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Revolutionary Readings
Brandon Monokian directs this groundbreaking ensemble piece that is a theatrical reading of the book Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology edited by Amy Sonnie. The readings are a response to the 2010 censoring and banning of this book in two New Jersey libraries.
Performances have been held at Rutgers University, Watchung Booksellers, Bluestockings Books, The Raconteur, Cafe Eclectic, and The Burlington County Footlighters. The Princeton Public Library has presented Revolutionary Readings three times, including as part of their TEDx Series. In 2011, special performances of Revolutionary Readings were given at the New Jersey Library Association Conference. In 2013, presentations were given at the National Library Association Conference in Chicago.
“An awesome way to protest the banning of this book.”- Bitch Magazine
Performances have been held at Rutgers University, Watchung Booksellers, Bluestockings Books, The Raconteur, Cafe Eclectic, and The Burlington County Footlighters. The Princeton Public Library has presented Revolutionary Readings three times, including as part of their TEDx Series. In 2011, special performances of Revolutionary Readings were given at the New Jersey Library Association Conference. In 2013, presentations were given at the National Library Association Conference in Chicago.
“An awesome way to protest the banning of this book.”- Bitch Magazine
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Click above to watch Brandon's TEDx speech.
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Revolutionary Readings performance at the Tedx event featuring David Skeist, Amanda Guzman & Kaitlin Overton.
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Page to Stage
Tattoo Girl by Naomi Iizuka
Page to Stage is an ongoing arts initiative at the Princeton Public Library founded by Brandon Monokian and librarian Janie Hermann. Page to Stage provides the public free access to staged readings of plays adapted by literature. Page to Stage is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Page to Stage performances directed by Monokian include Tattoo Girl by Naomi Iizuka, Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl, Einstein's Dreams by Kipp Errante Cheng, The Arabian Nights by Mary Zimmerman, Freak by Naomi Iizuka and Ryan Pavelchik, Jack and the Beanstalk by Bill Springer, Jookalorum! by Joellen Bland, and Revolutionary Readings edited by Amy Sonnie.
In 2013, Monokian worked along side actress, musician and director Kaitlin Overton on creating the first Page to Stage theatre workshop for teens. Using Naomi Iizuka's adaptation of The Odyssey, Anon(ymous), Monokian and Overton worked with teens to explore themes in The Odyssey in a fresh, modern way. At the end of the workshop teens presented two staged readings of Anon(ymous).
Click below to watch a mini documentary all about the Page to Stage series, featuring performance clips!
Page to Stage performances directed by Monokian include Tattoo Girl by Naomi Iizuka, Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl, Einstein's Dreams by Kipp Errante Cheng, The Arabian Nights by Mary Zimmerman, Freak by Naomi Iizuka and Ryan Pavelchik, Jack and the Beanstalk by Bill Springer, Jookalorum! by Joellen Bland, and Revolutionary Readings edited by Amy Sonnie.
In 2013, Monokian worked along side actress, musician and director Kaitlin Overton on creating the first Page to Stage theatre workshop for teens. Using Naomi Iizuka's adaptation of The Odyssey, Anon(ymous), Monokian and Overton worked with teens to explore themes in The Odyssey in a fresh, modern way. At the end of the workshop teens presented two staged readings of Anon(ymous).
Click below to watch a mini documentary all about the Page to Stage series, featuring performance clips!
The Vagina Monologues
Brandon is proud to be a three time director of The Vagina Monologues for the V Day campaign, helping to raise thousands for various women’s charities. Productions of The Vagina Monologues he has directed have starred Amy Warren (Broadway's "August: Osage County”), Briella Calafiore ("Jerseylicious"), Jessica Romano ("Glam Fairy"), Elaine Bromka ("Uncle Buck"), Suzzanne Douglas ("How Stella Got Her Groove Back," "The Parent 'Hood"), Stephaine Roth Haberle ("Phaedra Backwards") and Julie Fain Lawrence ("Concussion").
Other
Einstein's Dreams
Other directing credits include The Laramie Project (Montclair State University), The Camel (Luna Stage) and assistant director to Debbie Saivetz on the world premier of Kara Lee Corthron’s Julius By Design (Fulcrum Theatre Co. starring Suzzanne Douglas and Mike Hodge). Monokian also directed An Evening of Music with Chris Hamilton which featured the U.S. premiere of music from Hamilton's Edinburgh hit Over the Threshold. An Evening of Music with Chris Hamilton starred Joshua Dela Cruz (Broadway's Aladdin).
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