The Monsters
Closing: March 22, 2026The Monsters - 2026 Off-Broadway History , Info & More
New York City Center
131 West 55th St. (between 6th and 7th Avenues) New York, NY 10019
For a long time, LIL has been obsessed with fighting, and one fighter in particular: her older brother BIG, an aging but successful figure in the local Mixed Martial Arts circuit. But she’s been doing it all from afar… until one day when she decides to show up on his doorstep. Written and directed by Ngozi Anyanwu (Good Grief, The Homecoming Queen, The Last of the Love Letters) this world premiere is a sibling love story about reunions, resentment, reconnection, and wrestling with demons.
The Monsters - 2026 - Off-Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR The Monsters
The Monsters Review
8 / 10
Written and directed by Ngozi Anyanwu, “The Monsters,” a two-hander opening tonight at New York City Center in a production by Manhattan Theater Club, tracks the off-and-on, up-and-down evolution of a relationship that manages to be both unsentimental and sweet.
FIGHTING IT OUT WITH “THE MONSTERS”
8 / 10
Playwright Anyanwu (who also directs here) is no stranger to the New York stage, with Last of the Love Letters (2021), Good Grief (2018), and The Homecoming Queen (2018) among her credits. And Leroy and Lucy, about legendary blues guitarist Robert Johnson, had its world premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago in 2024. Her writing is sparse and clean, and she understands the art of inflicting tiny cuts with a scalpel, as opposed to hacking away with a kitchen knife. These two disparate half-siblings who once shared a drunk, abusive and now deceased father, have lost touch for reasons that are only hinted at. That can sometimes feel selfish, leaving an audience to want more of the story, but what Anyanwu is going after is something different. It’s not the specifics that matter, only the pain and hurt of abandonment.
Category
by Chloe Rabinowitz - February 12, 2026
Manhattan Theatre Club extends The Monsters Off-Broadway through March 22, adding an extra week. The play by Ngozi Anyanwu stars Aigner Mizzelle and Okieriete 'Oak' Onaodowan.
by A.A. Cristi - February 11, 2026
Read reviews for Manhattan Theatre Club's Off-Broadway premiere of The Monsters, written and directed by Ngozi Anyanwu. The Monsters is about two siblings, LIL and BIG, who reunite after a long time apart and must wrestle with their pasts.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - January 22, 2026
Manhattan Theatre Club's Off-Broadway premiere of The Monsters, written and directed by Ngozi Anyanwu, will begin performances. Get a first look at photos!
by Bruce Glikas - January 13, 2026
MTC will present the Off-Broadway premiere of The Monsters, written and directed by Ngozi Anyanwu, in a world premiere co-production with Two River Theater. See photos of the cast meeting the press here!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - August 26, 2025
Two River Theater has revealed ticket sale dates for the world premiere of The Monsters, a sibling love story, written and directed by Ngozi Anyanwu. Learn more!
The Monsters History
Other Productions of The Monsters
| 2026 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
The Monsters - 2026 Off-Broadway Awards and Nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Fight Choreography | Gerry Rodriguez |
| 2026 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play | Aigner Mizzelle |
| 2026 | Drama League Awards | OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY | The Monsters |
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Rickey Tripp |
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Play | Ngozi Anyanwu |
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Play | Aigner Mizzelle |
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play | The Monsters |
| 2026 | The Lortels | Outstanding Choreographer | Rickey Tripp |
| 2026 | The Lortels | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play | Aigner Mizzelle |
| 2026 | The Lortels | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play | Okieriete Onaodowan |
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