See what he had to say below…
The 2016 presidential election happened to fall on the night of my wedding anniversary.
And as their voices rose, so did Americans who feared their basic civil and human rights being threatened.
Credit: Peter Kramer/NBC; Inset: Sam Jones
We were suddenly living in a world of activism on all sides of the political spectrum.
That night, we all woke up.
This was the precise moment that I was beginning to work on the pilot script ofRise.
Peter Kramer/NBC
And perhaps most personally to me, We are not you, Hollywood.
It is changing their lives.
It cannot be ignored.
Peter Kramer/NBC
The kids in this schools drama program arent necessarily destined to go to Broadway or become movie stars.
Theyre a world away from that, and its not the point of the show.
Its easy to slip into the alluring notion of letting them all be as brilliant as they actually are.
Peter Kramer/NBC
After all, we do come on right afterThe Voice.
But this isnt a show about showcasing their incredible talent.
It is as much of a purely American story as Ive ever told.
Peter Kramer/NBC
Their stories are a mirror to the current American landscape.
Maashous, the student lighting designer, is struggling through the foster care system.
Michael, a trans kid, joins the troupe looking for a safe harbor.
Peter Kramer/NBC
burden, as opposed to the holy place it is.
Yet the towns history and story is deeply embedded into the fabric ofRise.
The football coach came from three generations of steel mill workers.
Watching his school and town suffer is what motivates him to take over the theater department.
He is doing anything he can to make a difference.
When he said that, I knew he was Lou.
Modern day, fresh-faced, Twittersavvy Tom Joads, with a refreshing and distinct purity of purpose.
They are raising their authentic voices on a grass-roots level out of a feeling of urgent necessity.
Riseairs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.
