OUR TEAM
LORI PITTS
Artistic Director - Ally Theatre Company
Founder - Voices Unbarred
Facilitator
Lori Pitts (she/her) is a facilitator, Theatre of the Oppressed Joker, teaching artist, actor, director, and improvisor in the DMV area who is passionate about creating platforms for voices that often go unheard. She is the Artistic Director of Ally Theatre Company, and the founder of Voices Unbarred, a program of Ally Theatre that collaborates with people impacted by incarceration, artists, and policy organizations to reimagine the prison system and advocate for change using Theatre of the Oppressed. Pitts also teaches and performs regularly with Young Playwrights’ Theater and has most recently been seen on stage with Second City, Rorschach Theatre, The Welders, and Washington Improv Theatre. She completed Georgetown University’s Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate program, is a member of the inaugural cohort of the Culture Caucus with The Kennedy Center, a graduate of the 202Creates Fellowship, a graduate of the Movement Matters Community Organizing & Popular Education Institute, and a four-time recipient of the Arts and Humanities Fellowship Program grant through the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities for her work within the community.
MADDY MUSTIN
Organizational Coordinator
Maddy Mustin (She/Her) is thrilled to be joining Voices Unbarred as the Organizational Coordinator! A recent graduate from The Catholic University of America in May 2023 with a B.A. in English and minors in Drama and Media Studies, she is excited to keep exploring the D.C. theatre scene and aid the promotion of the performing arts as a means for education, social justice, and change. She most recently attended the 2023 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, performed in Allyson Currin’s Rejoicing in Broken Pieces at Catholic University, and assistant stage managed with Monumental Theatre Co. When she isn't working, Maddy enjoys spending her free time with creative writing, new coffee shops, and spontaneous visits to the National Mall and local theatres!
ELLE MARIE SULLIVAN
Leadership Team
Facilitator
Elle Marie Sullivan (she/her) is a theatre artist based in Washington, DC. Some of the companies she has performed with are Washington National Opera, National Ballet of Canada, Shakespeare Opera Theatre, Anacostia Playhouse, and Annapolis Shakespeare Theatre. As a teaching artist Elle has worked with Round House Theatre, Educational Theatre Company, Encore Stage and Studio, Bach to Rock, and InterAct Story Theatre. Elle is also a registered yoga instructor (RYT-200) with training in trauma informed yoga. Elle loves working with Voices Unbarred and is excited to continue to grow with the company.
MALIK (ROCKY) SIMPSON
Leadership Team
Community Advocate and Former Participant
(Cohort 31)
Also known as Coach Rocko, Malik (he/him) is a co-founder of #WEFITDC, which aims to close the health and wellness gap among the district, and shine light on native DMV wellness professionals. He has a strong health and physical fitness training background. As a master trainer, he is determined to help people reach their goals and give back to the community. He is motivated and inspired to help his clients and community with making life changing transformations both mentally and physically.
RONALD (RALO) WHALEY
Leadership Team
Community Advocate
Ronald Whaley (he/him) is the program manager for the anti-gun violence organization NAARC: Cure the Streets. He is also the owner of the clothing line L.A.W. (Love Always Wins) and founder of a youth mentoring program, Finding Stars, LLC. Whaley is a returned citizen who has experienced gun violence himself after being shot 14 times. His motto is “save one, so they can save one.”
DAVID SAMPE
Leadership Team
Community Advocate
David (he/him) is the founder of Article 730, a grassroots organization committed to providing holistic mental health support for formerly incarcerated men and women.
MAURICE (CHEF REESE) DIXON
Leadership Team
Community Advocate
In 2017, Chef Reese (he/him) started Reese's Catering Services, LLC, a community-based company that hires and trains returning citizens. He's been a local favorite chef in the Washington, DC area ever since. He is passionate about motivating others to use their gifts and talents to create better opportunities for themselves. His ultimate goal is to one day have a training facility that can offer Culinary Training to Reformed Citizens as a skill set before they are released from prison. You can learn more about him by visiting his social media pages.
IG: @Chefreese210
FB: Reese's Catering Services
IAN SIMPSON
Community Advocate
Ian (he/him) is a military veteran who served over 15 years in the U.S. Army with over 11 years of Special Operations experience, specializing in Communications with an emphasis in Business Development and Technology Management. He is a Recruitment Specialist at BeyondSOF, a founding member of Capitol City Rally Point, as well as a Veterans’ Outreach Specialist, and a radio personality on WPFW. Ian is an Eagle Scout and is known for being a snappy dresser.
DEVIN SMITH
Board President
Community Advocate
Devin D. Smith (he/him) is the founder and CEO of Ship and Anchor LLC, and is a business consultant and strategist passionate about inclusion and working with other entrepreneurs and leaders to bring innovative ideas to life. Devin began his career in academia, which remains one of his chief passions. However, after a twist of fate landed him in prison, Devin found himself unearthing latent gifts in business and entrepreneurship. Upon returning from prison and completing a Bachelors in Sociology, and a minor in Nonprofit Studies and Social Entrepreneurship from North Carolina State University, Devin migrated to Washington, D.C., where he was eager to apply this knowledge to serve communities in need. Overcoming adversity, trauma and prison incarceration, Devin has learned to leverage both tragic and triumphant life experiences as his superpowers. In addition to writing, he uses his mantra "what's your anchor," as a guide for achieving personal and professional actualization no matter where you are in life.
ALLISON FRISCH
Community Performance Director
Allison Frisch (she/her) is a Director, Actor, and Dancer in Washington, DC. She is an alumna of the Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory, where she recently completed Joy Zinoman’s Directing intensive. She holds a BFA in Theatre and Minor in Dance from Stephens College. Directing Credits: Dear America (Voices Unbarred), Pride of Doves (Action to the Word Theatre Company); Acting Credits: Princess Margaret* (Thelma Theatre), Suffrage Plays (Venus Theatre), Fools (Parlor Room Theater) Dance Credits: Dark Night Showcase, Spring Dance (KG Dance); Upcoming: Dhana and the Rosebuds (Ally Theatre). *DCMTA Best of 2015 - Best Lead Actress in a Professional Play.
SISI REID
Community Performance Director
Sisi Reid (she/her) is an actor, theatre maker, spoken word performer, and teaching artist. She received her Bachelor’s degree in theatre from University of Maryland, College Park where she developed as a multidimensional storyteller. She engages with the creative process of theatre as a performer, playwright, director, teacher, and facilitator. She has performed at various venues as an actor including: University of Maryland, The National Portrait Gallery, The Smithsonian's Discovery Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Atlas Performing Arts Center, Katzen Arts Center, and Mosaic Theatre. She has performed her spoken word at Forum Theatre's Re(Acts ): #Black Lives Matter and Keegan Theatre's Concert Across America to End Gun Violence, University of Michigan’s Museum of Art, and venues in London including UCLU's Black History Month Open Mic then featuring at All Sortz Open Mic. As a playwright, her plays have been performed in University of Maryland’s Second Season and Next Now Festival, as well as Young Playwright’s Theatre’s Silence is Violence: LGBTQ + You and Silence is Violence: Who Earth Is This DC?. She has taught and directed theatre and performance poetry at schools, art centers as well as facilitated theatre workshops in an all male's prison with the Prison Creative Arts Project. The core of her work centers on theatre for liberation, healing, and youth empowerment.
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BRIANNA LOSOYA-EVORA
Learning and Impact & Communications Volunteer
Brianna Losoya-Evora (she/her) is a Senior Associate at Pew Charitable Trusts, where she supports strategic planning across the Trusts' portfolios. She is a monitoring and evaluation specialist with over ten years of experience using data to promote evidence-based decision-making in development programming. Before working at Pew, Brianna joined SEAF's Center for Entrepreneurship and Executive Development in 2019 to strengthen its impact management efforts. She has also been a Senior Impact Analyst for the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), where she oversaw ANDE's impact measurement activities and worked to track global trends in the support for entrepreneurs in emerging markets. Brianna speaks French and lived in Senegal for three years, where she served as a Program Officer for the UN's World Food Programme and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences. She is particularly passionate about centering diversity, equity, and inclusion in program design and decolonizing international development.
