BOXING, BLOODLINES,
AND BURIED TRAUMA

A smart, muscular, triumphant and thrilling
two-hander that lands every blow

What’s worse? The monsters we fight, the monsters we carry, or the monsters we are?

Luckily for us, the emotional two-hander The Monsters, which opened tonight at Manhattan Theatre Club’s NY City Center Stage II, safely contains one such fight for us to learn from — a fight where the most intense blows aren’t the physical ones, but the emotional ones.

It’s been sixteen years since Big and Lil were last in a room together, united by a father. But more than a patrilineal link binds them: both have a mean right hook. In his estranged half-sister, Big has a fan, a ward, and a rival — Lil has been following Big’s fight record, proudly boasting in Reddit comments that she’s his sister. So, after a decade and a half of distance, Lil has set up shop in the same city as Big, but she has more on her agenda than a family reunion. Embedded in the story of two siblings repairing bridges is one of a boxing mentor and mentee. Once the obligatory Rocky reference is made by Lil, the real work of making a champion begins.

This fighting/family dramedy by Ngozi Anyanwu instantly makes itself at home with current-tinged dialogue free of slang that would pin it to a specific decade. Big and Lil trade boasts, barbs, contempt, and comebacks alike, eventually settling into a familiar yet touchy dynamic that is a joy to watch unfold. Big plays the straight man to Lil’s humor, with Lil even deploying classic slapstick pratfalls — lightening the show’s wallop — along with some sharp zingers.

Serving double duty as writer and director, Ms. Anyanwu makes smart use of the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) octagon that takes center stage. Careful staging keeps Big and Lil on opposite sides of the rink when tensions run high; as they warm to each other, they also warm up for the ring, closing the physical distance between them. For a show about punches, a fair number of punchlines arrive just in time to relieve the pressure at the end of an intense round.

Okieriete ‘Oak’ Onaodowan is the show’s emotional core as Big, a man too victimized to have learned vulnerability. He lives up to his name both physically and emotionally, with imposing swings in and out of the octagon. Big didn’t get to be a kid; instead, he had to become, well, a monster to protect himself and his sister. Aigner Mizzelle’s Lil floats with wry humor and stings with fury, tackling both her family reunion and her fighter’s journey with ferocity. Locked together in demanding physical sequences and emotional sparring, the two deliver a thrilling evening of theater that embodies Antonin Artaud’s assertion that actors are “athletes of the heart.”

Interspersed with family mending, fight practice, and painful confrontations are flashbacks to Big and Lil when they once lived together. These are no “good old days” for either of them, with Big taking the first of many blows that would shape his life. Flashbacks recur throughout the play — and the fights — phasing in at moments of maximum impact through a striking, show-defining visual motif. Sound and lighting synchronize to create slow-motion punches and kicks with a flair reminiscent of The Matrix. Colors flip during memories, while swooshing audio transitions warp and twist as the performers writhe from scene to scene.

Audiences become ringside spectators for fights choreographed by Gerry Rodriguez, with movement by Rickey Tripp and MMA consultation by Sijara Eubanks. Cha See‘s lighting blends color, silhouette, and shadow to shape high-stakes battles, gym training, and haunting flashbacks. Mikaal Sulaiman adds percussive snap to transitions through a precise, driving sound design. Costumer Mika Eubanks works primarily with gym shorts, tank tops, and streetwear, but subtle shifts in color and fit quietly foreshadow character development. Scenic designer Andrew Boyce brings a working training gym to life onstage, including two bungee-cord-mounted punching bags that absorb almost as much punishment as the performers themselves.

The Monsters is a layered, emotionally muscular play powered by two formidable performances and technical flair that matches a script full of duels and drama alike. While some viewers may find a personal cultural connection in the big-brother/little-sister dynamic — with racial and generational trauma present without ever being spelled out — the play lands squarely on universal terrain: abandonment, abuse, and self-loathing. Step into this ring and confront your own demons; you’re likely to emerge changed.

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photos by T. Charles Erickson

The Monsters
Manhattan Theatre Club
a co-production with Two River Theatre
New York City Center Stage II, 131 West 55th St.
100 minutes, no intermission
ends on March 22, 2026
for tickets, visit MTC or NY City Center

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