MEET OUR CAST SHERI BRAKEBUSH Sheri has enjoyed being a part of The Unusual Suspects. This creative work has enabled her to build community. Her recent credits include The Mute in the Fantasticks at Duarte center theatre and Renee in the female Odd Couple. Sheri studied at Chico State University where she received a BA in English and a minor in Theatre. She wants to thank her partner Sid for always supporting her passions.
ALEJANDRO DUENAS Alejandro is proud to tell this story with the community he has built with Unusual Suspects. He currently attends Franklin High School STEM magnet, as a junior, where he has started his own theater/film club, to build a community of HLP natives to seek representation in the film industry, which is very prominent in his community. He has been training and performing to be an actor since he was a child at Casa 0101, UCLA theater/ film intensive program, and participated in productions such as Po Pol Vuh Heart of Heaven and school productions as well. His ambitions as an actor is to be a voice for his community and make films appropriately representing the underrepresented.
MARYSOL DUENAS
Marysol is a community participant in the unusual suspects program. She is a 8th grade student at Burbank Middle School. She has taken classes at Casa 0101 for dancing and acting. Marysol would like to thank her family and friends.
RODOLFO DUENAS
Rodolfo “Rudy” is a community participant in the Unusual Suspects program. He has had a passion for theater from an early age participating in the production of school plays since elementary school through out middle and high school and even briefly in college. Rudy chose the career of becoming a high school history teacher and has been teaching for over 20 years at Wilson High School in El Sereno after receiving a bachelors in Social Studies with a minor in Chicana/o Studies at San Diego State University and received his teaching credentials and masters in Education at UCLA. He also has another masters in Education and an Administration credential also from UCLA. Other than helping produce school assemblies with his students at Wilson for Dia de Los Muertos and Cesar Chavez day, he was removed from theater until he was reintroduced into theater thanks to his son’s passion for the theater arts where they both participated as actors and puppeteers in Teatro Campesino’s and Center Theater’s production of “Popul Vuh”. He also participated for several years in Casa 101’s theater playwright classes thanks again to his son Alejandro and his daughter Marysol participating in there theater and dance classes. Through the Casa 101 playwright class and his participation in Collective Voz, a playwright collaboration, he was able to write a full length play about his family called “On a Sunday Afternoon in NELA” that has yet to produce. Rudy would like to thank his family, friends and colleagues for always supporting him.
BRIDGETTE MARSH Bridgette is an electrical engineer, living in Pasadena. In her free time, she loves exploring the neighborhoods of Pasadena through the lens of her camera, enjoying the local eateries and supporting the local theater community. Bridgette is participating in her first production and is excited to help bring Building Bridges to life.
ALEX GERARDO MURILLO DERAS Alex was born and raised in the West Side of Los Angeles. Son of two hard working parents. As a child Alex modeled for a commercial company across from the apartment he grew up in where he appeared on the back of cereal boxes and toy boxes. Alex managed to leave his rough past by believing in God, attending Pasadena City College and finding a church he calls home. His passions are dancing, cooking and watching the L.A. Kings hockey games. Alex is grateful to his congregation CCAOG, The Puente Project at PCC, to the support he has in Recovery and Sobriety Programs and especially to The Unusual Suspects Theater program.
KIRIS JARAMILLO Kiris is a seventh grader at Odyssey Charter North who is very excited to be part of neighborhood voices community theater. Most recently they were seen in LAMusart’s summer production of The Music Man Jr. (Mayor Shinn). They have a passion for theatre and is now also interested in scenic and costume design. They see themselves working in a production for Broadway.
MARISOL JARAMILLO Marisol is a very proud mom supporting their child with their passion in theater. She has enjoyed all the lessons and aspects about theater with The Unusual Suspects Neighborhood Voices, that she now has a newfound respect for everyone involved in theater productions.
JESSI GUADALUPE PEREZ Jessi is currently a community participant with the Unusual Suspects. She grew up in a household with five children, where they sang, danced and recreated music videos together. This is where her passion for singing, acting and creating sprung from. She graduated from SBCC with a RN degree and is pursuing a BSN in Holistic nursing. Jessi has enjoyed connecting and creating with a diverse group of people in this group and believes that theatre is a form of healing.
JEFF WACK Jeff is a first year physics PhD student at Caltech. He just moved to Pasadena from New York City where he worked at the National Museum of Mathematics. Born and raised in Maryland, Jeff was actively involved in summer camp, high school, and community theatre until going to college at the University of Maryland. He is excited to be returning to the world of theatre with The Unusual Suspects.
SCENES FROM THE TRAILHEAD MOTHER EARTH
Written By Jessi Guadalupe Perez
COMMUNITY
Written By Sheri Brakebush
SCENE 1
Written By Neighborhood Voices Cast
THEY/THEM
Written By Marisol Jaramillo
QUESTIONS WITH MARYSOL, PART 1 Written By Marysol Duenas
AMONGST CHAOS
Written By Rodolfo Duenas
SCENE 2
Written By Neighborhood Voices Cast
PARADOX
Written By Alejandro Duenas
MY CASE
Written By Kiris Jaramillo
QUESTIONS WITH MARYSOL, PART 2 Written By Marysol Duenas
WHO ARE YOU?
Written By Alex Gerardo Murillo Deras
BUILDING BRIDGES
Written By Jessi Guadalupe Perez
SCENE 3
Written By Neighborhood Voices Cast
THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS TEAM Teaching Artists who guided the process | Jeanette Godoy, Adam Smith, & Cris Quick STAFF | Abiram Brizuela, Executive Director | Michael Halpin, Sr. Director of Operations | Anisa Hamdan, Director of Community Partnerships | Joe Samaniego, Director of Programs | Jennifer Castillo, Program Manager | Arcadia Eckmayer, Program Coordinator | Marcus Baldwin, Program Coordinator | Ninette Ayala, Director of Advancement | Nick Williams, Director of Institutional Giving | Grafton Reyes-Doyle, Manager Institutional Giving, Sierra Marcks-O’Neil, Advancement Coordinator | Carina Gavino,Communications Manager TEACHING ARTISTS | Christopher Baker, Mike Bauer, Chris de la Cruz, Erik Escobar, Jeanette Godoy, Jessie Goodman, Bonnie Kaplan, Gloria De Leon, Lea Marie Madda, Alaji Marie, Natasha Mercado, Nabra Nelson, Marie Osterman, Danielle Schlenker, Adam Smith, Julian Smith, Monique Sypkens, Cris Quick BOARD OF DIRECTORS | Sara Scott, Board Chair, Julissa Arce, Gregory Caruso, John H. Freeland Jr., Ryan Jones, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Julio Quijada, Jesus Rodriguez, Decker Sadowski TECHNICAL DIRECTOR | Justin Huen PHOTOGRAPHER | Burt Harris VIDEOGRAPHER | Devon Armstrong CITY OF PASADENA, PARKS, RECREATION, & COMMUNITY SERVICES Superintendent - Pamela Cantero - Moré A special thank you to all the staff at Villa Parke Community Center. The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company 323-739-0768 | www.theunusualsuspects.org @USTheatreCo #TheUnusualSuspects #BeUnusual
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