The Ring and the Soul: How ‘Monsters’ Knocks Out Expectations
There’s something profoundly raw about watching two people fight—not just physically, but emotionally, spiritually. Ngozi Anyanwu’s Monsters, now playing at La Jolla Playhouse, isn’t just a play about mixed martial arts; it’s a visceral exploration of how we wrestle with our inner demons, and whether we can ever truly let them go. What makes this particularly fascinating is how Anyanwu uses the brutal world of MMA as a metaphor for survival, love, and the scars we carry from childhood.
The Sibling Bond: A Lifeline in Chaos
At the heart of Monsters is the relationship between BIG and LIL, two siblings who’ve been through the wringer. Their story isn’t linear—it jumps across decades, piecing together a mosaic of trauma, resilience, and the unbreakable bond they share. Personally, I think this non-linear structure is genius. It mirrors the way memory works, how we revisit moments of pain and joy in no particular order, trying to make sense of them.
What many people don’t realize is how rare it is to see sibling relationships portrayed with such depth. BIG and LIL aren’t just family; they’re each other’s lifelines. Their childhood scenes are heartbreakingly tender—two kids creating their own world of joy while their family crumbles around them. This dynamic is the emotional core of the play, and it’s what makes their eventual estrangement and reconciliation so gut-wrenching.
MMA as Metaphor: Fighting the Self
The MMA scenes in Monsters are electric, thanks to Adesola Osakalumi’s choreography and Reza Behjat’s lighting. But what’s truly striking is how the physical fights become a metaphor for the characters’ internal battles. LIL’s journey from a rootless, hard-drinking Applebee’s worker to a fierce MMA fighter isn’t just about physical transformation; it’s about confronting her rage, her pain, and her need for validation.
From my perspective, this is where the play shines brightest. MMA isn’t just a sport here—it’s a language. BIG teaches LIL to channel her anger into something productive, but she resists his lessons on sobriety and caution. This tension is more than just plot; it’s a commentary on how we deal with our demons. Do we harness them, or do they consume us?
Performances That Pack a Punch
Ngozi Anyanwu and Sullivan Jones are nothing short of phenomenal. Anyanwu’s LIL is a firecracker—funny, fierce, and utterly vulnerable. Jones’s BIG, on the other hand, is a study in restraint, a man who’s built walls around himself to survive. Their chemistry is electric, and their physicality—especially in the fight scenes—is mesmerizing.
One thing that immediately stands out is how their performances complement each other. Anyanwu’s frenetic energy contrasts beautifully with Jones’s icy calm, creating a dynamic that’s both tense and deeply moving. It’s not just acting; it’s storytelling through movement, through silence, through the unspoken weight of their shared history.
The Bigger Picture: Love, Loss, and Legacy
If you take a step back and think about it, Monsters is about more than just two siblings. It’s about the cycles of trauma, the power of love, and the question of whether we can ever truly escape our past. BIG and LIL’s story is a microcosm of so many lives—lives shaped by abandonment, addiction, and the search for redemption.
What this really suggests is that our monsters aren’t just personal; they’re societal. The play doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of poverty, abuse, and systemic failure. But it also offers a glimmer of hope: the idea that love, even in its most flawed form, can be a saving grace.
Final Thoughts: Why ‘Monsters’ Sticks with You
In my opinion, Monsters is one of those rare plays that stays with you long after the curtain falls. It’s not just the storytelling or the performances—though those are exceptional. It’s the way it forces you to confront your own monsters, your own battles.
What makes this particularly fascinating is how it blends the visceral with the emotional. The MMA scenes are thrilling, but they’re just the surface. Beneath them is a story about survival, about the lengths we’ll go to protect the people we love, and about the courage it takes to let go.
If you’re looking for a play that’s both entertaining and deeply thought-provoking, Monsters is it. It’s a knockout in every sense of the word.
Details:
- When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 1 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Through June 28
- Where: La Jolla Playhouse’s Mandell Weiss Forum, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, UCSD, La Jolla
- Tickets: $30-$74
- Phone: 858-550-1010
- Online: lajollaplayhouse.org
