DANIEL JOHN KELLEY

This weekend, the next installment of “Monster Literature” opens- “Robin Hood: Prince of…MONSTERS!” and I have to say I’m very excited for this show. I was trying to think of clever ways to describe the show- I keep saying it’s like Wishbone meets the Terminator- or I talk about how it’s like an 80s cartoon for the stage, from a time when we were all young and full of dreams and enjoyed watching bad animation. But that didn’t feel quite adequate.

A big part of why I write the things I do comes out of a desire to celebrate the things that I love. Things that have and do move me, and that I want to share with people. What I did for this show was take the things that I love: 80s action cartoons, great classic works of literature, tremendous schtick and through them, wrote about what I earnestly feel like it means to be a good person in the world.

Basically, it’s a little something like this:

Hamlet: Monster of Denmark

V.O: Oh no! The Evil Wizard Zorlan Morlan has transformed Shakespeare’s famous character Hamlet into a MONSTER! And just in time for his most famous speech!

(Monster Hamlet Enters)

MONSTER HAMLET: To be or Not to be! Dat be the questionz!

(A Magic portal appears. Benjy Bleeglehorn, the chosen one and Bravo Kirkwood, the rebel hero leap through it, and into the scene.)

BRAVO: To be, Monster Hamlet! That…is the answer!

MONSTER HAMLET: Benjy and Bravo!

BRAVO & BENJY: That’s us!

MONSTER HAMLET: But…but…if me choose not to be, me get rid of all da problems of me life! Like Monster Bullies! And me parent’s MONSTER DIVORCE!

BENJY: Maybe. But if you choose not to be…you get NO ICE CREAM!

MONSTER HAMLET: NO ICE CREAM!

BRAVO: EVER!

MONSTER HAMLET: NOOOO!

BENJY: That’s right. Part of living means taking the good with the bad. And sure, sometimes it’ll be rough. But more times than not, you’ll find life is full of happy surprises.

MONSTER HAMLET: Like Ice Cream?

(Bravo reach his coat and takes three pints of ice cream and three spoons.)

BRAVO: LIKE ICE CREAM! OH YEAH!

(Bravo, Benjy and Monster Hamlet sit down on the ground and eat ice cream)

MONSTER HAMLET: Me see now! Me see dere be no absolutes in dis life! NOPE NOPE NOPE! Only ups and downs! From now on, me take the good with da bad! Tankz Benjy and Bravo!

BENJY: You’re welcome, Monster Hamlet!

(FIN)

Yes, this is ridiculous. And yes, this particular play/series of plays is mostly for kids.

But I love doing it.

And I’d love to share it with you.

And if you can’t make it, that’s okay too. I’m going to continue to do this- for all ages- for a very long time.

But if can make it, come on! We’re only getting started!