ANNUAL REPORT 2018 1 DEAR FRIENDS, school to serve 1,758 Los Angelinos With demand for US programming at Last year marked 25 years since (1,580 youth; 178 adults) in 2018 - an all-time high, we continue to push The Unusual Suspects Theatre 400 more participants than any prior forward and bring transformative Company (US) was formed – a year in our history. Our residencies theatre arts into classrooms, remarkable milestone in our history culminated in 21 free public detention and community centers as we continued to expand our performances that were attended by across Los Angeles, and are more programming into new partner sites, 1,548 family members, friends, faculty, committed than ever to building serve more youth and families, and incarcerated minors, and community plays, building character and building work alongside our highly skilled and members. communities. esteemed teaching artists, volunteers, As juvenile justice reform increasingly In partnership, school districts and partner becomes a key priority, US remains community organizations. at the center of the conversation Since actress Laura Leigh Hughes as a thought leader. Where youth founded US as a small program detention becomes a matter designed to give foster youth a voice of public health and safety and following the L.A. Riots in 1993, we community improvement, we will Melissa Denton, have grown to provide intensive, continue to illustrate that investing in Executive Director in-school and after-school theatre rehabilitation and reintegration is key. residencies in multiple middle and Co-founder of the Arts for high schools and juvenile detention Incarcerated Youth Network (AIYN), centers as well as intergenerational a 15-member interdisciplinary theatre workshops and programs collaborative network that provides for residents in disadvantaged exceptional arts programming to help communities. build resiliency and wellness, eliminate The safe, collaborative environment recidivism, and transform the created in our free workshops, juvenile-justice system, we continue coupled with our sequential learning to disassemble the school to prison activities, proven methodology, and pipeline, offering comprehensive MISSION deep, individualized mentorship is solutions and prevention programs to working to stimulate creativity; help combat the issue. AIYN has grown develop literacy and communication tremendously in its reach, impact and The mission of The Unusual Suspects demand, and has led to the formal Theatre Company (US), a nonprofit skills; and strengthen the self- confidence, coping skills, and vital creation of our burgeoning Voices 501c3 organization, is to mentor, from Inside Program educate and enrich underserved youth protective factors necessary for our We know that youth who participate through the creation of collaborative, underserved youth to overcome in diversion programs such as VIP original theatre. prevalent family and community risk factors. are 2.5x less likely to re-offend and In 2018 alone, we expanded our these programs equitably reduce the VISION residencies into six new partner negative consequences and social sites, strengthening our presence costs associated with justice system involvement, as well as reduce The Unusual Suspects Theatre in both the South L.A./Watts area systems costs and improve public Company’s vision is a world where all and the juvenile justice system. In safety. youth are given the opportunities and fact, between our flagship Youth support they need to succeed. Theatre Residency Program (YTRP) and our growing Voices from Inside Program (VIP), we now have more programming for incarcerated, system-engaged, and high-risk youth than ever before. In total, we offered theatre-arts education and Melissa Denton mentorship programs in and out of 2 3 BUILDING PLAYS. BUILDING CHARACTER. BUILDING VOICES FOR ARTS PLAYS. & SOCIAL THEATRE BUILDING ENRICHMENT PROGRAM CHARACTER. (VAST) Shown to help students build valuable teamwork, communication & socialization skills, VAST provides in-class, standards-based residencies, wherein two US teaching artists work alongside the classroom teacher to guide students in small groups as they collaborate to create & perform short theatre pieces. Devoted to Los Angeles’ youth, US believes that there is hope for each one if given the right YOUTH THEATRE In 2018, we: opportunity and support. A majority of the youth involved in our programming live in poverty, have • Provided six multi-week, visions of futures shaped by violence and loss, struggle with reading and writing skills, and as a result, RESIDENCY PROGRAM have low self esteem and broken relationships. Our team uses the stage as a vehicle for confidence, (YTRP): in-class residencies hope, reconciliation, and belonging. • Served 628 students, including 619 Our flagship program offers VOICES FROM INSIDE In 2018, we: Serving over 1,300 unduplicated individuals through our six program models each year in Los Angeles experiential theatre-arts education underserved youth and 9 adults County, both in our school programs and juvenile detention centers – in conjunction with a county PROGRAM (VIP) • Provided fifteen 12 and mentoring to improve the well- • Offered workshops throughout and state approved curriculum developed by US – youth write, direct, and perform their stories, week residencies uncensored and in their own voices. The resulting outcomes are lasting and life-changing. being of underserved students and 27 classrooms across 4 schools VIP is an outgrowth of our 20+ years of experience working with • Served 279 high-risk and/ US engages a highly-trained teaching team — including guidance and mentorship from professional incarcerated minors via a series (including second-chance schools) teaching artists (TA), staff and Volunteer S.T.A.R. Mentors (VM) for a nearly 3:1 youth-to-adult ratio of two sequential 10-week after- in Inglewood, Los Angeles and incarcerated & system-engaged or incarcerated minors — to lead students through the collaborative creation and performance of an original play. TAs and school residencies wherein children San Fernando at: College Bridge youth. In partnership with AIYN, • Offered workshops at 4 sites VMs receive regular training on our standards-based curriculum, classroom-management, and conflict collaborate to create and perform an Academy - Inglewood, D.S. Jordan VIP’s site-responsive 12-week model including: LA County Probation resolution & de-escalation strategies for troubled youth. TAs also undergo training from mental health original play born out of their shared High School, San Fernando High includes in-class and/or after-school Sites Camp Gregory Jarvis, and social work professionals regarding the effects of trauma on youth, post-traumatic stress disorder, workshops conducted on site at cultural empathy, and child/brain development. hopes and fears. School and Vaughn Middle School. Campus Kilpatrick and Central juvenile-justice facilities, high-risk In 2018, we: Juvenile Hall, as well as David area high schools, and juvenile Starr Jordan High School. • Provided ten, 10-week residencies day reporting centers that serve • Served 401 underserved and/ teens identified by the Los Angeles “My self-confidence has gotten so “I learned that you can come together or incarcerated youth County Probation Department “My favorite part of this program much better. There’s not a lot of places with many other people that you as being at significant risk of was learning new things. I • Offered workshops across South like this one, where people accept thought you would never come incarceration. The program’s unique LA, San Fernando, Commerce, learned… coping skills; how to you, and that’s made me much more together with – people I got in fights curriculum combines standards- Watts, North Hills and Pacoima cope with my anger. It was hard confident in myself.” with, people that I cussed out. When based theatre-arts education with at: Thomas A. Edison Middle to participate, cause I don’t like to I feel that I’m going down the wrong trauma-informed healing practices. School, San Fernando High “My first day I was so nervous, and be out there like that. I overcame path and doing something bad that’s While guiding participants in the Brandon, 15 year-old School, Dorothy Kirby Center, then we started playing games and it by taking a risk, putting going to lead me back to jail, I can collaborative creation of original, YTRP participant Edwin Markham Middle School, talking about how you feel. I was think I have a family on the other side. socially relevant, uncensored myself out there. You guys (the Francisco Sepulveda Middle School, happy, and I decided to stay in school, I have an ensemble that’s gonna be theatrical material, the cutting-edge teaching artists) try your hardest Maclay Academy of Social Justice because my first day I was trying to there to support me… There’s people get kicked out of school and go back program works to stem minors’ to motivate people to be in the and Vaughn Middle School. around me that are encouraging me to [juvenile detention], but y’all guys harmful tendencies and provides a group. ‘Just keep trying’ - that’s to do something good with my life and make me feel better, so I decided to positive, safe environment where what I needed.” trying to help me be successful.” stay in school.” high-risk minors can learn to trust others, which becomes a gateway to Joseph, 17 year-old Makieyah, 15 year-old Antonio, 16 year-old other accomplishments. VIP incarcerated youth participant YTRP Incarcerated Youth VAST