FIGHT CLUB,
FAMILY EDITION

A raw two-hander where the
real battles aren’t in the ring

Berkeley Repertory Theatre presents The Monsters, a somewhat autobiographical play written by and starring Ngozi Anyanwu, directed by Tamilla Woodard.

Everyone has their own personal demons. While we rarely conquer them altogether, most of us learn to acknowledge them and find a way to cope so we can survive in the world. Now playing at Berkeley Rep, The Monsters explores those demons head-on. It’s the story of two estranged siblings who come together and try to build an adult relationship without letting their internal “monsters” get the best of them. This intense two-person drama uses MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) as a physical and emotional language through which the siblings express vulnerability, anger, and connection.

As the show opens, Lil (Ngozi Anyanwu) has tracked down her brother Big (Sullivan Jones), whom she hasn’t seen in years. He’s an MMA fighter, and she has secretly been following his career. She finds him at the gym after a match—the one place where he feels most at ease. As glad as he is to reconnect, he remains guarded and suspicious of her motives. Lil, much younger, was still a child when Big left home. Both grew up in a violent and dysfunctional environment and learned early to fend for themselves. Big found MMA as both a calling and a way to battle his “monster.” Lil, by contrast, drifts from one menial job to another, untethered from any clear direction, friends, or family.

In an effort to bridge the gap, Lil proposes that Big train her to fight. He agrees, cautiously. Jones is in excellent physical condition and delivers a convincing performance as a fighter, with the stamina and technique to back it up. Lil, however, is decidedly not a natural. One of the play’s funniest sequences comes as the two train together: Big moves with the precision of Rocky Balboa, executing drills with ease, while Lil struggles to keep up, tripping and gasping through the routines (choreography by Adesola Osakalum). Through this process, however, the two begin to grow closer, and Lil eventually moves in with her brother.

Even so, both continue to wrestle with their inner “monsters” and with each other. Years of separation and survival have left their marks. Anyanwu and Jones deliver raw, emotionally honest performances as siblings who long for connection but don’t quite know how to achieve it. Woodard’s direction keeps the audience invested in their journey, rooting for some kind of reconciliation, however fragile.

Anyanwu, pulling double duty as playwright and performer, crafts a story that is both personal and relatable. Moments of humor are woven throughout, preventing the piece from becoming too heavy, and allowing the audience to breathe between the more intense exchanges. The result is a grounded, affecting portrait of two people trying to find their way back to each other.

The Monsters may be built around physical combat, but its real power lies in the emotional fights that play out between the rounds. It’s another well-acted and engaging offering from Berkeley Rep—one that hits harder than it first appears.

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photos by Kevin Berne

The Monsters
Berkeley Rep’s Peet’s Theatre
ends on May 3, 2026
for tickets, ($25–$135) visit Berkely Rep

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