The Untold Story of King and C-Note’s Journey to the Prison Theater

by Darealprisonart

Before Sing Sing brought the transformative power of prison theater to the big screen, an equally compelling but often overlooked story was unfolding in California’s prison system. The story follows two towering figures—Minister King X (aka Peaceface) and Donald “C-Note” Hooker—whose creative collaboration behind bars revolutionized prison theater in the 2010s. Under the tutelage of Juilliard-educated theater veteran Leah Jockey, King and C-Note not only found their creative voices, but also inspired countless others with their innovative work. This is the story of their journey, a story that precedes the narrative presented in Sing Sing and is a profound testament to the power of art to change lives in the darkest places.

Mentor and Men: The Impact of Leah Jockey’s Prison Theater

Leah Joki’s name is synonymous with the world of prison theater. She has spent over 30 years developing programs that offer inmates opportunities for self-expression and personal transformation. The author of Juilliard to Jail, Jockey had a profound influence on those she worked with, especially King and C-Note. Her vision was clear: to provide prisoners with the tools to tell their stories and a platform to share them with the world. Jockey’s mentorship laid the foundation for the collaboration between King and C-Note, leading them through a journey that would have a lasting impact on both the prison system and the world of theater.

For King, this journey began with his participation in the 2018 prison play Lost and Found, co-created with Jocky. The play explores the complex emotions surrounding identity, loss and redemption, drawing heavily on the experiences of those behind bars. Jockey’s leadership and King’s raw talent resulted in a production that resonated far beyond prison walls. Soon after his release, King continued to work with Jockey, joining the cast of the virtual production of Family and Addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic, proving that his creative influence can extend to the outside world.

C-Note “Redemption in Our Blues State”

Meanwhile, at the Los Angeles County California State Penitentiary in Lancaster, another prison theater revolution was quietly unfolding. C-Note, an incarcerated artist and advocate, found his creative spark in the play “Redemption in Our State of the Blues,” a production that echoes the powerful message of transformation seen in Sing Sing. In fact, Atonement marked a turning point not only for C-Note’s development as an artist, but for the entire prison theater movement in California.

“Redemption in Our State of the Blues,” performed exclusively by prisoners, touched on themes of love, community and the possibility of redemption even in the darkest of circumstances. The show opened with C-Note’s “Birth of a Salesman,” a witty riff on Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” that set the stage for a show that challenged society’s stereotypes about prisoners. C-Note’s leadership on the project put an end to racial and gang tensions by creating a sense of unity among a diverse cast.

This theatrical feat attracted considerable attention from the outside world. The 2016 encore performance attracted local politicians, dignitaries and even Hollywood elite such as producer Scott Budnick and actor Joe Manganiello. Atonement also launched Break It to Make It, an innovative reentry program offering educational and employment opportunities to formerly incarcerated people. C-Note’s work behind bars, like the characters in Sing Sing, demonstrated the power of art to promote rehabilitation and personal growth.

King and C-Note: The Path to “I’m Worth 2 Voices” and Beyond

C-Note’s creative path did not stop with “Redemption”. In 2019, he teamed up with King to write the political play I Stand for the Vote, a powerful work advocating for restoration of voting rights for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. “I Stand for Voting” is taking place in the California State Assembly, where advocates on both sides of the aisle are debating giving prisoners the opportunity to regain their voting rights. The performance created a sensation not only behind bars, but also found a response outside the prison system. Following his release, King premiered “I Stand2 Vote” at the inaugural Ratcliff Awards in December 2019, marking the start of a new chapter in his life as an advocate for social change.

King’s passion for voter rights took him far beyond the theater stage. He lobbied California legislators to support Proposition 17, a ballot initiative to restore voting rights to people who have served prison sentences. King’s role in the passage of Proposition 17 in 2020, when he installed door hangers in 10,000 homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, has earned him recognition as a modern-day civil rights hero. His work was immortalized in the “Superheroes of June” article and in his classic hip-hop track “I Stand2 Vote”, which was used as the theme song for the 2020 election.

“Abolish It”: King and C-Note Collaboration Inside Out

In 2021, King and C-Note’s partnership took a new form with the release of the short film Undo It, a pre-Sing Sing story that sheds light on their time together behind bars and their shared belief in transformative change. the power of theatre. The film marked their first true Inside Out collaboration, showing the world that their contributions to prison theater were far from over. “Abolish It” was featured in the interactive online exhibition Art Against Cancellation, bringing their story to a wider audience and further cementing their legacy as activist artists.

The Untold Story: A Legacy of Hope and Redemption

Even before the movie Sing Sing emphasized the importance of prison theater, King and C-Note were already living in this reality. Their work behind bars, supported by the mentorship of Leah Jokey, challenged society’s preconceptions about prisoners and proved that art can be a powerful vehicle for change. Through their plays and collaborations, King and C-Note broke down barriers, built bridges, and had a lasting impact on the prison theater movement.

Their story, although less well known than the cinematic image in Sing Sing, serves as an important chapter in a larger narrative about the power of prison theater to rehabilitate and transform. When we look back at the stories told in Sing Sing and Redemption in Our State of the Blues, it becomes clear that these productions are not just second chances for prisoners; they are about the limitless potential of the human spirit to find hope and redemption even in the most difficult circumstances.

King and C-Note’s journey is a testament to this enduring truth: before the release of Sing Sing, an artistic revolution had taken place in the prison cells of California, led by two visionaries determined to use their talents to change the world.

Darealprisonart is the largest multimedia source of prison news and art across multiple web platforms. E-mail [email protected].

For BayView Digital Readers: Short Film (10:00) “Cancel It”