The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company

Description

US provides 10 to 12 weeks of theatre workshops every year for various middle schools, high schools, and juvenile detention facilities. US youth participants work under the guidance of up to ten Teaching Artists and volunteers, all of whom receive special training. Workshops culminate in a public performance of the youth's original script.

While the public performances are a culminating high point for the workshops, The Unusual Suspects emphasize the in-depth workshop process as the reason for our work. The process is designed to encourage youth to work as an ensemble, which requires them to be expressive, respectful and willing to listen to others. The ensemble offers a structured social environment that is very different from what the youth usually experience, one where they are free from fear of violence, gang pressure, and social alienation, among other issues.