DEVISE - 2026 - The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company

OUT NOW

DEVISE MAGAZINE  VOL. 3

What do L.A. youth have to say about Immigration, Self-Expression, and Advocacy? A new generation of creative voices are using theatre, art, and writing to ignite conversations on the topics that matter most.

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ABOUT DEVISE MAGAZINE

Resilience. StoryTelling. Empowerment.

DEVISE Magazine showcases articles, interviews, and original work geared toward the nurturing and support of the next generation of artists. We give free license for our writers to discuss the topics they are eager to investigate or the feelings they are burning to share about their work, the LA theatre industry, and more. 

IN THIS ISSUE:

STORIES ON SELF DISCOVERY AND COMMUNITY

"Yet in LIVE FROM LA, this group of high schoolers displayed a profound depth of empathy and a level of understanding far beyond their years."

A group of LA students created an original play using hip hop, music, and poetry to expose the immigration enforcement haunting their streets and showcase the moving impact of coming together to save a community.

Read “A FOREST BORN OF SAPLINGS”, by Warren D. Riley (Youth Journalism Fellow 2025), on how the next generation is using their voices.

“... TO BE AMERICAN...what does that look like? how do we accept one another?”

From discovering he was undocumented to writing for Jane the Virgin, Rafael Agustin is busy flipping the script on Hollywood. Anai Toledo (Youth Theatre Conservatory 2025) interviews the Latino Film Institute founder to talk shared identities, big dreams, and what it really means to be “REWRITING THE NARRATIVE ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AMERICAN.”

“Where do you see all this tech going? Do you think it’s gonna completely change the way we tell stories on stage in the next few years?”

Processing Foundation teamed up with the LIVE FROM LA cast to light up the stage with projections of cultural movements.

Explore “PROJECTING THE FUTURE”, an interview by Joseph Moscoso (Youth Theatre Conservatory 2025), to learn how these projections pulled the audience directly into the heart of the protest.

“THE STUDENTS ARE OUR FOREFRONT. WE'RE JUST HERE TO FACILITATE AND MAKE THEIR EXPERIENCE COMING TO SCHOOL A JOYOUS ONE.”

Middle school students from the Eliot Arts Magnet Academy refused to stop their youth-theatre programs with The Unusual Suspects, despite being displaced by the January 2025 fires.

Read our conversation with Eliot’s Magnet Grant Coordinator, Amy Manasarian, in “AFTER THE L.A. FIRES THE STORIES CONTINUE” to learn about how this community healed through the arts.

"THAT’S THE FUN AND JOY OF SEEING ART: DIFFERENT PEOPLE WILL SEE DIFFERENT THINGS BASED ON THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE."

Feminism. Women’s lives. The "mature themes" the world tries to quiet down. See how it all collides when Lucinda Linklater (Youth Journalism Fellow 2024) interviews her own mother: playwright and screenwriter Jessica Goldberg.

Read “MY MOM, THE PLAYWRIGHT” for a cross-generational look at the stories women are finally allowed to tell.

"I am made of pages bound together by time..."

What does it look like to own your narrative?

Peep the original poem, “THE FIRST PAGE”, by Stephanie Nieves (Youth Theatre Conservatory 2025) on growing up, finding strength in patience, and staying open enough to let the world surprise you.

“What does it mean to show up for your community? how can you do so if showing up may put you or your family in danger?”

HOW DOES YOUR IDENTITY SHAPE YOUR STORY AND THE STORIES YOU TELL?

“and yes, we can change the world, but we have to change ourselves first. the work of self-transformation is eternal; it lasts a whole lifetime.”

From her roots in Venezuela to the Hollywood main stage, María Gabriela de Faría (Superman 2025), shares her advice on keeping your confidence intact and navigating the industry without losing your edge. Check out her interview with journalist, producer, and actress Eloísa Maturén, “ON FAITH, FAILURE, AND THE RADICAL ACT OF STAYING CURIOUS”, for the raw advice she’d give her 15-year-old self.