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The Monster Collective is comprised of fifteen artists who work collaboratively through a devising process. We are interested in the creation of new musicals that use dance as the primary storytelling device. We lead with movement.
Our first project, MONSTER, was conceived by Director and Dora Award winning Choreographer STEPHANIE GRAHAM and composer/arranger KEVIN WONG. Joined by playwright, ELLEN DENNY as story supervisor and dramaturg, and twelve accomplished performer/creators: LYNDSEY BRITTEN, ALEXANDRA HERZOG, AISHA JARVIS, KELSEY LACOMBE, KRISTA LEIS, HAILEY LEWIS, AYRIN MACKIE, KYLA MUSSELMAN, SARAH O’BRECHT, GENNY SERMONIA, MICHELE SHUSTER, and NATASHA STRILCHUK.
Through this project, we are building a new way to create a musical. The Monster Collective is curious and seeks to unlearn the hierarchical structures we have been accustomed to in musical theatre and dance and we’re finding a new way to create together. We move at the speed of trust.
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Formed in 2021, The Monster Collective came together with a common interest in the creation of new musicals that use dance and movement as the primary storytelling device.
Later that year, we were awarded funding from the Strategic Funds Digital Now Initiative from the Canada Council for the Arts. We created and filmed the first ten minutes of MONSTER at the end of 2021 and early 2022. This developmental segment was streamed online in March 2022 and viewed by over 200 people.
In January 2023, Stephanie, Kevin and Ellen were invited to speak about the unique creation process of MONSTER at Theatre Making Movement at the Betty Oliphant Theatre in Toronto. In the spring of 2023, we continued to work on the narrative and created the first song in the piece with support from the Ontario Arts Council Recommender Grants from Canadian Stage and Talk is Free Theatre.
The project continues to be in development.
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