Dallas Theater Center to Host Regional Premiere of Ngozi Anyanwu's "The Monsters"

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The critically acclaimed New York play stars Akron Watson and Tiana Kaye Blair at the Wyly Studio Theatre.

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Dallas Theater Center will present the regional premiere of The Monsters, written by Ngozi Anyanwu (Good Grief, The Homecoming Queen, The Last of the Love Letters) and directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg. Debuting Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club to critical acclaim earlier this year, The Monsters is a play with heart, humor, and the fierce love between siblings. The production runs October 9 - November 1, 2026, at the Wyly Studio Theatre ( 2400 Flora St, Dallas, TX 75201 ) and features exciting MMA choreography on stage.

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The Monsters follows the story of Lil, a scrappy young fighter ready to enter the ring. After 16 years, she reconnects with her brother Big, an accomplished fighter in the local MMA scene. To earn her brother's respect, Lil must master her stance, her strikes, and her stubborn streak. In this heartfelt play, The Monsters asks: can these siblings mend their thorny past and find common ground in the ring they both love?

The cast includes Akron Watson (Ragtime) as Big and DTC Company Member Tiana Kaye Blair as Lil, with Henry Okigbo as Big Understudy and Tiana Shuntae Alexander as Lil Understudy. The cast has undergone extensive MMA training for their respective roles. Akron Watson will lead Stay Late, DTC's post-show conversation with cast and crew that follows each performance.

Sonnenberg will be joined by a creative team of Jeffery Colangelo (Asst Director & Fight Director), Hope Cox (Costume & WHAM Design), Costume & WHAM Design (Lighting Design), Paige Hathaway (Scenic Design), Kellen Voss (Sound Design), and Lexi Salmon (Production Stage Manager).

The Monsters was a New York Times Critic's Pick and just finished a performance run at the La Jolla Playhouse and Berkeley Repertory Theater. Dallas Theater Center Enloe/Rose Artistic Director Jaime Castañeda says, “I can't wait for people to experience Ngozi's heart-pounding theatrical love letter to family."

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/dallas/article/THE-MONSTERS-to-Make-Regional-Premiere-at-Dallas-Theater-Center-20260930)._