about
What is Monster Literature?
Monster Literature is an “action-packed and hilarious” (according to nytheatre.com) live theater series that celebrates great works of children’s literature that kids can read NOW. It follows the continuing adventures of 12-year-old Benjy Bleeglehorn, and her dashing sidekick Bravo Kirkwood, as they attempt to stop the evil wizard Zorlan Morlan from sending his monster armies into great works of children’s literature. With each new adventure, there are new friends to be made, new stories to fixed, and new lessons to be learned!
The series is produced by Mainspring Collective, written and conceived by Brooklyn-based playwright Daniel John Kelley, with original music by Nick Moore. These high energy performances run approximately 30 minutes, and incorporate original music, dance, masks and puppetry in order to provide an entertaining and educational experience for children ages 5 and up. As Mainspring Collective believes that quality children’s programming should be both accessible and affordable, ticket prices are a recession friendly $5 per ticket, with group rates available.
If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please email us.
The Story So Far…
In the year 3088, the Lord of Tears, Zorlan Morlan, has conquered the earth with his monster armies, and rules over all humanity. Only a rag-tag band of rebels resists his evil power. In order to crush the rebels forever, Zorlan plots to destroy the very spirit of humanity itself: He’ll send his monster armies into works of human literature, destroy them, and remake them in his image.
The only hope for humanity lies in Benjy Bleeglehorn- a 12 year old girl from a time long ago- and her sidekick, the dashing rebel hero Bravo Kirkwood. Only they can save humanity- and books- from destruction.
Music By Nick Moore
Lyrics By Daniel John Kelley
Rag Tag Band of Rebels
Daniel John Kelley (Playwright) has had his plays produced in NYC by The Mirror Repertory Company, The Gallery Players, The American Globe Theatre and The New York Theatre Experiment, in addition to several independent self produced ventures. His plays have also been produced in Dublin, Ireland by the Painted Filly Theatre, in addition to productions in Italy, Australia, and far away Pennsylvania. He is currently working on PLAGUED, a musical about the bubonic plague with composer Nick Moore, Furniture Living, a play about a man who leaves his wife for a dryer, and an adaptation of The Merchant of Venice for the Northwoods Ramah Theatre Company. More information can be found at danieljohnkelley.com.
Nick Moore (Composer/Sound Design) work includes: Off-Broadway: Expatriate – Culture Project; Crazy for the Dog – Jean Cocteau Rep, Defenses of Prague – La Mama; Embraceable Me (NY/NC) – Rachel Reiner Productions/North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Off-off-b-way: ten Resonance Ensemble productions, including 23 Knives (Innovative Theater Award nominee, Best Sound/ Original Music); eleven Milk Can Theater Productions, including Peace (Innovative Theater Award nominee, Best Musical); all four episodes of the Monster Literature Series- Mainspring Collective & The Brooklyn Lyceum, Dance: Illuminate, Film: Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker’s winner Being Reel. Member: Dramatists Guild; Artistic Associate: Resonance Ensemble.
Jenna Weinberg (Executive Director/Producer) is a native of Brooklyn, New York, where she acts in and produces theater of all shapes and sizes. She is the co-founder and Executive Director of Mainspring Collective, alongside Hilary Krishnan. Jenna has served as Managing Producer for Mainspring’s production of Medea, the premiere of Legends, Myths, and Hieroglyphs by Demetrius Wren, and most recently, Dream of Me (a multimedia theater piece based on Charles Mee’s ‘Fetes de la Nuit’). She is also an actress in the resident company, loves her some Shakespeare, and throws fun parties. Jenna rarely sleeps.
Hilary Krishnan (Artistic Director, Producer) is a founding member and Artistic Director of Mainspring Collective. She received her B.A. from Indiana University and has since worked in the theater –as both a director and a producer –regionally, in New York, and abroad. She recently collaborated with Frank London and Glen Berger (librettist of Broadway’s upcoming Spiderman) on the development of the new musical, On Words and Onwards with Cardinal Stage Company in Bloomington, Indiana. Recent New York directing credits include: Medea (Mainspring Collective); Legends, Myths and Hieroglyphs (Mainspring Collective), (W)hole (Asst. Dir. for Samuel French Festival, Playwrights Horizons), Dream of Me (Mainspring Collective), Identification, Please (At Hand Theater Co.). This past summer, Hilary served as Production Manager for Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA. She currently lives in (and loves) Brooklyn, NY.
Shawn Rice (Video/Graphic Design) was born in Maine, but grew up in Florida. He owns more than 500 books, and has read more than half of them (His favorites have the word ‘Vonnegut’ on the cover). He enjoys pretending to be productive while in front of a computer, cooking with irresponsible numbers of ingredients, and washing his hands. He has a twin who lives in Alaska and a younger brother who lives in Maine. He lives with his beautiful girlfriend, fluffy white dog, and one-eyed cat in Brooklyn.
Julia Mancini (Costume/Props Design)
Theresa Rivera (Scenic Design)
Christopher Weston (Lighting Design)
Michael Morgan (Puppet Design)
Laura Archer (Production Manager)