Marcus Baldwin

Marcus Baldwin is an Actor and Teaching Artist based in the Los Angeles area. Working in both the Film/TV and nonprofit worlds, he gained valuable experience from his roles in Dhar Mann Studios productions and as a Program Manager for Sages & Seekers. He trained as an actor with the British American Drama Academy and earned a BFA from the California Institute of the Arts. Marcus is passionate about using his creative toolset to reach and uplift communities in need. He feels honored to work with the Unusual Suspects, and looks forward to learning more from this opportunity and from his wonderful students!

Michael Bauer

Michael Bauer is an actor, writer and producer with an MFA in theater from UCLA and a BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Michael is a founding member of the international theater company, “Loom Ensemble,” as well as the circus company, “Svindelic Circus Troupe.” He has been teaching drama, sports, and circus arts for over ten years and currently teaches acting at UCLA. Michael is a published playwright, professional actor, award-winning filmmaker, and producing showrunner of the soon to be released kids show, “Space Lightning.” 

DeJuan Christopher

DeJuan Christopher is an actor, director, writer, producer, and teacher from Marion, SC. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater from Francis Marion University and is a graduate of the STC program at the American Conservatory Theater. He is a co-founder of the Black Creators Collective. He was instrumental in launching the organization’s first educational outreach program, serving as a Teaching Artist in a five-week playwriting program at Kelly Elementary School in Compton, CA. Through the organization, DeJuan has led Acting Workshops for adults and youth. He directed in The Directors Lab Showcase featuring work from the organization’s resident playwright, LaDarrion Williams. DeJuan also, directed in the INK-Cubator playwright’s festival produced at the WACO Theater Center in North Hollywood. Additionally, DeJuan created, August in the Park Festival which consists of workshops and performances centering August Wilson’s American Century Cycle. As an actor, DeJuan was most recently seen on screen in the film Malleable, which made its debut at Tribeca film festival. On stage DeJuan recently starred as Roosevelt Hicks in A Noise Within’s production of August Wilson’s Radio Golf. Other notable credits include: starring in Charles H. Fuller’s award-winning play, A Soldier’s Play as Private Peterson and Larry Americ Allen’s award-winning play, The Expulsion of Malcolm X as the title character. This portrayal earned him a review from the San Francisco Chronicle, “as an excellent delineator in a must see drama.” In addition, he has portrayed: Canewell, in Seven Guitars; King Ceyx, in Metamorphoses; Duke Orsino, Twelfth Night; Malcolm, Macbeth. Orgon, Tartuffe. DeJuan has over a decade of experience teaching Dramatic Arts. Currently, he is a Teaching Artist with both the Unusual Suspects and the Geffen Playhouse. In recent years, he has worked as a Guest Teaching Artist for the Los Angeles High School of the Arts, coaching students for the August Wilson National Monologue Competition. He was also a Guest Artist for Center Theater Group’s, August Wilson In-School Residency. Prior to moving to Los Angeles in 2016, DeJuan was the founder and C.E.O. of Colors of Vision Entertainment (C.O.V.E.) where the mission is to bring African Art, Culture, and History to the forefront through entertainment. Through C.O.V.E. DeJuan produced several plays and arts symposiums in the Bay Area.

Erik Escobar

Erik Escobar is a professional comedian, actor, and teaching artist born and raised in Los Angeles. He began his journey with The Unusual Suspects in 2010 as part of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission’s Internship Program, and has been a regular teaching artist with the organization since 2012, providing in-depth theatre-arts education and mentorship to middle- and high-school students, as well as incarcerated and system-engaged minors. During this time, Erik has also taught with a variety of additional local arts organizations and schools, such as Center for the Arts Eagle Rock, University of Portland, and Spokane’s The Blue Door Theater. He is a comic who currently performs all over the United States at clubs, colleges, and festivals, both individually, with the Almost Asian Comedy Tour, and opening for acts such as Rex Navarette and Jerry Seinfeld. You can hear him tell jokes on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, and Vh1. Erik has a B.A. in Film, Theatre, and Management from Whittier College and is currently working toward his M.F.A. from Goddard College.

Jessie Goodman

Jessie Goodman is a licensed therapist and an AEA actor who received her BFA in Acting from Shenandoah Conservatory and her MSW from the University of Pittsburgh with a certificate in Mental Health. She has performed in independent film, tv, theatre, and commercials in Los Angeles, New York, and regionally around the U.S. She recently completed the post-graduate screenwriting program at UCLA and is writing feature films.

Sarah Hinchcliff

Sarah Hinchcliff is a graduate of the Los Angeles American Musical and Dramatic Academy with a BFA in Musical Theatre. She has been working with and teaching youth in some capacity ever since she graduated in 2012. Sarah has been working in the non-profit sector for over 5 years and is incredibly passionate about helping underserved youth find their voice. Still an actress herself, Sarah is a company member with Foolish Production Co. and can be seen in their upcoming productions of Twelfth Night and Measure for Measure. When she is not acting or teaching, you can find her hiking, camping, or hanging out with her cats! She is thrilled to be working with Unusual Suspects Theatre Company. 

Catherine Holly

Catherine is an award-winning filmmaker and comedian, who trained as an actress at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She joins the agency with over a decade of experience working with children of all ages, including her private coaching company Kat’s Kids that she started in 2013. She’s taught with organizations such as The Alliance Theatre, True Colors Theatre Company, and Dramatic Results. Catherine’s many skills range from teaching arts integration through the utilization of hands-on materials to ventriloquism, stage combat, and snort laughing.

Bonnie Kaplan

Bonnie S. Kaplan is an educator, poet, and artist born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. She is thrilled to begin her journey with The Unusual Suspects in the VIP Program. Bonnie has over two decades of experience working full-time as a teacher with programs of parole and probation in California. She believes art and acting are central to healing in individuals and communities. She has studied improv and storytelling with Ann Randolph and character-based comedy with Steve and Barb North. She has performed comedy with the Valley Rep at LA Connection and produced and starred in a series for Public Access Television. She holds an MFA in Performance Art from California College of the Arts (formerly CCAC, Oakland). As a Writer in the Schools for Redhen Press, she currently teaches poetry to middle schoolers.

Jordee Kopanski

Jordee Kopanski is an actor and writer from Orlando, Florida. She had her first opportunity to “act” as a four month old baby on the Nickelodeon TV show “Gullah Gullah Island” and has had the acting bug ever since. She grew up singing, playing clarinet, and acting. Jordee is a proud Junior Board member of The Plus Me Project, a story-telling after school program for underserved youth, and loves being a part of The Unusual Suspects as a Teaching Artist. She started with The Unusual Suspects as a Volunteer Mentor and has loved learning from Teaching Artists and the Unusual staff about the impact of nonprofit arts programs on youth. She hopes to continue devoting her time to youth enrichment and inspiring students the way her arts teachers did for her in the past. Jordee received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Media Communications from The Florida State University.

Kat Lopez

Katarina Lopez is a Chicana actress, director, singer, and educator born and raised in Pacoima, CA. She is the co-founder of the Podcast Players Theatre Company and currently works as a Teaching Artist with the Unusual Suspects Theatre Company. She received a BA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Performance and a BS in Criminology and Criminal Justice from California Lutheran University in May 2021 where she was a Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship recipient and an award-winning actress. She received an MS in Criminal Justice from the University of Southern California in May 2022 where her specializations were juvenile justice reform and crime prevention/diversion. Her degree choices form an unconventional combination, but are perfect for her commitment towards utilizing the arts as a form of healing and restorative justice while bringing theatre arts programs to BIPOC youth in low-income communities like the one she called home. She made her professional debut with the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company, where she also works as a Youth Camp Instructor for their summer programming, and has previously performed at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival where she competed as a Semi-Finalist in the Irene Ryan Acting Competition.

When she is not performing or on set, she can be found writing music, binge-watching New Girl, attempting new DIY projects, or training in MMA.

Lea Madda

Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Lea Madda (she/her) is a theater artist, educator, and voiceover actor. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice Performance from Boston University and an MFA in Acting from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. Lea is extraordinarily passionate about sharing her love for theater and the arts with the next generation of Angelenos. She instructs Theater History and Movement at the Theater of Arts Hollywood Acting School as well as Scene Study and Shakespeare at UCLA. Lea has taught workshops and masterclasses at A Place Called Home, HOLA, and the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. In addition to teaching, Lea performs regularly in the Los Angeles area, prioritizing storytelling that reflects our ever-evolving social landscape. Proud member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA.

Armando McClain

Armando McClain is an LA-based actor who is joining the Teaching Artist Staff at The Unusual Suspects. Originally from the Bay Area, he has been a working actor for over 10 years. After receiving his MFA from the California Institute of the Arts, he has taught at Chabot College and CSU San Marcos as well as various education programs in the San Francisco Bay Area, Oregon, and Washington. He has also been seen on a variety of theaters across the country. Some include, Cal Shakes, African-American Shakes, Livermore Shakespeare, Arabian Shakes, and Crowded Fire and to name a few. Other credits include 5 seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Pasadena Playhouse, Theater for a New Audience, and more. After theater has taken him to various places around the world, he is glad to bring his own knowledge and experience into the classrooms of youth in the Los Angeles Area.

Natasha Mercado

Natasha Mercado is an actress, director, producer, writer, and theatre arts educator. She moved to Los Angeles, became a clown and the rest is history. You can see her on Adult Swim, Amazon, HBO, TBS, and stages across LA. She created “Send in the Clowns”, the first monthly clown show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and is currently touring her award-winning solo show “Tree” —which was called “one of LA’s
Top Ten Shows” and “a must-see” by Stage Raw and the Times Colonist.  She has virtually taught adults and children at Stomping Ground Comedy Theatre along with a workshop called “Playful Mindfulness” sponsored by the National Alzheimer’s Association to implement improv into the world of caregiving. In 2020, she was named
an “Emerging Content Creator” by the National Association of Latino Independent Producers. She was a director and producer for branded events at UCB and brought customized comedy programs to groups across the country including improv, sketch, storytelling, and public speaking intensives.

Marie Osterman

Marie Osterman (they/she) is a multidisciplinary theatre artist and teacher based in LA, and thrilled to be part of this team! After graduating from UCLA’s acting and directing program, they have stayed in Los Angeles, working as an actor, movement director, and teaching artist. They are also a longtime collaborator and associate managing director of Project Nongenue. Marie’s generative art combines her classically-trained background in theatremaking and her contact improvisation practice with the mission of facilitating intimate and playful creative spaces. They believe in a generous theatrical space that has room to hold what needs to be held and ignite conversation and community. Marie’s dream is a kind of artmaking that allows us to shed learned ideas and sense that magic within and between us– or just have some fun!  Other passions include birds, making silly shapes with their body, and looking at the moon.

Robert Paterno

Robert is a native Texan and holds an MFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University. He has served as an educator for 15+ years as a tutor, teacher, Higher Education administrator, mentor, and theatre artist. He has worked with numerous youth programs such as 826LA, Young Storyteller’s Foundation, School On Wheels, the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Program, and Johns Hopkins Center For Talented Youth. Robert has appeared locally and regionally throughout Houston, Dallas and Los Angeles. Robert is passionate about making theatre accessible and available to everyone, and is proud to be part of the Unusual Suspects family!

Carissa Pinckney

Carissa Pinckney is an actor, writer, and director armed with a B.F.A from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She began acting professionally in 2010 and has been cast in such productions as Alesha Harris’ “What to Send Up When It Goes Down” at Boston Court and at A.C.T in San Fransisco, and the opera “Iceland” at Ford Amphitheater. She has also written, directed,and starred in her own one-woman/one-act show entitled “The Belt Titans” which highlighted her personal experiences growing up in North Carolina. Carissa began her teaching artist career in 2016 and has worked with several organizations in Los Angeles dedicated to the advancement of young minds, including The Geffen Playhouse, The Road Theatre,and A Noise Within, where she assistant directed youth theatre Shakespeare productions. She feels a calling to share her theatrical knowledge with underserved youth so they develop their own voices and gain confidence in expressing themselves, on and off stage. Her acting career has allowed her to perform on a variety of platforms in both Los Angeles and New York, as well as in television and film.

Dani Schlenker

Dani has been a dedicated teacher of the performing arts for the last year and a half, working with companies like Theatre 360 in Pasadena and STAR Education in Santa Monica and Marina del Rey. While studying theatre and biology at Whitman College she had the opportunity to expand her education at the National Theatre Institute, and later worked as an Associate in their Theatremakers program. She’s thrilled to be a part of the Unusual Suspects Theatre Company!