{"id":2667,"date":"2015-04-23T00:40:51","date_gmt":"2015-04-23T00:40:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lbpost.com\/articles\/life\/arts-culture\/actors-hope-to-use-art-as-deterrent-from-gang-life-3\/"},"modified":"2015-04-23T00:40:51","modified_gmt":"2015-04-23T00:40:51","slug":"actors-hope-to-use-art-as-deterrent-from-gang-life-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/art\/actors-hope-to-use-art-as-deterrent-from-gang-life-3","title":{"rendered":"Actors Hope to Use Art as a Deterrent From Gang Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When Placas: The Most Dangerous Tattoo<\/em> makes its stop in Long Beach next week, Ric Salinas says the acting will be as critical as the message. Salina, who plays reformed Salvadorian gang banger Fausto Carbajal, said that the plot of redemption is a powerful tool, and through art, the cast is hopeful to spread that message in an effort to keep kids off the streets.<\/p>\n

\"\"Placas<\/em> is an original stage play written by Oakland-based community leader Paul Flores which illustrates one man\u2019s quest to reunite his family and save his son from the gang life after spending time in prison for his own gang-related offenses.<\/p>\n

In developing his script, Flores interviewed over 100 gang members, parents and intervention workers, including Alex Sanchez, a former member of the infamous Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, whom the play\u2019s lead character Fausto is loosely based off of.<\/p>\n

Salinas grew up in San Francisco\u2019s Mission District, far from the McArthur Park neighborhood that his character Fausto grew up in after immigrating from a war-torn El Salvador. For the past three decades Salinas has performed with the renowned comedy group \u201cCulture Clash,\u201d who he likened to a Chicano Aerosmith because of their staying power.<\/p>\n

When Placas<\/em> hits Long Beach’s Scottish Rite center April 30, despite some artistic license to interject comedy, the tone will be more serious as the cast acts out what Salinas calls an archetypal tale of a father trying to save son.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe play really could be a Greek tragedy,\u201d Salinas said. \u201cIt\u2019s so universal, a father who was in jail tries to save his son out of the gang life. It has very big universal themes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanchez grew up in Los Angeles and ascended to \u201cshot caller\u201d status in the criminal organization before being arrested and eventually reforming and founding the gang outreach non-profit Homies Unidos<\/a>. In addition to being an anti-gang advocate, Sanchez also helped Salinas, a fellow Salvadorian, prepare for the role that Flores pitched to him over the phone.<\/p>\n

When Salinas got the call from director Paul Flores, he was skeptical about what he referred to as “another play about a Chicano gang member.” When he read it and learned that it was a play about redemption, but even more, a Salvadorian\u2019s tale of rectifying his gang member past to become a good father, he said his own Salvadorian roots wouldn\u2019t allow him to turn down the role. He wanted to show a different side of the Salvadorian narrative in America, but also wanted to illustrate the impact that gang life can have on a family. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they think of Salvadorians they think of MS-13, the most dangerous gang,\u201d Salinas said. \u201cIt\u2019s one aspect of Salvadorian culture. We have a whole other culture that doesn\u2019t deal with gangs, but unfortunately the media focuses on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

To add to his own innate insights to the Salvadorian culture, including proper conjugation and accent, Salinas took a ride-along of sorts with Sanchez through the Los Angeles neighborhood where he formed his gang identity. The experience was eye-opening for Salinas and invaluable to the development of his Fausto character.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe started pointing in the streets, telling me stories and I\u201dm just listening,\u201d Salinas recounted. \u201cI grew up in a totally different neighborhood, I didn\u2019t do the gang thing. His whole world was just completely different so I was able to absorb some of that. It\u2019s a role that I\u2019ve never done.\u201d<\/p>\n