I get it this night.

It's literally tempo.

Tempo, tempo, tempo,
tempo, tempo.

(playing intense
accompaniment)

♪ What the hell, what the hell
what the hell ♪

But you see how the "hell"
doesn't actually line up
with the piano?

student:
What are the actual notes?

-(playing note)
-David Taylor Gomes: Uh, boys?

(playing)

Altos.

(playing different key)

That key change there
has to be rhythmically precise.

Let's run it!

(playing)

♪ What the hell
what the hell ♪

♪ What the hell
is going on here? ♪

♪ What the hell
what the hell ♪

♪ What the hell
is going on here? ♪

♪ I work hard ♪

♪ I work so damn hard ♪

♪ But what's it for ♪

♪ When it all falls apart? ♪

David: Kyle and I wanted
to write a musical

for the students
at Granite Bay High School.

We said, if we do a show
that centers around students
in high school,

what do they care about?

And at Granite Bay,
they really care

about their grades,
almost to a fault.

♪ What the hell
what the hell ♪

♪ What the hell
is going on here? ♪

Kyle Holmes:
Students truly believe
that their class rank,

and where they'll go to college,
is gonna determine everything.

student: This whole week,
you've been the one that's...

Maya:
4.0 isn't enough anymore,

which is funny because
that used to be perfect.

But now it's all about being
better than perfect.

♪ What the hell
what the hell ♪

♪ What the hell
is going on here? ♪

♪ What the hell
what the hell ♪

Kyle: There is like
a level of gamesmanship
to get into college.

Many students are paying
for college coaches,

SAT tutoring and prep.

A lot of amazing students

don't have the financial means
to be a part of it.

That inequity played
a huge role in us
writing "Ranked."

(cheering and applause)

Sid, I can't get ahold
of mom and dad.

Lex isn't returning my calls.
Where have you been?

Kyle:
There's a character
in our story

whose main plot line is
his parents were paying
for his grades

without him knowing.

In our early read-throughs
from our friends,

a lot of the feedback was, "Eh,
seems like a bit of a stretch.

How could he not know
and how could he--"

And we just felt really adamant,
we have to leave this in.

We think this is really
important, you're not going
to talk us out of this.

And then the story broke.

reporter: The largest ever
college admissions
cheating scam.

Fifty people arrested.

Most of them wealthy parents,

all accused of trying to do
the same thing:

getting their kids into
some of the most elite schools
in the country.

woman:
Rick Singer, years ago,

he actually worked
with students at
Granite Bay High School.

He ran an office here.

A lot of our students
used to work with him.

reporter:
We had a pretty strange case
of life imitating art,

a show that explored life
in high school,

one often driven
by grades, tests,

and this immense pressure
to get into top colleges.

David: Oh, we're really
onto something.

Everyone is waiting
to talk about this,
and now they get to.

And see a musical. (chuckles)

Ryan, have you been
paying for your grades
or not?

-Ryan: Lex, look, I can explain.
-student: You were the one
paying for your class rank.

What are we supposed
to tell colleges?

That we don't have ranks anymore
because you cheated?

Look at yourselves,
tearing each other apart,
over what, a number?

(murmuring)

Kyle:
Holy shit.

That's our story.

I wrote that a year ago.

And now we're seeing it
play out.

students:
♪ Why is this happening? ♪

♪ Why is this happening? ♪

♪ What the hell ♪

♪ Is going on? ♪

(dramatic finale playing)

student:
I therefore am...

(dramatic piano chords
playing)

Kyle:
Okay!

Lots of work to do.

David:
Here we go.

Kyle:
At a school like Granite Bay,

everyone kind of knows
where everyone is,

rank-wise, all the time.

They can log in on an app
and see what their grades are.

They can see
how their rank changes.

Technology has made it
so accessible

and so prevalent in their lives.

Kids are oftentimes
finding themselves

very miserable,
and very unhappy.

Jack:
There's a huge pressure.

Everyone's like, "I need
to get an A in this class."

"I need to keep up my 4.5 GPA
while balancing drama

and being on a sports team
and the National Honor Society."

Anvita:
My parents and I have
butt heads so many times.

They tell me like if you
like theater, that's great,

but your AP scores
need to be in check first,

and your SATs
need to be in check first.

(crowd applauding on video)

Kyle: We had a student
a few years ago

give the valedictorian speech

and talk about
how they just played a game.

4.63.

This three-digit number
is the reason I stand
before you today.

GPA has become like currency
in a game of Monopoly,

in which the players who chance
upon the right tiles

or construct
the right schedules earn more,

while others
inevitably end up with less.

No matter what,
someone wins the game,

while the rest stand defeated.

Kyle:
It went viral.

I think over six million views
on YouTube.

It's pretty indicative
of the culture.

Right when you're trying
to figure out who you are,

the school, and your peers,

and your teachers,

and sometimes even your parents,

will come to you and say,

"Here's what you are,
you're this number."

And it is so easy
to just take that number,

because it's so much easier than

trying to acknowledge the fact
that you don't know who you are.

Kyle:
In June of 2018,

we sat down with our students.

We said, "Tell us everything
that is going on in your life

that you've not said
to your parent."

In writing the musical
"Ranked,"

we wanted to amplify everything
our students were saying to us.

(intense rock music playing)

♪ Hey, welcome to high school ♪

♪ Welcome to my school ♪

♪ Where you must excel
at everything ♪

♪ Think I'm being dramatic? ♪

♪ It's just
simple mathematics ♪

♪ We can't all be winners ♪

Kyle: "Ranked" is set
in the not-too-distant future.

It's supposed to be
a little bit dystopian.

It's a world
where your class rank

determines everything
about your life.

student:
Hey, how'd this morning go?

I can't do this.
I'm going to fail.

I'm gonna fall below
the average.

I can't spend the rest
of my life...

like that.

Kyle: We have
above the average students

and below the average
students.

If you are above the average,
then your life is set

and you are on the path
to college

and a successful life
and a successful career.

If you are below the average,
then you don't have
any of those things.

♪ When does this feeling
go away? ♪

♪ This tightness in my chest ♪

♪ When will I see
through all this grey? ♪

♪ Why am I always
second best? ♪

♪ And, God,
what will my parents say ♪

♪ If I fail another test? ♪

♪ Has it always been
this way? ♪

♪ Can you tell me something
different isn't better? ♪

David: There's this feeling
of suffocation and drowning

that comes with the pressure
of everyone trying to tell you

you have to be
the absolute best.

♪ It's time to come up
for air... ♪

♪ These waves
keep crashing down ♪

♪ But we're still there ♪

♪ So push me down
and spit me out ♪

♪ I found my ground ♪

♪ I'm not about
to throw it all away ♪

♪ Because life isn't fair ♪

♪ I'm gonna come up for air ♪

Maya:
Most parents come out of it

and go, "Oh, that's crazy.

That's wild!
That's never happened."

You know, but a lot
of the students that I talk to

after seeing it look at me
and go, "Oh, my gosh,
that's how I feel.

That is our life."

(pensive music playing)

♪ Everything changes ♪

Maya:
Parents don't know.

And so I think this show
kind of started conversations.

♪ Everything changes ♪

♪ When will this change? ♪

David:
Because this show
was specifically written

for our students
at Granite Bay High School,

we didn't ever expect it to go
past Granite Bay High School.

But we had schools
all over the country
reaching out to us

wanting to license
and perform the show,

from California,
to West Virginia, to New York,

to Michigan, Maryland,
Rhode Island,

Ohio, Illinois, Colorado,
Minnesota, New Jersey.

We even heard from schools
in England, Malaysia,
China and Japan.

-(audience applauding)
-Kyle: It was so encouraging

to see other schools
reaching out to us saying,

"Hey, these are our kids'
stories too,

and how can we work
with you to tell that?"

(piano playing coda)

(students chatting indistinctly)

All right, ladies and gentlemen,
guys, gals, and nonbinary pals.

-Please get on the stage.
-Let me hear it.

♪ What the hell
what the hell ♪

And remember, how are we saying
"what the hell"?

-student 1: Strong!
-student 2: "What the hell?!"

Can we do an interp
on "What the hell
is going on here"?

♪ ♪

Ojas: My peers
at Cupertino High School

would probably define success

as getting
into top tier schools.

It's this sort of snowball
effect thinking that,

"I get into Stanford,
I get a good job offer.

I get to buy a big house,
I get to live happily."

I created a Twitter account
just so I could follow
the admissions officers

to see when
they're releasing it.

My only Twitter account
is following colleges.

Yeah, we don't use Twitter
for anything else.

Anastasia:
People see success here

as getting a job
in computer science
or bioengineering.

(laughing)
Everything that has
math in it.

It's a math city.

Like, we have

an Apple campus right there.

Kami Tomberlain:
Cupertino is definitely

suburban Silicon Valley.

Facebook, Google,
Twitter, Pinterest.

Everybody's here,
one form or another.

Arcadia Conrad:
It is a community made up

of first- and
second-generation immigrants,

most of whom are united

by the desire
to see their children

do very, very well in life.

So, a lot of people
move here for the schools.

teacher:
Growing up in Silicon Valley,

is that forming your identity?

student: Everyone is out
to, like, be their very best

and to get that perfect 1600
or that perfect score.

teacher: Do you imagine
we're a little skewed

into what "pass" is?

You could all pass
this class with a C.

Wouldn't that feel fine?

(nervous laughter)

Senih:
In Cupertino,

like, almost everyone's parents

did amazing in their countries

that they immigrated from.

You have all these parents

who were top of their class
telling their kids,

"Why can't you be
the top of your class?"

But there's only one
top of class.

Arcadia:
All righty datty dooly.

This is our first
stumble-through

of act I, scene I.

I want some peas and carrots.
But I want it in edu-speak.

So, fragments of words
that we say at school.

A.P.

-Integral.
-Uh-huh, lovely. Okay, yes?

-Derivative.
-Arcadia: Love it. What else?

-Calculus.
-Arcadia: Calculus, uh-huh.

-Antiderivatives.
-Arcadia: Antiderivative?

Okay, so now give yourselves
a point of view

with regard to those words,

and create a word salad for me
about what it's like to study

with the intention
of getting a better grade.

(intense piano music playing}

(indistinct chatter)

♪ Hey, welcome to high school,
welcome to my school ♪

♪ Where you
must excel at everything ♪

♪ Think I'm being dramatic? ♪

♪ It's just simple
mathematics ♪

♪ We can't all be winners ♪

Ruri:
I relate to my character
a lot,

especially the part of, like,

doing well and not letting
other people down.

♪ You just breathe,
you'll be fine ♪

There's a lyric
"just breathe,
you'll be fine."

No one ever really says that.

It's always like,
"Keep pushing forward,
go, go, go!"

♪ I can't take
another year of this ♪

♪ I'm sick of hearing this ♪

♪ Everyone's telling me
who I'm supposed to be ♪

♪ They want commitment
and they've got priorities ♪

♪ What do you want from me? ♪

♪ Just let
the final bell ring ♪

Arcadia:
Pause, please! Pause!

So on this, "I can't take
another year of this,
I'm sick of hearing this,"

we need to see faces.

And where are
these emotions
coming from?

When you say these words,

where in your body are
these emotions coming from?

Yeah, this is your truth-teller.

If this is not vibrating,
you are not telling the truth.

Now your character needs
to tell the truth,

and I want you to say, "I can't
take another year of this."

students: I can't
take another year of this,

I'm sick of hearing this.

Everyone's telling me
who I'm supposed to be.

They want commitment
and they've got priorities.

What do you want from me?

Anastasia:
I'm only 17.

Arcadia:
That was better.

Anastasia:
I didn't speak English
when I just moved here.

I had one best friend
who spoke Russian and English.

She would tell me
what people think of me

by the classes I take.

I wasn't even talking to anyone,

and they already
thought about me something.

That was
just really weird for me.

My idea of American Dream is,

I wanna leave something
after myself.

I wanna leave a mark.

But I've been working
for past two years,

and so many people coming
from Apple to get their coffee

and then they're talking
about work.

I'm just thinking, is that,
like, what I'm supposed to do?

Thinking about doing theater
as a profession,

it gives me just a hope.

But I always have this concern,
is it possible?

Only the thought of me just

sitting at the desk
all my life,

doing computer stuff,
it's really freaking me out.

(playing ascending chords)

♪ You know my dad! ♪

♪ He used to tell me ♪

♪ What life was like
before ranked redemption-- ♪

♪ Well, of course
they had ranks back then ♪

♪ Just not like this ♪

♪ School was fun ♪

♪ There were dances ♪

♪ Could you imagine a world ♪

♪ Where I could talk
to a cute girl ♪

♪ And ranks
never came up once? ♪

Senih: I would consider
myself an actor,

an entertainer of sorts.

I'd say I'm just the guy
at school

that puts a smile
on your face.

(quirky piano music playing)

We're all in this together.

Senih:
I'm not the best of students.

I mean,
I'm getting Bs and Cs
and a couple As,

but compared to everyone else
around me in Cupertino,

I'm not really in a position
where I can see myself

getting into the same colleges
as everyone else around me.

It's a weird feeling of...
of kind of being left out.

Senih, those are not
that important.

(chuckles) It's the windows,
get the windows.

Senih: I feel like
I'm trying as hard as I can,

but my dad would disagree.

My dad would be like,
"Oh, you're not really trying
as hard as you can.

If you were, you know,
you'd be doing better."

So, why were you
this late, though?

I told you, like,
if you come in earlier,
like three or four.

I had to take the SAT.

Oh, that's right.

How did it go?

(Senih sighs)

Like, you know,

you'd think after doing it
four times, you'd improve.

Yeah.

And then
you don't improve.

And it's just
a waste of time.

Well, were you expecting
to improve?

-Yeah.
-What did you change?

What was different
this time?

I got it done faster,
it's just...

Okay.

Senih: I didn't get
a better score.

So you made no progress?

I wouldn't-- okay, but I
wouldn't say no progress.

Like I still...
(sighs)

What makes you think
you made progress?

Just, I don't like
hearing "no progress."

Well, I know you
don't like it,

but that's the truth,
right?

Senih:
My dad immigrated
from Turkey.

He was really lucky, you know,
one of the brightest people.

He went to the best college,
got a job here.

He really holds us
to this high standard, like,

"Why can't you just get all As?
Why can't you just be
a good student?"

And I, I just wish there
was a way to tell him

that it's not as easy
as he thinks it is.

I don't think my dad realizes
how much his approval
means to me.

My older brother plays
football, and, you know,

my dad always goes
to his games.

I don't think he really notices
that he doesn't reciprocate

the same feelings
for when I do theater.

I can invite 80, 90 friends
to a musical

and have them all
tell me I did great,

but it's not going to be
the same as if my dad

just for a second was like,
"Hey, that was pretty good."

That would mean
so much more to me.

(rhythmic clapping)

Okay, starting on my left,

we're just gonna say one word
or phrase

that accurately describes
how we're feeling today about,

uh, the fact that we have,
what, three weeks till we open
or something like that.

-(excited murmuring)
-Harmonies.

-Yeet.
-Uh-huh.

(coughs)

-Exhaustion.
-Some.

Arcadia: There's a really
interesting attitude
about theater,

that it's a waste of time.

All right, now we're gonna
go this way and I'm gonna
be like "ready anyway,"

and you're gonna be like
"ready anyway," yeah?

And then you're gonna turn
to the person next to you. Yes!

-Ready anyway. Ready anyway?
-Ready anyway.

-Ready anyway?
-Ready anyway.

Ready anyway. Ready anyway?

Ready anyway.
Ready wheny-way?

(laughing)

Arcadia:
These students
have been told

that school is their job.

But if you allow
someone to sit in theater
for several years,

it will fundamentally change
who they are.

Okay, now let's play
bippity-bibbity-bop.

Bibbity-bibbity-bop,
oh, goodbye!

-Wow, Senih!
-Bibbity-bibbity-bop!

Bibbity-bibbity-bop!

both:
Bop!

Arcadia:
It will change how
they express themselves,

it will change how comfortable
they are with other people,

how they can
find and cultivate
their own authority,

how they can
connect to others.

One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine,
ten-- ding!

Arcadia:
And yet we have
to constantly

make that argument
that it's okay to just

be in an environment
and see what happens.

(pensive music playing)

♪ What could I say ♪

♪ If it turned out I failed? ♪

♪ What would you do ♪

♪ When the water
you've bailed ♪

♪ Comes rushing back in? ♪

♪ You know you can't win ♪

♪ You're drowning,
you're drowning ♪

♪ You're drowning,
you're drowning... ♪

♪ Better learn how to swim ♪

Arcadia: There's
a depression-anxiety combo

that you see
in a lot of students,

where it just
knocks kids down

further than it has
in the past.

And you're always demanding
this level of logistical rigor

from kids all day long.

You know, kids will crack.

Kami: In the last ten years,
56% more adolescents,

ages 10 to 17, are having
serious thoughts of suicide.

Which is massive.

Now there's so much pressure
to get into the best schools,

and feeling like
they have to do

everything possible
to get in.

Chris Hickey:
The issue of suicide
and self-injury

comes up in
my office every single day.

I hear from students often that
the first question they hear

when they go home is,
"How'd you do on the math test?"

Not "How'd you feel
at school today?
What was school like for you?"

student 1:
♪ Why do I always feel
so forgotten? ♪

student 2:
♪ Shouldn't someone be
watching out for me? ♪

David: I think this show
is a bit of a wake-up call.

We ask ourselves,
why do students kill themselves?

Baby boomers
will look and say,

"It's cell phones,
it's the internet."

It's also the way
we treat young people.

♪ Just breathe,
you'll be fine ♪

David:
Our show does not talk
about suicide,

but our show is a zoom-in
on the environment

that breeds
all of those things.

(crickets chirping)

(pastoral string music
playing)

Carolyn Rader:
Ripley has everything
that a family would want.

We have a love of our God,

of our families,
of our country.

We really like to be known

as one of the most
patriotic cities in America.

The largest employer
in Jackson County
is an aluminum plant.

We do have retail
such as Walmart.

Jackson County schools is
the second largest employer.

(crowd cheering)

Christina Iman:
People really support

the students
of Ripley High School.

Touchdown!

Christina: Friday nights
during football season,

that stadium is packed.

Beverly Shatto:
In addition to doing
what we do for education...

we also are trying to meet
as many other needs as we can.

It's not unrealistic for us
to have students

who come here because
they get meals here.

Barri Faucett: There are
a lot of wonderful things
about West Virginia.

However, we have several
deficits as well.

The most daunting is
our substance misuse epidemic.

Christina:
We have a lot of students

being raised
by their grandparents.

But for the most part,
Ripley people look out
for each other

and when someone's hurting,

people rally
and support each other.

The school is the heart
of the community.

(somber music playing)

(music fades)

-(rhythmic piano playing)
-Aaah. (giggles)

Christina:
Whenever you're ready.

♪ I could have
a mansion on a hill ♪

♪ I could lease a villa
in Seville, but... ♪

Christina:
"Ranked" popped out at me

when I first saw it online.

I thought,
"Wow, that sounds like

some of the issues
that we've had."

♪ Hey there, Mr. Chaplin ♪

♪ Well, your act
deserves applause ♪

Christina:
These kids can't have
even one bad grade,

because it's just gonna
ruin everything.

It is time, my lord!

What shall I do
with the others?

Shall I slay them?

Christina:
For a lot of them,

it's not about
being number one.

Okay, I can't sing well,
so the crown will distract
from that.

Christina:
But they know that
they have to be top 10%

because college is expensive.

There's a lot of money
on the line.

♪ Everyone's pushing,
everyone's fighting ♪

♪ Storms are approaching,
there's nowhere to hide ♪

Christina:
They have to do
whatever they can

to try to boost themselves

and make themselves appear
as a better candidate,

you know, than someone else,

when the time comes
to choose who gets what.

♪ Dear Theodosia,
what to say to you ♪

student:
Opportunities are not evenly
given out in this world.

College can be pretty costly
to go out of state

if you don't have
a crazy scholarship.

People in our own school,
they're just amazingly
academically talented,

but they don't have
the wealth or connections

to go off somewhere
crazy like Stanford.

♪ A merry-go-round
spiraling down ♪

I don't know how important

grades actually are when
it comes to like real life.

All I know is that you
have to have acceptable grades

for whatever college
that you're gonna go to.

You can get, like, C averages
and be fine with your life

if that's what you want to do.

That's it, that's all I had.

man: Have you ever thought about
going to an Ivy League college?

That is-- what is that? (laughs)

I honestly don't know
what it is.

(piano playing rhythmic intro)

teacher:
This is my intro that I have.

-(intro continues)
-This is it.

And then eventually I land here.

-(intro continues)
-And you just...

♪ I know your world
is crashing down ♪

♪ And as you hit the ground ♪

♪ Nobody hears a sound ♪

♪ Sometimes
you've got to make a mess ♪

♪ You've got to scream
and shout ♪

♪ It's time
to pound your chest ♪

(clears throat)

♪ Or be polite if you dare ♪

♪ Just sit tight
and braid your hair ♪

♪ Take a seat
right over there ♪

♪ And I'll give you a lesson ♪

♪ Someone always bleeds ♪

♪ Someone always bleeds ♪

teacher:
I like what you did with that.

Ooh, that gave me...
Ah, it makes me like shake.

You gave me chills, girl!
Chills!

Anne:
I think most people
get stressed about

who they want to be
when they get older.

The schools now,
they really pressure you on,
"Who are you gonna be?

What college do you
wanna go to?"

I have no clue.

(dog barking)

(indistinct chatter)

Look!
I got a ginger snap for you.

No, it's for Donna.

(grunting)

Anne:
I see myself just being

successful in something,

but I don't want
to be tied down to
a job that isn't fun.

I was really set on becoming
an elementary teacher,

but I'm not sure about that.

Recently, I've been talking
to my parents a lot
about special effects

as, possibly, a career.

But we're in West Virginia.
There's, like, no schools
that have the arts.

I think about,
would I be successful

going to, like, a big city
trying to do something?

I definitely feel like
I'm stereotyped

because
I'm from West Virginia.

Like, people just assume

that everyone's
just like country hicks

and that
we don't know anything.

But I also can't
overthink that

'cause I don't know
what's gonna happen.

(quirky music playing)

Christina:
So we're gonna spend
a little time

looking at what
our characters actually want.

There's always something else,

something a little bit beneath
the surface of what
the text says.

So it's up to us to kind of
dig in a little bit

and figure out, what is it
that your character wants?

I play, uh, Jenner, Taysia,
and Liz, so it's like
three characters.

Christina: We're probably gonna
have to break that up, but...

They, they kinda care
about their grades a lot,

and whenever they find out
Ryan's cheating,

they're kinda like,
"This guy's the reason
why I can't get into college."

So, they definitely
put their grades over,
you know, Ryan.

-Christina:
The friendship. Right.
-Yeah.

I am aware of class rank, but...

I don't care about it.
(chuckles)

Kids worrying
about their class rank,

it can be pretty detrimental
to, like, their mental health,

and, well, their
physical health is too

because you see them
staying up till like midnight.

That, I couldn't imagine
doing that personally,

'cause I, I gotta go
to bed at ten o'clock.
Like, I'm done, you know?

It's like,
if I have work, then that's
tomorrow me's problem.

After high school,
I'm planning on going
to an art school

that has an animation program.

I love, you know, characters,
I love drawing,

I love animating,
I love all that kind of stuff.

But money is like
the biggest thing.

You have to get
so much scholarships,

but you have
to have good grades
to get scholarships.

And you have to do
really good on the ACT.

I just took the ACT
for the first time,

and I can tell you
I did horrible.

I didn't bring a calculator,
like. (laughs)

It kind of
makes me feel stuck.

It's really hard for me
to get out of West Virginia.

But if I can get
into that industry,

that'd be a perfect,
you know, job for me.

'Cause I'm doing something
that I love.

Christina:
Okay, are we ready?

student:
You wanna be my Lily?

-I'll be your Lily. Let's go.
-Okay.

-Do you want me to sing it?
-woman: Yes.

-Christina: Can you?
-Yes.

-Christina: I know Evan is not
going to be singing back to you.

-I'll speak it.
-(laughter)

-I'll speak it.
-You can speak it.

And when I do ♪ Ahh-ahh ♪

-just repeat me, okay?
-Okay.

♪ I see you there ♪

♪ Sitting across from me ♪

♪ You care ♪

♪ Only about what I think ♪

♪ But where are all
the other parts of you ♪

♪ Supposed to fit in? ♪

-My head is spinning.
-(cast laughing)

♪ Just take
a minute to breathe ♪

♪ Ahh-ahh ♪

♪ Ahh-ahh ♪

♪ Ahh-ahh ♪

♪ Ahh-ahh ♪

♪ When do we come up for air? ♪

♪ These waves keep crashing
down without a care ♪

♪ They'll push you down
and spit you out ♪

♪ You'll come around
and still have doubt ♪

♪ But treading water
doesn't get you anywhere ♪

♪ When do we
come up for air? ♪

Oh, my God, Taylor.

Taylor: I'm always trying
to push myself to do harder

and, like, work to be

the best I can be
so I don't feel stuck.

My parents want me to go
to a community college,

where it's free,
I can get the same
education that I want.

But I'm wanting to go
to this other college

because I, I feel like

I would be the only
person to stay home.

You know, all of my friends,
they're going off
to these schools,

some of them even like
out of the state.

So if I were to stay home
and in Ripley,

I would feel stuck.

(pensive music playing)

Evan:
The idea of not leaving
West Virginia,

it's very deeply seated.

I mean, the hills, um,
in the first place,

when there weren't,
like, good roads,

it was physically difficult
to leave this place.

And then, the state
isn't doing well economically.

Nor is it doing well with our
good old drug epidemic, so...

it's difficult for a lot
of people

to leave for a lot
of different reasons.

You can't do much
in creativity here.

I mean you can't do anything

except fast food, retail,
and working at a plant.

But if you can leave
West Virginia,

which I'd say
about 5% of the people
who live here do,

uh, there are jobs out there,

and I just
don't think teachers

expect us to leave the state.

It almost feels like
a pipe dream to some people.

It's like, "Hey, I'm gonna go
rent a unicorn for the weekend,

I'm gonna go move
to Pittsburgh," you know.

(laughs) Those two
are about on the same level
to some people.

♪ ♪

-student: Whoo-hoo!
-David: Here we go.

Ready? Here we go.

One, two, three...

♪ Ooo, ooo ♪

♪ Hey, hey... ♪

David:
Kyle is a full-time
public theater teacher.

I'm a composer and I work
primarily in musical theater,

but when we wrote, we had...
I was like,

"Okay, we're going to write
this musical,

but it needs to be
good enough to be
a Broadway musical."

I'm not going to lower
my expectations

because we're writing this
in Granite Bay.

We're going to write
a Broadway musical.

Kyle:
We knew that we didn't
necessarily have the clout

or the funds on our own

to drive something
to New York City

and we would need help.

So our strategy
from the very beginning was,

"Let's put together
a studio recording
of some music from the show

and then let's license it

to as many schools
as possible."

David:
But then Mindy Cooper,

who's a Broadway performer
and choreographer, said,

"Take it to New York
and do a reading,"

and I was like, "What?"
Like, "We can just do that?"

And she says,
"Yeah, let's workshop the show

and then take it to New York
and pitch it to producers."

(upbeat piano music playing)

David: The plan is to just
get some investors on board

so we can hopefully do
an off-Broadway production.

Kyle: We're gonna work
with a casting director,

and we're gonna go out
and hire a bunch of

working Broadway
actors to be in our show.

Has much to work on...

-woman: Ghalangi!
-Ghalangi: Hello.

-Kyle: Ghalangi.
-David: Hello!

Mindy Cooper:
Thanks for being here.

-We'll have you sing first.
-Ghalangi: All right.

(piano plays intro)

♪ You know my dad ♪

♪ He used to tell me ♪

♪ What life was like
before rank redemption ♪

♪ Well, of course
they had ranks back then
but not like this ♪

♪ School was fun,
there were dances ♪

♪ Can you imagine a world ♪

♪ Where I could talk
with a cute girl ♪

♪ And ranks
never came up once? ♪

♪ Don't think so much ♪

♪ It's not a big deal ♪

♪ Sometimes life sucks ♪

♪ It's rarely ideal ♪

♪ Don't think so much ♪

♪ I tell myself
not to freak out ♪

♪ 'Cause you know
that totally always works ♪

♪ "Just breathe,
you'll be fine" ♪

♪ That's nice
but it's not really helping ♪

♪ Although
I don't wanna do this ♪

♪ I know the only way out
is to go through this ♪

♪ Why does it feel so wrong? ♪

♪ I don't know where I belong ♪

♪ I just know
where I'm not meant to be ♪

♪ I don't want
to hurry up and wait ♪

♪ To then find out
that I'm still too late ♪

♪ I keep yelling,
"This is not my fate!" ♪

♪ To work harder ♪

♪ Work smarter ♪

♪ Is this my fate? ♪

♪ Is this my fate? ♪

♪ To work harder ♪

(sighs)

♪ ♪

♪ Just breathe,
you'll be fine ♪

-(indistinct comments)
-(laughter)

Does this show sort of,
do you find resonant...?

-Whooo! Do I?
-(laughter)

Um... I feel like
this show was literally

written about
my high school experience.

I hated high school.

I would wake up feeling,
every day,

just feeling like,
this is not my place.

I went to a high school
and ended up leaving,

actually,
for my senior year,

to do theater school
in a different state

'cause the academia world
was insane.

Mindy: People have flown
in from all over the country,

as we've been learning
over the last day or so,

and that's exciting
and wonderful.

-I live in San Diego.
-Did you fly in for us?

-Yes.
-Oh, wow.

Of course, no,
I was super happy to be here.

-Maryland?
-Uh, I'm in Baltimore. Yep.

My flight goes back
to Birmingham tonight
at nine o'clock.

-Um...
-David: If you're 18

and you flew
all the way across the country

for an audition in New York,

that's a huge sacrifice.

To know that they went
through all of that

just because they cared
about it a lot,

and they
connect with the material.

(piano playing)

(sighs)

♪ I know your world
is crashing down ♪

♪ And as you hit the ground ♪

♪ Nobody hears a sound ♪

♪ When someone has to lose ♪

♪ Take a guess
at who gets screwed ♪

♪ You need it clearer ♪

♪ You need a mirror ♪

♪ Someone always bleeds ♪

♪ Someone always bleeds ♪

♪ Today it's me ♪

-♪ Tomorrow it's you ♪
-(singer turning pages)

♪ Second view ♪ (laughs)

♪ Get a better view ♪

♪ Maybe we're all pawns ♪

♪ Maybe we got played ♪

♪ When you're drowning
in textbooks ♪

♪ You can't see
that your grade ♪

♪ Is a part of the game ♪

-I'm s--
-Kyle: No, don't apologize
for anything.

Don't apologize.
We're all theater people.

-singer: All right, cool.
-No shame.

Thank you, thank you, guys.

-Thank you.
-David: Thank you.

Mindy:
I've been running
auditions for 30 years.

I've never cried in the room.

-David: You're getting soft.
-It's just so potent.

They're so young, and...

That's true!
We're getting very, very young.

-Yeah.
-And it's just so unfettered.

Kyle: Mm-hmm.

-That's what we need though.
-Yeah.

David: This has been
my dream for my whole life,

to have a musical produced
in New York.

It's starting to happen

and that feels really,
really cool.

(soft string music playing)

(music fades)

(distant siren wailing)

(indistinct chatter)

-(laughter)
-student: Me too.

My life with a Clorox wipe.

Kami:
Last week, we got word

from the county
public health department

that they were recommending
some pretty restrictive changes

to how schools were operating.

It's unprecedented
in our lifetime,

what's happening right now.

There have been
other contagions.

They have not spread
this quickly

to as many places
on the planet.

We are scheduled
for six live performances

and none of those
are gonna happen.

We are hoping to do
one show that is filmed,

so that the kids get
to perform it on stage,

but that instead
of an audience,

we have a video camera.

woman:
Why not just cancel the play?

Why put it on for no audience?

Well, because of the kids.

You don't just cancel a play.

That's, like, unthinkable.

Theater has existed in, like,

the worst places
all over the world.

It existed during the plague

and it exists
in refugee camps.

It existed
in concentration camps.

It exists. It's the...

the deck chairs on the Titanic,
you're just gonna,

just gonna to do it...
until you can't, you know.

Kami: (over loudspeaker)
Good morning, Cupertino.

This is Ms. Tomberlain.
I'm sorry to interrupt class.

I want you to know
this is not an emergency.

Beginning Monday,

Cupertino High School
will be closed

in response
to the COVID-19 virus.

So, right now, we're
looking at three weeks,
schools closed,

online education.

Um, we want to keep everybody
safe and everybody healthy.

Thank you very much,

and I will be sending out
more information shortly.

-Hi.
-student: Hello.

This is the day we didn't
want to have to have.

Um...

I think that Megan and I would
like to go over to the theater

so that we can all put our show

into a state
of suspended animation.

(somber music playing)

Every time I get to spend time
in a circle like this,

I realize how lucky I am.

We were lucky to have been here,
we were lucky to have cared.

So...

we don't know what's gonna
happen now.

Except for the next thing we're
gonna do is clap and we'll jump,

and something will happen then.

One, two, three.

That's settled.

Christina: Obviously,
we need to talk about, um,

things getting shut down
on us today. Okay?

So first we got
the announcement

that it was just
after-school activities

that would be closed
until April 10th,

which was the weekend
we were going to perform.

Um, and then it came
that the governor

totally shut down schools
for the state.

-So, let's hope this gets
over within a month.
-I really hope so.

Christina:
I'm hoping we're back
after spring break,

but I'm also
not holding my breath.

Evan:
This feels pretty damn real.

The school's closing down,
and I don't know when
it's coming back.

Everything else is closing too.

It's crazy.
It's crazy right now.

Jane:
I'm disappointed that
the musical got canceled

because that's like, that's
my moment where I shine.

It's like the sports kids,
they don't get to finish
their season,

they don't get to be like
the senior all-star athlete.

This is as close as we come
to being an all-star athlete.

Kyle:
David and I were
having conversations

with each other
about the coronavirus,

really wondering, are we gonna

be able to get to New York

and do our reading and get out

before this happens?

Two days before we were supposed
to get on a plane to New York,

the NBA season cancels.

reporter: ...concerns
have prompted the NBA

to scrap its entire
remaining season.

Kyle:
We wake up
Thursday morning,

and that's
when Broadway closes.

reporter:
At 5 p.m. Thursday,

Broadway officially went dark.

Kyle: Broadway was closing
for the first time since
September 11th.

David:
It was an "oh shit" moment,

where your stomach sort of
turns over a little bit,

and everyone felt that
in the entire world.

Um, we were just
two more people who felt that.

(pensive music playing)

♪ Everybody's angry ♪

♪ Everybody's screamin' ♪

♪ They want someone to blame ♪

♪ But what's the real reason? ♪

♪ I tried to heed your advice ♪

♪ Just keep my eye
on the prize ♪

♪ Now take a breath
and be fine ♪

♪ Do what it takes
to survive ♪

♪ Till we run out of time ♪

♪ Tell me this is a dream ♪

♪ It's not as bad as it seems ♪

♪ Still what I don't
understand ♪

♪ Is how this got
so out of hand ♪

♪ So someone's cheating ♪

♪ Someone's always cheating ♪

♪ Always lying,
always fighting ♪

♪ Always crying ♪

♪ Make it go away ♪

♪ Will this go ♪

♪ Away? ♪

♪ It's about time that I ♪

♪ Found peace of mind ♪

♪ After all, I followed
where I was led ♪

♪ I've been told
that once I get older ♪

♪ I'll be fine ♪

♪ I'll see it was all
in my head ♪

♪ It's not all in my head ♪

So, I've been self-quarantining
for about a week now.

I believe it's day...

day 12 or...

12, I think, of, of quarantine.

This is the first time
I've ever had to do

any form of online school.

And it feels weird.

Okay, I have not gone
outside ever

in these two weeks.

I haven't even stepped foot
outside my door.

Not this door,
like outside my front door.

Ojas:
It's day 36 of quarantine.

I'm noticing that
I'm sort of forgetting

how to have a conversation
with other humans.

Could be a Tuesday,
could be a Wednesday.

I'm pretty sure neither
of those are correct though.

I think, and I hope
that this will be over

in a month or two, maybe?

I've heard that we're not
getting, like, a vaccine
for a year.

God, that sounds terrible.

Senih: My sleep schedule
is now completely flipped.

I will sleep at around 4 a.m.,

and I'll wake up
at around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m.

It's not very healthy for me.

We found out that someone
just down the road

was positive for the virus.

And that's very unnerving.

Of course I can Facetime
my friends,

but it's not, it's not the same,

and...

I don't think it's really good
for anyone's mental health.

Purvi:
I'm feeling really confused

and just sort of disoriented,

and I'm not really sure
what to do at the moment.

Barbara:
I'm really uncertain

with how my grades
are gonna turn out

and how that's gonna affect
my college admissions

and which college I choose.

I don't think I can do this
for another five weeks.

(laughs)

I'll try, I have to, but...

It's boring, dude.

It sucks.

I hate it.
I want to go back to school.

Kyle: Theaters aren't meant
to be empty.

There's 500 seats here.
Like, people are supposed
to be in them.

Christina:
For a lot of kids,

theater is where they find
the place where they belong.

The arts is what's
getting cut out.

You really can't
do theater very well
with a mask on your face.

Arcadia:
There really hasn't
been a time in my life

where I haven't
been backstage,

on stage, around stage.

Not knowing what it's going
to look like to move forward

is the part
that is the hardest.

What the fuck
do we do now?

Even if this dies down
over summer

and we get all of our ducks
in a row and we're back
in New York in July

because we can be,
is there even gonna be
a market for theater then?

David:
After the descent
into despair,

the Broadway dream
being on pause...

brought us back to why we wrote
the show in the first place.

We wrote the show
for the students.

(playing introduction
to "Hamilton")

♪ How does a bastard
orphan... ♪

Kyle: And then theater
started happening online.

♪ Oh, oh, oh,
you can't stop today... ♪

-♪ No! ♪
-♪ As it comes speeding
round the tracks ♪

-♪ Oo-oo-ooh! ♪
-♪ Child, yesterday
is history... ♪

-♪ Be gone! ♪
-♪ And it's never
comin' back! ♪

-(frenetic drums beating)
-Kyle: We started to see

these professionals
get a little innovative
and creative.

We realized
there was no reason

"Ranked" couldn't also be
adapted for that venue.

♪ Why do I always feel so... ♪

♪ Why do I always
feel so... ♪

♪ Why do I always feel
so forgotten? ♪

♪ Just breathe,
you'll be fine ♪

♪ You're drowning, you're
drowning, you're drowning ♪

Kyle:
We really pivoted our efforts
to getting "Ranked"

to more high schools.

Welcome to today's episode
of the "Average Update."

-We're coming to you live.
-Live!

For the special midterm edition
of the class rank update.

-I'm Nate Huge.
-And I'm Kelly Stewart!

Midterms are over,
and it's time to see how
the cards, or ranks, fell!

Yay!

-That is so good!
-That was literally amazing!

It's just so special
to us that students

get to be the ones
to bring "Ranked" to New York

for its debut.

We're just so appreciative
that y'all are able to give this

some New York life.

(string quartet playing)

Linda Key:
In the Bronx, many students
are just hungry,

hungry to succeed.

A lot of the kids come
from single-parent homes.

We have students who
might have to stay at home

to take care of siblings because

both parents are working.

The reality
for a lot of my kids is

they're in a smaller apartment
with lots of family members.

Many of their parents

are working triple shifts.

College represents

a way for them to raise

their economic state.

I mean, that's a huge thing.

For our communities, education
is your... your key to success.

Something that we're
constantly communicating
to students

is what it means
to be above average.

Like, if you
want to get into the top school,

you have to be above average.

Welcome to today's episode
of the "Average Update."

We're coming to you live
with a new--

Ooh, with a special.

I'm Nate Huge!

Or like, a little...
I'm Nate Huge!

Something like that, I gotta
put my little coolness in it.

Linda:
In many ways,
the arts is our glue

during this pandemic.

♪ You're number one ♪

♪ Now you're 30,
now down to... ♪

Isiah:
The streets are empty,
there's nobody outside.

Even when I'm inside,
it's like I can play the game,

I can watch TV,
I can practice lines,

but after I do those things,
what is there for me to do?

Like a repeating cycle,

like every day
doing the same thing.

♪ We need to come up for air ♪

♪ Take a look around ♪

♪ You're almost there ♪

Nahiely:
Everybody's
struggling right now.

It sucks that I can't be
in class with my friends.

The pandemic made everything
turn upside down,

and it isn't just
a pandemic happening.

protestors:
I can't breathe!
I can't breathe!

reporter:
Demonstrations continue today

as people took
to the streets to protest
the death of George Floyd.

-protestors: George Floyd!
-leader: Say his name!

-George Floyd! George Floyd!
-Say his name!

Isiah:
It's scary to see
how the world really is.

I'm no different
from George Floyd.

The same thing
that they did to him,

that could have been me
out there,

and I wouldn't
wish that on anybody.

protestors:
I can't breathe!
I can't breathe!

I can't breathe!
I can't breathe!

I can't breathe!
I can't breathe!

Nahiely: I have friends
that look like George Floyd.

My dad looks like
George Floyd, so it's...

just really emotional for me.

-Say his name!
-George Floyd!

-Say his name!
-George Floyd!

Say his name!

Michael:
I have a very hard time

with the George Floyd
incident.

That along with, you know,

Breonna Taylor,
Ahmaud Arbery, Emmett Till.

You know,
the situations, right,

that we were
experiencing centuries ago

are still happening,
present day.

It's really hard for me to...

to put into words
what I'm feeling...

Yeah.

protestors:
No justice, no peace!

Michael:
Our students are growing up

in a world where,
unfortunately,

because of the color
of their skin,

they're experiencing racism,
oppression.

Nahiely:
We're still drowning.

We haven't
gotten much change.

We just keep seeing situations
like this happen,

over and over and over again.

We haven't
come up for air, yet.

We still have a long way to go
before we can breathe.

♪ It's time to come up
for air ♪

♪ These waves
keep crashing down ♪

♪ But we're still there ♪

♪ So push me down
and spit me out ♪

♪ I found my ground ♪

♪ I'm not about
to throw it all away ♪

♪ Because life
won't play fair ♪

♪ I'm gonna come up for air ♪

-(horn honks)
-Lakin: At the time of me
recording this,

we are going through
the tragic events

surrounding
George Floyd and his murder.

I am in high school.

I don't have a big following.

I try to do what I can by, like,

posting on social media
to help educate people,

but it just really makes me feel
powerless sometimes, you know,

when something
huge like this goes on,

and you really,
really wanna help.

(horn honks)

No hate in my holler!

No hate
in my holler!

No hate in my holler!

Leo:
The objective of today
is kind of

just to educate
and inform people.

Because, I mean,
this is Ripley.

Like, it's a white
prominent town.

So you have a lot of people
saying, "all lives matter,"

and things
that are really racist.

Being in a small town
is no excuse for ignorance.

man:
We do have several armed
counter-demonstrators

with signs saying
they're backing the blue.

woman:
We see a lot of
second amendment folks here.

And they're saying they're
here to keep it peaceful.
Now, what do you make of that?

Do you think that that's
their intentions?
What's going on?

I think it's
an intimidation factor.
I think they're trying, yeah...

I think they're trying to,
ya know, make us go away.

So you're, you're telling me
that Black lives matter.

Okay, I agree with you.
Do not all lives matter?

-Okay, so...
-Do not all lives matter?

Leo: Can I explain it?
So yeah, all lives do matter.

But the thing is
that Black lives are,

they're going through
a racial injustice within
this country right now,

and we're trying to bring
attention to their lives.

-Okay, wow.
-(woman speaking):

-No.
-Please? You're really
close to me.

man: Okay, that's good.
Did I offend you?

And you're over here,
right in this lady's face
with no mask on.

-That just shows you
the kind of person you are.
-Son!

-For one thing,
you're as close to her--
-I got a mask on.

So what? So what?

Leo: And she didn't ask him
to back off.

Taylor: It honestly
really made me upset

that you have a bunch
of middle-aged white men

walking down the street with,

you know,
AR-15s on their backs

to try to scare these kids,
you know, protesting

for something
that actually means something.

Take it to the streets,
'cause he can't breathe.

No justice, no peace!

Take it to the streets,
'cause he can't breathe.

No justice, no peace!

Take it to the streets,
'cause he can't breathe.
No justice, no peace!

emcee: Dalton Meyers,
going to Ben Franklin
to be an electrician.

-(scattered applause)
-(indistinct chatter)

(laughs) I love you.

-I love you too, baby.
-We love you.

I like your pins.
I didn't even put mine on.

student: Dude, we match!

-Like, one of these?
-Oh, yeah.

Get the sun out of it.

I would've rather had
that traditional graduation,

but, I mean, this is cool too.

We have a parade, instead of,
like, just a Zoom meeting.

-woman: Go, Anastasia!
-emcee: Way to go,
Class of 2020!

-woman: Good job, good job!
-Anastasia, congratulations!

Anastasia:
I pictured everything

differently
than it actually is.

I'm gonna talk to my kids in
really far future, being like,

"Yeah, I was the class who
graduated during quarantine."

Barbara:
I'm super relieved that

I actually have
my diploma now,

even though the ceremony

was not like
it should have been.

I feel super great.
It's about the achievement.

emcee:
Added the sunroof!

Ojas: It feels weird
that everything is in
a drive-through fashion.

emcee:
Congratulations, Ojas!

I never really got to say
a proper thank you

and goodbye to my teachers.

student:
Whoo-hoo!

Ojas: I'm not really sure
what my future looks like.

I don't know
what's going to happen.

We're taking it
one day at a time.

(distant siren wailing)

(horn honks)

student:
♪ 5, 6, 7, 8, work ♪

students: (in singsong)
♪ And me and my friends
hold on, work ♪

♪ Walk in, walk out
and go to work ♪

♪ Hey, walk it out,
walk it out ♪

♪ Work, okay, oh, cha, cha
cha, cha, work ♪

-Nahiely: (laughing)
We should do that.
-Jolimar: Yeah, we should.

(laughing)

Linda: We're gonna be doing
the Nate and Kelly scene.

They're like a mix between

like cheerleaders
and...

Like the morning announcement
people.

So chipper,
professional,
best student ever.

student:
Mm-hmm.

"Welcome to today's episode
of the 'Average Update.'

We're coming to you live
with a special midterm edition
of the class rank updates."

-I'm Nate Huge!
-"And I'm Kelly Stewart.
It's Friday, October 15th."

"You have a few extra days
until these essays boom
or bust your rank,

so take the weekend
and celebrate."

So, can you show me some crazy
high-school way to celebrate?

Like, celebrate, waah!
Give me something there! Okay?

-Fantastic, Zaya, that's great.
-Good job, good job.

All right, we are act I,
scene II, page 21.

Putting on a virtual play
is one thing.

Putting on
a virtual musical

is a whole different
ball game.

And then you're gonna take
your right hand

and pull on this side
of your face so maybe...

Hayley Wright:
We have the kids

that have opted in
for in-person learning

while we have the majority
of our cast still remote.

♪ The tiniest lifeboat... ♪

Linda: We did all
of the auditions remotely.

♪ Feels like I might spend
the whole year... ♪

Linda:
I have a lot of students
doing their whole school day,

often in the bathroom,
or I had one student

who found a little corner
of the closet.

A lot of students
don't have another room

where they can have quiet.

(indistinct chatter)

We bought green screens.

We have
a sound recording studio.

It's gonna be like
a mix between
a movie musical, Zoom,

and an actual movie.

Hayley: My hope for how
we will premiere "Ranked"

is to have a big day

where everyone was
in the auditorium,

was watching
on our big screen.

♪ I've always been
the good little sister ♪

♪ Never even tried
to speak my mind ♪

♪ Just keep my lips on lock ♪

♪ Don't take
the chance to talk ♪

♪ But the thoughts in my head
still scream and shout ♪

Excellent,
excellent work, honey!

We just took everything
another bunch of steps.

Jolimar:
I was born and raised in
the Dominican Republic.

I moved to New York
at the age of 9.

My mom thought that
in New York City

we were able
to seek a better life,
a better future.

I made a vow to myself
when I came here, I was like,

when I finally learn English,

I'll make sure that I'm
the best student that I can.

Maybe not get like Salutatorian
and, and Valedictorian.

But maybe the best student
as I can.

I've always wanted
to go to college,

but being able to pay
for college is a big factor

into my college
application process.

Not being able to pay for
the college of your dreams,

it breaks your heart.

You have the potential,

but just because
you can't afford it,
you're not able to go,

and somebody else
can because they are,

and it's kind of unfair,
but that's just the way
the world is.

I live with my mom
and my sister.

I used to live with
my aunts and uncles

and cousins
in the same apartment.

You know, you come
from the bottom

and have to work your way up.

My mom, she has done
so much for us

in order to have
what we have now.

The most important for me is
my daughters.

(speaking Spanish)

Oooh, five more minutes.

I'm nervous!

I always wanted
to go to college

to pursue my dream
as an actor.

Also, like,
learn other skills.

Like, be a entrepreneur.

It would really mean a lot.

My mom, she didn't
have the chance to go,

my brother didn't get
a chance to go,

so being that I'm getting
a chance to go,

I want to take advantage
of this opportunity.

There've been
things in my life
that pushed me back

and made me feel like
I couldn't do it,

but like getting there
and going to college

would just make me feel
like I could do anything.

(computer chimes)

Hello.

Well, welcome
to the audition, sir.

Um, thank you, first of all,
for auditioning for us.

So, what monologues
will you be doing

for me today, Mr. Sampson?

Today, I will be performing
Twilight

from the play
"Twilight: Los Angeles 1992."

So, a lot of the times
when I brought up the idea
to my homeboys,

they say, "Twilight.

That's before your time,
that's something
you can't do now."

When I talked about the truce
back in 1988,

that was something they'd
consider before it's time.

Yet in 1992,
we made it realistic.

So, to me it's like
I'm stuck in a limbo,

like the sun is stuck
between night and day

in the twilight hours, you know?

You're nervous,
aren't you?

Just a little bit.

'Cause your energy right now
is sort of like

"Ahhh!"

and you do not need
to be.

I want you to sort of...
"I'm gonna own it.

I'm gonna own everything..."

Isiah:
I know, like, this college
application process

is competitive
and, just, financially,

I'm just scared I will
have to go with probably
my second choice

or my third choice,
just being that

I wouldn't be able
to afford my top choice.

Your little skinny self
should have went over there.

Michqwelyn:
Isiah is the driven one, like,

he has that drive,
that ambition.

Like, he just, he goes for it.

And this acting career
that he is going after,

he really wants it.

Like a whole other time,
it was a major disaster.

When I brought up the ideas
to my homeboys,

they say, "Twilight..."

Oft, I have picked up
dead men from the grave

and set them upright
at their dead friend's door.

-I felt that. That was dope.
-Isiah: Thank you.

-Zay, why do you have
so many tabs open?
-Dope.

'Cause I'm applying
to college right now.

Michqwelyn:
I want them to have
a better life than me.

Not saying my life is bad,

but I just want them to be...
don't have to struggle,

like, it's, it's hard out here.

So I just want them to...

be what they want to be
when they grow up.

Isiah's like his dad.

When he wants something,
he goes for it.

And he won't stop
until he gets it.

Isiah has that drive,
just like Rob.

That's how Rob was.

Isiah:
My dad, he passed away
freshman year.

I lost myself, in a way.

It set me back a lot,
like with grades.

But I realized that
he would want me to pursue
my dream as an actor.

Now, I'm in
the National Honor Society.

My grades is good,
I'm doing good
in all my classes.

I'm on top of my stuff.

I know he's probably
looking down at me right now,
in this moment, and like,

he's probably proud of me,
and I just want to continue
to make him proud.

This is, like,
my good luck charm.

Um, it's hung over my bed
right now, um...

I don't know, I'm gettin'
emotional right now.

I actually kiss up to my dad
every night, um...

Just knowing that he's not here
and he can't like,

really, like, experience the
things that I'm experiencing,

be proud of me, be happy
for his son,

tell his son that...
he loves him.

And even me telling my dad
that I love him.

It just hurts me every day.

So, I'm gonna make sure that,

um...

I might give back in a way,
um, you know.

Everything he gave to me,
I'm gonna give back, I promise.

One, two, ready, play!

(drums beating)

-(cheering)
-(whistle blows)

announcer:
It's the pride
of Jackson County,

the Ripley High School
Fighting Marching Band!

-(bells clanging)
-(students cheering)

Leo:
Our first football game,

even with like COVID
and everything.

Tonight is senior night.

They'll be calling
my name out.

announcer:
Band member for eight years

and has plans to major
in animation in college.

(applause)

Leo:
My mom is in Tennessee,

so I've been living
alone here in Ripley.

My stepdad
got a job down there

so she goes back to Tennessee
like every other week.

And she knows
that I'm fine up here.

I do everything.
I do all the cleaning.

I do all the cooking and
the laundry and all that.

Like, I feel like I'm already
ready to be living on my own.

I've been applying to
a couple different schools.

And a lot of this stuff is,
like, money.
It's just like...

whether or not I can get in
is a whole other thing,

but like, even if I do get in,
can I pay for it?

I applied for so many
scholarships already.

I mean,
I've heard nothing back.

A lot of these scholarships,
it's like you have to be like
super, super smart.

You have to be making like
a 4.0, maybe like more.

I'm trying to save up
for college.

The American Dream,
like, it's the idea

that if you work hard enough,
you can get a good education,

you can get a good job.

I mean, obviously, that's
just like not always true.

At this point, it's like,

can I get into these colleges
and can I pay for it?

So that's kinda like what I'm
worried about right now.

Maisie, up!

Right now life is a lot slower

than what I'd like it to be.

I'm going
to West Virginia University

at Parkersburg

and my major
is Business Administration.

It's been weird transitioning

from high school to college

without being in college.

Constant surveillance
to literally none,

not even like a classroom
to have a teacher,

like, look me in the eyes
and tell me what to do.

I am feeling
isolated right now.

I did buy a ring light
for college.

Most people would think,
"Oh, you bought it

so the lighting is better
so maybe the teacher
can see you."

No, there's a cute girl
in my business class,

and I wanted to look good
for her on the Zoom meeting!

Hello.

I think students
are coming to their senses

about how much college
is really worth

versus how much
you're spending on it.

A more basic college degree,

it's getting you
the same education,

but you're saving tens if not
hundreds of thousands of dollars

in student debt down the road.

(dog barking)

Anne:
With the virus going on,
I'm not sure how, like,

my future plans
are gonna work out.

It's kinda nerve-wracking.

I decided I didn't want
to be a teacher.

And I really think
the virus has a big thing
to play with that.

I'm not sure

I would be strong enough

to do that for years.

I've really been thinking
about special effects more.

I've been practicing
a little bit.

I looked up
special effects schools,

and I realized,
maybe I can do the arts.

How in the world
did you go from,

"I wanna teach little kids
and help them grow"

to, "I want to, um,

make people look
like they've been
in a car accident"?

I feel like teaching is more

like a hardcore job,
kinda like your basic job

that you hear about,
like the lawyers, doctors.

I feel like teaching kind
of goes into that category,

and I don't want to be normal.

I can't let the virus stop me

from really becoming
who I wanna become.

I still have
to live my dreams.

And if it doesn't work out,
that's okay, it was fun!

It's better to say,
"Hey, I almost became
a special effects artist"

than say I didn't try.

(distant siren wailing)

-Linda: Ba, ba, ba.
-Jolimar: Ba, ba, ba.

-Pa, pa, pa.
-Pa, pa, pa.

I started acting when
I was in middle school.

Ms. Key has pushed me
into being the best actress,

creative artist as I can.

I really want to become
professional.

Let's go through what's
coming up for you

in terms
of your auditions.

Jolimar:
I'm applying to like
13 schools in total.

I don't have a dream school.

I don't really want to get
attached to one and get sad
because I didn't get in.

teacher:
Hi, Jolimar!

Bernard Cummings:
Hi, Jolimar!

Thank you so much
for auditioning for us.

Um, we know
what a really strange

and crazy process
this is.

The stage is all yours.

Yes.

You promised me my life,
but you lied.

And by your wanting
to take them away from me

or from any human creature,

I know that your counsel
is of the devil

and that mine is of God!

You took on "Saint Joan"
by Shaw.

And you personalized it
and made it your own,

which is something
that I love about it.

I want you to do the whole
"Saint Joan" in Spanish.

Okay. (laughs)

Let's say
you are an immigrant.

You're down here
at the Texas border.

They've yanked
your child from you.

You're in a cage.

Some right-wing
politician comes

and wants to look
through the cage

and ask you
how you feel.

(in Spanish)

Thank you.

Wow, I'm sorry,
you got me emotional

with that monologue.

There's a real energy
out of you,

and it, it's just
absolutely wonderful.

So walk into any
and every audition

you have coming up
with great confidence.

-Bye, thank you so much!
-Bye.

(shrieks)

I don't know how to feel!

♪ I've always been
the good little sister ♪

(laughs)

♪ Just keep my lips on lock ♪

♪ Don't take the chance
to talk ♪

Oh, my gosh, that was
the audition of my life, ah!

Wow. Okay.

Senih: I got a job,
started making money.

Got a car, all that fun stuff.

I guess I was very scared
of the idea that

I would just stay home
and do nothing

and be completely
satisfied with that.

-Hey, how're you guys doing?
-Hi, good. How are you?

-Senih: Good, good.
-Thank you.

There you go.
And I'll give you that.

-I'll be right back
with some water for you guys.
-That'd be great.

Senih:
I do expect more out of me now
than I would a year ago.

I know myself better than I did,

and I think that kind of
motivates me to do more.

I've been able
to kind of be my own person.

Because of my grades,
I didn't feel like
I was in a position

where I got to really be
too picky with where
I went to college.

...and the basic
burger is pretty big.

I applied to
a bunch of different schools.

I'm planning on going as
far away as I can from home,

you know, New York, hopefully.

I've never really lived

outside of my parents'
sphere of influence,

so it's gonna be nice
to make my own choices.

You know, the opportunity
to learn how to live by myself.

That's what I think of
when I think of college.

Where is it?
Sign in, there we go.

Okay.

Oh, this is scary!

Ah!

Okay, three, two, one...

(perky music playing)

Holy...

Okay, so I got waitlisted.

-Waiting list isn't bad.
-Yeah.

-It's not a rejection.
-Okay.

I got rejected.

It's...
it's pretty disappointing.

"I wish that a different
decision had been possible."

Do you, Harvard?
Do you really?

Because if you wish it,
you would have done it. (laughs)

-Oh, no.
-Oh, my God.

Ah, I got in!

(shrieking)

mother:
You have been accepted!

Whoo! Let's go!

I'm officially an Illini now,
so that's exciting.

(mother speaking Japanese)

That's such a relief.

It's my first college.

Worst case, I got into college!

Aaaah!

We almost in, y'all.
We at the finish line.
We almost did it, so...

I am so excited.
I've been accepted

to one of the schools
that I really want to go to.

Congratulations!

I got
a $100,000 scholarship.

Michael Johnson:
Today is college decision day.

We come together
to celebrate them,
to encourage them,

and to just acknowledge
all of the hard work

that our seniors have achieved

and the challenges
that they've overcome
this academic year.

Today marks an extremely
significant day for each of you.

Today is the day you decide
how you will spend

the next two to four years
of your life

as you pursue
post-secondary education.

Linda: Many of our seniors
have gotten into
their first choice school,

some are waiting
for a few more decisions.

The students
are going to have to see

what the financial aid
packages are.

For our students,
it's not a possibility

to come out of school
with a $200,000 student loan.

That would be sort of crippling
if they were going
into the arts as a career.

They need to find
the best option

to enter the career path
of their choice

with very little debt.

Isiah:
A lot of my friends
are on urge

of making
their decisions already.

Some already made
their decision.

It just kind of make me like,
"Dang, I wish I knew
where I was going."

I heard back
from Howard University

and Chapman University
in California.

I got into Chapman,
but I got waitlisted
for Howard.

Being told no,
ya know, it just, like,

it's messing with my,
like, my whole plan

of where
I wanna go to college.

I'm really stuck
in the middle right now.

I don't have all the answers,
you know, to financial aid.

Just this week me and my mom
had been talking.

She was just saying that
she don't want me in debt.

I'm young and she doesn't want
all that on me at a young age.

She doesn't want it
to mess me up in the future.

At the end of the day
it's my decision,

and honestly for my dream,

I wouldn't, I wouldn't mind
being in debt,

and that's what I told my mom.

I told my mom everything
can go in my name.

"I don't want nothing--
I don't want nothing on you.

I want everything on me because
it's my dream, it's my life,

and I should be taking
accountability for what I want."

Linda: All of us
in the arts department

are committed to our students
living their dreams,

so, like, we'll exhaust
every possibility

to help them
find the money.

-Whoo!
-Whoo!

-Linda: Wait, wait, wait!
-Isiah: Can't forget you!

both:
Whoo! Whoo!

-Isiah: You know that!
-Linda: All right, man.

Linda: Last time we talked,
we talked a lot about Howard.

But as luck will have it,

you seem like you have
another choice...

-Isiah: Yes.
-...that has come to you.

My other choice is Chapman
University in California.

-Linda: Great.
-For screen acting, so...

You got their financial aid
package back.

So, what they gave me,
approximately 57,000,

and then the rest
I'll have to like, it's 18.

-Linda: 18,000 per year.
-18,000, you know.

(tearfully)
We're really proud of you.

Don't cry, miss.
What you about to tell me?

Linda: We love you,
and we know your dream.

And we've got
really good news.

You got a scholarship,

so you don't have
to pay the 18,000.

Nah, you're serious?

Yeah.

I don't...

I'm not even like,
y'all know, like, I--

I'm not even the person to like,
with these reaction things,

but, are you serious?

Yeah.

Thank you, thank you so much.

Right now, you know,
I don't want to cry.

Don't, I can't look at you guys.

Ma, somebody's gonna pay for me,
you know, I'm happy right now.

I can't stop cheesing, ya know.
Somebody's gonna pay.

Michqwelyn: (on phone)
Wait, I can't--
you're breaking up, wait.

You hear me?
They, they're gonna...

Michqwelyn:
Are you serious?

Yes, Ma, they're gonna do that.

Yes, Ma, yes, yes, yes, yes.

You don't have to worry
no more, so...

- Michqwelyn: That's your dad.
-Oh, wow.

Thank you.

Oh, man. Oh, man.

-I can't. I'm happy...
-(teachers laughing)

I'm sorry, I'm sorry...

(peaceful music playing)

California.

It's a lot of
emotions going on,

but like, I'm just ready.

Ready when you are.

Senih:
Growing up in America,

you get the sense
of graduation being like

this huge moment in your life.

Nice, all right, we're good.
We're set.

I guess it's supposed
to feel, like, magical

or you know like you're coming
to an end of something.

But it's not something
I got from my parents a lot.

They're not
too excited because

in Turkey, it's not
the biggest deal to graduate.

So, when I walk across
the stage,

I'm not expecting much
from my dad.

You know, just the usual,
"Hey, congrats, you did it,

high school is over,
get to college," you know.

-Front? Is this okay?
-Yeah.

-Does that look good?
-Yeah.

Senih:
Over the past year,
my relationship

with my dad
has gotten better.

I'm less reliant on, I guess,
that sense of approval.

You know, moving away from him
now, going to college,

I'm going to be put
in a situation where

I need to do what I do
for myself and then

I guess hopefully
whatever I do,
he'll be supportive of that.

announcer:
Senih Okuycucu!

(cheering and applause)

Senih:
I made it, so I guess
that's what matters.

father:
He went from being
this little teenager

fighting with his brothers

to being a responsible man,

and I'm very proud
to see that.

Senih!

I don't know,
it hit me like that's it.

Like, he's gone.

He's gone and,
and I don't know, I...

maybe I didn't appreciate
our time together.

I don't know, it felt like,
oh, we could have done more...

I don't know.

Senih:
I did it!

(indistinct chatter)

Senih:
Thank you.

father:
I may not really see him
as much as I used to

maybe for the rest of my life.

Graduation is kind of like
an explicit milestone

that kind of symbolizes
all of that at once.

It's a lot of emotions,
actually.

(peaceful music playing)

(music fades)

Isiah:
I knew the day was gonna come,

but I didn't expect it
to come fast, you know.

It's just sad
because it's come at a end

and you only get high school
once in a lifetime.

I'm also sad because,
it's like,

my dad couldn't
make it here for me today.

It would have been wonderful
to have both parents

at my graduation.

Looking sharp, kiddo.

Hey.

I'm so proud, man.
I wish your dad was here.

Isiah:
He's watching me,
that's all I can say.

He's watching me, he's proud.

And I'm proud that I did it,
and I'm proud that I got here,

'cause I know that's
what he wanted.

And now I'm sad
and I'm trying to be happy.

But it's a good day today,
so, ya know, I'm gonna be happy.

Jolimar:
Yeah, I'm excited that,
finally,

everything that
I have worked for

throughout the past
three years
has finally paid off.

I'm very happy that
I don't have to take
any student loans

or be in debt
for the next year.

NYU gave me a full ride.

Now we're having
a graduation

which not a lot of people
had last year

because of COVID and stuff,
so I'm grateful.

My cap says, "porque puedo
y me lo merezco" in Spanish,

and that translates to

"because I can
and I deserve it."

(mother speaking Spanish)

woman:
It is with great pleasure
that I welcome you

to Fordham High School
for the Arts'

commencement ceremony for
the graduating class of 2021.

(cheering and applause)

Michael: I stand here
staring at you in awe,

as your proud principal

and filled with
so many emotions.

-(cheering)
-Too early in the speech.

I'm sorry that we couldn't
give you all the senior year...

student 1:
Don't cry.

student 2:
Aw.

I'm sorry
that we couldn't give you

the senior year
you rightfully deserve...

student:
We love you!

(cheering and applause)

Go out into this world,

hold your head high,
be proud of who you are,

what you've accomplished,

and most definitely
where you come from.

Congratulations.

I now pronounce you
official graduates

from Fordham High School
for the Arts

on the 25th day of June 2021.

You may now transfer
your tassels to your right!

student:
We outta here!

(cheering continues)

(lively piano music playing)

(train clattering)

Kyle: We're here
in New York City because

we wanted to be
at the New York premiere
of "Ranked."

(crowd applauding)

(crowd cheering)

Linda:
Jolimar Perez!

Next we have Nahiely!

We have Isiah,
senior drama major.

(cheering)

-Linda: What are you wearing?
-Amazon.

-Linda: Ama-- Oh! Amazon!
-student: Yeah!

David: Seeing the kids
going on their red carpet,

striking a pose,

feeling really special
and feeling like a superstar

and looking
like superstars too,

it reminds you of what
we've all been missing.

(orchestral intro playing)

student:
Whoo!

(cheering and applause)

♪ What could I say ♪

♪ If it turns out I failed? ♪

♪ What should you do ♪

♪ When the water
you've bailed ♪

♪ Is rushing back in? ♪

She's got a great voice.

♪ You know you can't win ♪

♪ You're drowning,
you're drowning ♪

♪ You're drowning... ♪

♪ Better learn how to swim ♪

(upbeat music playing)

David:
We wrote "Ranked,"
we never dreamed

that anyone else
would ever even do it

or know about it.

♪ Until we come up
for air ♪

♪ These waves keep
crashing down ♪

♪ Without a care ♪

♪ They push me down ♪

♪ They spit you out... ♪

David:
The beauty of theater

is that people
can come together

and feel a part of something

and feel connected
to each other.

♪ I'm gonna come up for air ♪

♪ I'm gonna come up ♪

♪ For air ♪

♪ I'm gonna come up for air ♪

♪ I'm gonna come up ♪

♪ For air... ♪

David:
We need this.

♪ You're finally
breathing ♪

♪ For the first time ♪

♪ You finally found
your peace of mind ♪

♪ So don't you
throw it all away ♪

♪ Don't throw it
all away ♪

♪ Don't throw it all away ♪

♪ Don't throw it
all away ♪

♪ Don't throw it all away ♪

♪ Don't throw it
all away ♪

(pensive music playing)

Kyle:
The moment that made me
the most emotional

was green screen stuff
of you guys.

Like, I got to see you all
in your homes, like,

just being silly
and being kids,

and I stopped seeing all
these characters that we wrote

and I just got to see you
and I got to see you, um...

(clears throat)

Uh, I got to see you
just making art,

not worrying about a pandemic,
and having fun and being silly.

It was just such a, um,
just a really great reminder

that, you know,
you're all still here

and you're gonna be okay.

And we're gonna move on
and keep,

keep making meaningful art.

(peaceful music continues)

♪ Everything changes... ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Everything changes... ♪

♪ When does this feeling
go away? ♪

-♪ Everything changes... ♪
-♪ What it takes
to survive... ♪

(singing in rounds)

-♪ Just breathe... ♪
-♪ You're drowning,
you're drowning... ♪

♪ Everything changes ♪

♪ Come up for air... ♪

all:
♪ When will this change? ♪

(soulful orchestral coda
playing)

(viewers laughing)

(switch clicks)

(rock music playing)

I just calculated day 452

since the first COVID
lockdown in California.

So, pretty wild.

Um, approaching 500 days.

(clears throat)
That's crazy.

Today we at
Chapman University.

You know the vibe,
guys.

It's me and mommy
here today.

Move-in day.

-Feelin' good.
-I love this place.

-Yeah.
-Oh, my gosh, it's so awesome.

It is really nice
out here, guys.

Like, really nice,
the people are wonderful.

Michqwelyn: The people
are really wonderful.

The scenery, guys,

just look at everything,
you know?

Moved into my dorm,

in SUNY Binghamton.
Super excited.

Here's my desk
and everything.

There's my side
of the bed,
that's my roommate's.

Looking forward
to an exciting year.

I am still working
at Country Canine
Groom and Board.

I've been with them
for about four months now.

Best first job
I could have
ever asked for.

Working,
saving up money
for California.

And I'm gonna be
a makeup artist.

I leave for school
in 30 days

from today.

I'll be moved in
on September 5th,

and I started
packing,

and I'm really
excited to live
in New York

for the next
four years.

I'm starting
at West Virginia
University

at Parkersburg,
which isn't far
from home,

so I'm still
here at my
parents' crib.

And while I'm here,
I'm working

on a new
YouTube series

that quite frankly
I think

can take over
the internet.

I am currently
in my college dorm.

I committed
to Cornell University.

I have a single dorm
as you guys saw.

I honestly really
love it here,

so I'm just
excited to see

what's gonna
happen in the next
four years, but yeah.

I'm finally going out
at school, everything
I've been working for.

This is my freshman year,
it's like it's
finally happening.

See? I'm excited.

I'm really happy
with where I am at
right now in life.

I'm doing great,

and I'm still at De Anza.

Uh, planning to transfer

to UCLA though,

um, next school year,

which I am
very excited for,

but I am working

real hard to do that,

to make the plan
a reality.

I'm working on
my associates degree

in stenography
at BridgeValley

Community College,

and I'm also still working

at I Scream Sundae

and Hallowbeans.

Hi, everyone.

I'm at lunch right now
in Sichoba,

a little art
installation

that they have here
in New York City.

I'm in college.
I have studio
in just a few minutes,

so I'll see you guys later.

(peaceful music playing)