The Monsters at La Jolla
Savage Sport on Stage
By: Sharon Eubanks - Jun 17, 2026
The La Jolla Playhouse presents The Monsters, written by and starring UC San Diego MFA graduate Ngozi Anyanwu as LIL, alongside Sullivan Jones as her older brother, BIG.
The play begins with BIG winning a mixed martial arts (MMA) title match. His sister, whom he hasn’t seen in 16 years, is waiting for him as he leaves the gym. Though he doesn’t recognize her at first, he soon realizes it is his little sister LIL, and through a series of flashbacks, their shared history emerges.
The backdrop of the play is the world of MMA—a physically demanding sport incorporating fighting styles based on Muay Thai, boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and wrestling. In the early 1990s, MMA was not considered a legitimate sport and was widely banned when first introduced; many prominent social leaders dismissed it as simple human savagery. The sport was not fully legalized across the United States until 2016.
Life was not easy for these two as children. BIG, known for his size and for speaking with his fists, did his best to protect LIL. While studying to pass a civil service exam, BIG had to contend with an abusive father, a mother overwhelmed by substance abuse, and a little sister who exhibits symptoms that today would likely be diagnosed as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Unable to secure a civil service job, BIG eventually left home, spending the next 16 years making a successful living as an MMA fighter.
Flash to the present, and LIL has suddenly reappeared at his gym. BIG offers her a ride and eventually realizes she has nowhere to stay. Likely due to her undiagnosed and untreated ADD, LIL appears to be jobless and out of options, having tracked BIG down in desperation. He agrees to let her stay with him and begins teaching her the basics of MMA. LIL, hyperactive as ever, is in a hurry to get into the ring, forcing BIG to hold her back as she disciplines herself to learn the sport. As the play progresses, LIL transforms into a celebrated MMA artist while BIG transitions into a mentor, beautifully illustrating a role reversal as to who the "monster" truly is.
Life did not deal this brother and sister a good hand. Directed by Tamilla Woodard, with intense fight scenes choreographed within a sparse set designed by Nina Ball, The Monsters is a tense, emotional roller coaster. It powerfully demonstrates how two siblings can communicate and ultimately find forgiveness through the medium of MMA. As BIG and LIL, they take the difficult hand they were dealt and manage to build good lives for themselves.