MONSTER THEATRE

Revenues:	Under $20 Million
Employees:	Under 99

Description

MONSTER THEATRE is committed to presenting history and myths in an exciting new package for today's audiences.

The name Monster Theatre was inspired by something said by Keith Johnstone (improv guru, founder of Loose Moose Theatre and inventor of Theatresports). He was directing a student playing Iago in a scene from Othello and was explaining the difference between playing him as a Demon and as a Monster. He said, "Iago is a Demon. Demons are smooth and attractive on the outside, but evil and twisted on the inside. While Monsters are strange and twisted on the outside, but they always have a good and pure heart." This is the sort of theatre we strive to create.

The Monsters started touring across the country in 2000 with their outdoor kids show FairyTale: The Choose Your Own Adventure Play. Their second show, THE CANADA SHOW: The Complete History of Canada was originally created as another street show and premiered in Calgary as the Monday night slot for Shakespeare in the Park. Since then it has toured across Canada at least twice, played at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre, won numerous awards including the illustrious ,Just For Laughs' Comedy Festival Frankie Award for Best Comedy, and has been adapted into a two-act version and a one-hour TV special with S&S Productions.

In 2003 the Monsters lived in a cabin in the woods for 3 months and researched and wrote THE BIG ROCK SHOW: The Complete History of The World in One Hour. In the spring of 2004 the Monsters expanded their horizons and produced a gory/funny five actor madcap version of Macbeth directed and adapted by Rebecca Northan called THE MACBETH SHOW: Shakespeare Without the Boring Stuff to critical praise in Toronto. Summer 2004 Monster Theatre co-artistic directors Ryan Gladstone and Bruce Horak created their tribute to the Canadian Fringe Circuit FRINGE SHOW: A Love Story. For fringe 2005 the Monsters toured Confessions of a Class Clown, the first Monster Theatre production without the word ,show' in the title.

2006 got off to a bang, with the premiere of a 2-act THE CANADA SHOW: The Complete History of Canada in 2 Acts and the premiere of THE HISTORY OF THE FUTURE at the One Yellow Rabbit High Performance Rodeo in Calgary.

This summer Monster got biblical, touring JESUS CHRIST: The Lost Years to shocked audiences across Canada.

Founder and co-Artistic Director of Monster Theatre, RYAN GLADSTONE has co-written, produced and acted in all the Monster shows. A graduate of the University of Calgary, and a 10 year veteran of Calgary's world famous Loose Moose Theatre he is currently working as a writer, director, actor, educational consultant, mask maker/performer and improviser in Toronto.

Co-Artistic Director BRUCE HORAK has co-written, produced and starred in all Monster productions since THE CANADA SHOW, which is pretty much all of them. Bruce also is an award winning theatre for young people playwright. Hailing from Calgary, where he attended Mount Royal College, he is currently living in Toronto when not on tour. Bruce's first solo album is available wherever you see the Monsters live. Samplings are available by just clicking on his name above.

JEFF GLADSTONE, self-proclaimed Monster at Large. Jeff's first project with these gentlemen was a short film he wrote and directed with Ryan called "Kids in Space". Jeff was 6, Ryan was 5 , the movie was heavily influenced by Star Wars. Since then Jeff has toured THE CANADA SHOW numerous times, co-written, produced and starred in THE BIG ROCK SHOW, with more Monster projects in the ,Future'. After completing a BFA at the University of Calgary, he now resides in Vancouver - which means he knows how to play "Hackey-Sack." Jeff is also a musician, with two albums to his name. Visit his site for some samples of his music. Jeff also has two solo shows "Bouquets and Elegies" and new work based on the life of guitarist Lenny Brau.

If Monster Theatre had a board of directors, JOHN SCHUETT would be the president. Our Webmaster, John (AKA Jack, Ol' Jack Shuett, Jack Valet, Trouble, Johnny-5, 5) has recently moved to Toronto where he is currently engaged in subversive plans to get both Ryan and Bruce in serious trouble with international law authorities.

ALBERT HOWELL joined the Monsters for the Toronto, Saskatoon, Calgary, and Edmonton productions of The Canada Show. He is a professional actor/improviser/writer in Toronto. He is one-half of The Devil's Advocates comedy team, and penned the "Everybody Knows" song for The Canada Show. Also, Albert is a very funny man.

REBECCA NORTHAN co-directed the 2002 production of The Canada Show, and directed and adapted THE MACBETH SHOW. She is a veteran of Canadian Comedy, having appeared on the World Improv Games and been nominated for several Canadian Comedy Awards. She currently lives in Toronto and is on the mainstage at Toronto's Second City.

DAVE HORAK co-directed the 2002 production of The Canada Show. He has performed across the continent in shows for the very young, and the very old (and everyone in-between). He currently lives in Toronto, where he works as a director, actor, and writer.

DENNIS CAHILL directed THE BIG ROCK SHOW in the spring of 2003. Dennis is also the Artistic Director of Calgary's world famous Loose Moose Theatre Company.

DUVE LANG, the eternal child himself, directed the original version of THE CANADA SHOW. Duve is also the Artistic Director of Calgary's only professional theatre company for kids Quest Theatre.

DEREK FLORES, played witches, murderers, porters, and moustachioed Scotsmen in THE MACBETH SHOW. Another Loose Moose alumni, Derek was also one of the internationally celebrated ,The 3 Canadians' and the Comedy duo ,Hotnuts and Popcorn'. Derek currently lives and works in Toronto where he is a member of the Second City Mainstage cast.

ALEX DALLAS starred as the saucy Lady Macbeth in THE MACBETH SHOW. Her favourite review from that show included a claim that she and Ryan Gladstone (Macbeth) exhibited "palpable sexual chemistry". She was a member of the long lived and extremely popular comedy troupe "Sensible Footwear". Alex also has numerous successful solo shows to her name including ,Nymphomania' and ,Drama Queen'.

CHRIS ,Hilarious' GIBBS starred as the doddering King Duncan and the heartthrob MacDuff in THE MACBETH SHOW. Chris was one half of popular British comedy duo ,Hoopal' and also has two very, very funny solo shows to his credit ,Gibberish' and ,The Power of Ignorance'.