The mission of The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company (US) is to mentor, educate, and enrich youth in under-resourced communities through the creation of collaborative, original theatre. US’s vision is a world where all youth are given the opportunities and support they need to succeed.

After 29 years of service within disinvested and underrepresented Los Angeles communities, US remains a countywide driving force for inclusivity and diversity, providing LA’s BIPOC (Black Indigenous and/or People of Color) and incarcerated youth and their families with powerful platforms to express themselves, creatively explore personal and social conflicts, and heal. US’s overarching purpose is to utilize theatre-arts education to mitigate the underlying family/community risk factors that threaten the healthy development of the 1,600 Los Angelinos we reach during a typical calendar year (93% aged 9-19, 98% BIPOC)—nearly 1,000 annually during the pandemic. Our place-based, participant-led, and healing-informed theatre-arts programs go beyond the reach of typical arts education workshops to offer personalized mentorship and a safe space for self-expression, empowering those we work with to identify and leverage their innate talents and overcome inequitable circumstances. Programs are specifically designed to leave a lasting impact on individuals who are often overlooked, including foster youth, English Language Learners, Special Education and neurodiverse students, struggling parents, adolescents suffering from PTSD, incarcerated minors, and rival gang members.

To reduce access barriers and maximize impact, US meets our youth and families within their under-resourced communities, offering programs free-of-charge on site at Title 1 public schools, local community centers, juvenile detention camps and halls, and juvenile day reporting centers. Roughly 85% of our participants live in the neighborhoods of South L.A./Watts and Pacoima/San Fernando — each historically under-resourced as a result of broad, systemic racism. The remaining 15% live throughout L.A. County and participate in residencies while detained in juvenile detention facilities.