Pasadena residents can step into original theater created entirely by their neighbors this weekend. The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company’s Neighborhood Voices ensemble will premiere “Another Day in Dena,” a family-friendly production born from a multi-week collaborative workshop series in which participants mined their local surroundings for inspiration.
Over the past three months, ensemble members gathered at Villa Parke and Washington Park to transform personal memories and street-level observations into scenes and monologues. The show draws inspiration from the Pasadena Star-News obituary section, a marimba player, Washington Park signage, the Eaton Fire’s impact on the community, and the ever-present wild parrots that drift through Pasadena’s neighborhoods.
“Neighborhood Voices is all about bringing people of all ages together to share experiences, speak truth, and create something meaningful as a group,” the organization notes. No theater experience was required, and participation has been free throughout.
The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company, founded in 1993 in response to the 1992 L.A. Uprising, has evolved from serving roughly 50 participants in Van Nuys into a program now serving over three thousand youth and families across more than 20 Los Angeles communities annually. The organization’s mission is to “mentor, educate, and enrich youth in under-resourced communities through the creation of collaborative original theatre.”
“Another Day in Dena” will run on Friday, December 12 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 13 at 1 p.m. at Villa Parke Community Center Auditorium, 363 East Villa Street, in Pasadena. For more call (626) 744-6530 or visit https://tinyurl.com/2cjz8jre.
