Unusual Suspects Theatre Company Celebrates DEVISE Magazine This Month

Unusual Suspects Theatre Company will celebrate the latest edition of their youth-led theatre magazine, DEVISE, with an intimate event at The Matrix Theatre (7657 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles) on Thursday, Feb. 20, 6:30-9:00 p.m. There will be a panel discussion with the actors and DEVISE cover stars, Izaac Wang and Shirley Chen, about their stage-to-screen journeys and the future of theatre moderated by the writer and director of DÌDI (弟弟), Sean Wang, alongside Abiram Brizuela, CEO of Unusual Suspects. 

DEVISE Magazine is an annual publication produced by Unusual Suspects Theatre Company in partnership with Stage Raw and the Youth Journalism Fellowship. The fellowship program offers a small cohort of young writers, aged 15 to 25 years, the opportunity to explore their journalistic voices through mentorship with Stage Raw’s pool of professional journalists to produce theatre reviews, essays and interviews. A selection of past fellows are featured in this new edition of DEVISE.  

When asked about the significance of DEVISE Magazine for the organization and in the Los Angeles theatre scene, the CEO of Unusual Suspects, Abiram Brizuela, had this to say, “DEVISE is creating a space for young writers to engage with theatre on their own terms, not just as spectators but as artists. The magazine explores storytelling and its intersection with technology, artistic practice and identity. I LOVE where the conversation is going, and I can absolutely see young voices and stories taking a big chunk of the theatre market in the near future…I’m always amazed by what these kids come up with when you expect nothing but the best from them, regardless of their zip code.” 

Unusual Suspects believes the future of theatre lives in L.A. and directly links to the birth of creativity for many artists working in film. Filmmaker and Unusual Suspects board member, Carlos López Estrada, credits theatre for sparking his own career. “Theatre was the seed of excitement for me to start doing creative work. My grandma was a theatre actor and took me to different theatres across Mexico City. I believe a lot of my creativity is rooted in theatre practices and in the spirit of being in community with an audience.” López Estrada continued to explain how he loves the simplicity of theatre, “Magic occurs when people find truth in community.”

Unusual Suspects Theatre Company invites friends and special guests to come celebrate and “find truth in community” at the DEVISE VOL.2 launch party. Expect music, bites, drinks, and mingling when the doors open at 6:30 as an overture to the panel discussion starting at 7:00. This is a free event with limited capacity.