The Canada Show: The Complete History of Canada in One Hour!
Written by Bruce Horak and Ryan Gladstone
Starring Alex Gullason, Carly Pokoradi and Frankie Cottrell
Directed by Ryan Gladstone
Stage Managed by Keagan Elrick
New version premiered at the Vancouver International Children’s Festival in May followed by a run at the Saskatoon International Children’s Festival. The show was also presented at the Chilliwack Centre for the Arts, Kay Meek Centre, Rossland, Kamloops, Surrey, Evergreen Cultural Centre in Coquitlam, Ashcroft and more. The Canada Show toured to the Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton Fringe Festivals.
Shakespeare’s Dream (formerly: A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
Written by Tara Travis and Ryan Gladstone
Starring Tara Travis, Sydney Hayduk and Jon Paterson
Directed by Ryan Gladstone
Puppet, set and costume design by Tara Travis
This brand new TYA adaptation toured schools and community theatre’s across BC from January to May.
Hockey Night at the Puck & Pickle Pub
Written by Ryan Gladstone
Starring Jon Paterson and Ryan Gladstone
This updated remount toured the Winnipeg and Edmonton Fringe Festivals.
Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Written by Ryan Gladstone
Starring Tara Travis
Til Death toured to the Orlando Fringe Festival winning the Best New Play award (?)
Written and Performed by Ryan Gladstone
Directed by Karen Hamm
Skip the book! See the Play!
In his typical clever, irreverent and hilarious way Gladstone deconstructs the book, the author and all 632 characters in one hour.
Tours Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver Fringe Festivals.
THE LITTLE PRINCE
Written and Directed by Ryan Gladstone, Performed by Nancy Kenny and Tara Travis, Sound Design by Drew Jurecka, Stage Management by Jon Paterson, Original Projections by Elizabeth Milton, Puppet and Properties creation by Tara Travis.
World Premiere toured schools and theatres across BC and AB 2015/16.
Jessie Richardson Award winner for Outstanding Puppet and Set Design.
No Tweed Too Tight: Another Grant Canyon Mystery
Tours Chilliwack Centre for the Arts, Evergreen Theatre, Orlando International Fringe Festival,
Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Tours Evergreen Theatre, Quesnel, Cranbrook, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver Fringe Festivals.
THE LITTLE PRINCE
Written and Directed by Ryan Gladstone, Performed by Nancy Kenny and Tara Travis, Sound Design by Drew Jurecka, Stage Management by Jon Paterson, Original Projections by Elizabeth Milton, Puppet, Properties and Costume creation by Tara Travis.
WHO KILLED GERTRUDE CRUMP? Played the Chilliwack Arts Centre and Capitol Theatre in Nelson.
TIL DEATH played in Revelstoke and Trail.
THE SEVEN LIVES OF LOUIS RIEL delivers to sold out houses in the Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Vancouver.
WE NOW KNOW: THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF SCIENCE
Written by Ryan Gladstone and Peter Carlone, Performed by Peter Carlone and Tara Travis, Sound Design by Robbie Grunwald, Developed with assistance from Science World.
Inventive, comedic, educational and entertaining, We Now Know premieres at Science World, then tours to communities in Greater Vancouver and beyond in conjunction with The Little Prince tour.
ASSASSINATING THOMSON
Written and Performed by Bruce Horak, Directed by Ryan Gladstone.
A two-week, professional run at The Firehall Arts Centre as part of their season.
TIL DEATH tours to BC theatres, including ArtSpring on Saltspring Island, The Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre and many more. Tour currently in development.
MINI MASTERPIECES tours schools and theatres across BC and AB. New adaptations include Selections from the Greek Myths. Jon Paterson steps into the male role.
MINI MASTERPIECES, THE SHAKESPEARE SHOW and Bruce Horak’s THIS IS CANCER share a tour through BC and AB.
Bruce Horak steps into Ryan Gladstone’s roles in Mini Masterpieces and The Shakespeare Show as Tara Travis assists with This Is Cancer.
Looking ahead…
TIL DEATH is brought to Victoria’s Uno Festival and tours to London, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Edmonton.
HOCKEY NIGHT AT THE PUCK AND PICKLE PUB
Written by Ryan Gladstone, Performed by Ryan Gladstone and Jon Paterson
Workshop performances slated for Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Vancouver Fringe Festivals.
ASSASSINATING THOMSON
Written and Performed by Bruce Horak, Directed by Ryan Gladstone
Workshop and script development performances to take place in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Victoria. October 2013, a design workshop in partnership with Theatre UBC to bring compelling lighting, design and projection elements to the work. Workshop performances to take place in partnership with The Firehall Arts Centre in Vancouver October 2013.
MINI MASTERPIECES AND THE SHAKESPEARE SHOW
tour schools and theatres in BC and AB, including a one-week residency with Galileo Educational Network in Calgary, AB. Ryan Gladstone and Tara Travis mentor groups of grade five students as they conceptualize, create, and stage their own “Mini Masterpieces”. This culminates in a series of follow-up sessions via Skype and is met with fantastic response from teachers and students alike.
MINI MASTERPIECES is featured at the Saskatoon International Children’s Festival and the Surrey International Children’s Festival.
NO TWEED TOO TIGHT
Written by Ryan Gladstone and Bruce Horak, Directed by Bruce Horak, Performed alternately by Ryan Gladstone and Bruce Horak, Original Score and Sound Design by Drew Jurecka and Robbie Grunwald
“Ryan Gladstone brings the house down as Grant Canyon, hard-drinking, ultra-hip investigator with his own
theme song.” ★★★★1/2 – Winnipeg Free Press
“Ryan Gladstone’s Grant Canyon simultaneously channels Captain Kirk and Elvis as he swaggers, swoons and power drinks his way from Des Moines to Tallahassee to outer space.” ★★★★ -CBC
TIL DEATH: THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII
Written and Directed by Ryan Gladstone, Performed by Tara Travis, Original Score and Sound Design by Drew Jurecka and Robbie Grunwald
“…one of the most impressive acting feats in the festival!” ★★★★★-Winnipeg Free Press
“Tara Travis is an immense talent. Go see this show and you will find yourself in Heaven. Comedy Heaven, that is.” –umfm.com
THE SHAKESPEARE SHOW Two-act version premieres to great acclaim at The Chilliwack Cultural Centre in November.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Written and Directed by Ryan Gladstone (adapted from Mini Masterpieces version written by Ryan Gladstone and Tara Travis), Performed by Bruce Horak and Tara Travis, Sound Design by Drew Jurecka
Monster Theatre’s new adaptation takes BC by storm, performing at theatres and select schools in Penticton, Vernon, Prince George, North Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria, including a full-week run at Maple Ridge’s ACT.
Monster Theatre, Monster Theatre for Kids and Here Be Monsters join forces to incorporate as a non-profit society. They now continue operations under the umbrella of Monster Creative Productions Society.
MINI MASTERPIECES tours to schools and theatres across BC.
HOUDINI’S LAST ESCAPE
Written and Directed by Ryan Gladstone, Performed by Christopher Bange and Tara Travis, Illusion design and construction by Christopher Bange, Original Score by Drew Jurecka, Original Song “Tie me Down” composed by Jeff Gladstone, with lyrics by Ryan and Jeff Gladstone.
Monster Theatre’s first International collaboration with Seattle-based actor-illusionist Christopher Bange tours to Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria and Vancouver.
Winnipeg “Best of Fest” winner
“Monster Theatre pulls a rabbit out of a hat with this wildly theatrical show…it’s no illusion this one’s going to sell out.” ★★★★<U+F020>1/2 –Uptown Magazine
“Ingenious, Dazzling and Amazing!” ★★★★-Edmonton Journal
EVERY STORY EVER TOLD
Written, Improvised, and Performed by Ryan Gladstone, Directed by Karen Hamm
Tours to Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver
FREUD VS HIS EGO
Written by Ryan Gladstone. Performed by Bruce Horak and Ryan Gladstone. Original Score by Drew Jurecka.
Premiered at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival and tours to the Edmonton Fringe and Vancouver Fringe. This play was staged while driving in a van from Toronto to Winnipeg…not bad!
THE SHAKESPEARE SHOW continues to tour, including stops at the Maple Ridge Arts Centre, Kelowna Performing Arts Centre, the Orlando Fringe Festival and the Toronto Fringe Festival.
MINI MASTERPIECES Tours BC schools again. Brand new adaptation include Arabian Nights, Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court and Owls in the family.
LAVINIA tours to BC schools in the Fall.
THE CANADA SHOW runs for a week at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island, Vancouver during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. It also plays at the Kelowna Performing Arts Centre in September.
FREUD 4000 is released! Concept by John Schuett, Bruce Horak and Ryan Gladstone, but the game itself is all John!
MINI MASTERPIECES Tours BC schools again. Brand new adaptation include The Little Prince and Rumpelstiltskin.
THE SEVEN LIVES OF LOUIS RIEL
Written and Performed by Ryan Gladstone, Directed by Karen Hamm
Louis was originally developed and workshopped on the Canadian Fringe Festival circuit, playing in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Victoria and Vancouver. Louis also played a two-week long run at Vancouver Firehall Arts Centre.
LAVINIA: A Modern Fairy Tale of Gigantic Proportions
Written and Performed by Tara Travis, Directed by Ryan Gladstone
This Monster Theatre for Kids production was originally developed and workshopped on the Canadian Fringe Festival circuit, playing in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Victoria and Vancouver to five star reviews!
CONFESSIONS OF A CLASS CLOWN Tours BC Secondary Schools.
NAPOLEON’S SECRET DIARY plays at the UNO Festival in Victoria, and at the Solo Mio Festival in London, ON.
THE SHAKESPEARE SHOW continues to tour, including stops at the Kay Meek Centre, Vernon Performing Arts Centre and the Bowen Island Fridge Festival.
THE SHAKESPEARE SHOW: Or, how an illiterate son of a Glover became the Greatest Playwright in the World
Written by Ryan Gladstone, Performed by Tara Travis and Ryan Gladstone, Directed by Karen Hamm
Shakespeare was originally developed and workshopped on the Canadian Fringe Festival circuit, playing in Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver. The Shakespeare Show has subsequently been presented on Bowen Island, Maple Ridge Arts Centre, Sunshine Theatre (Kelowna), Loose Moose Theatre (Calgary), Vernon Centre for the Performing Arts, the Kay Meek Centre, Jericho Arts Centre, The Firehall Arts Centre (Vancouver) and many more!
MINI MASTERPIECES
Created and Performed by Tara Travis and Ryan Gladstone
This Monster Theatre for Kids production has toured to primary schools across BC as well as numerous other engagements including Chemainus Festival Theatre, Maple Ridge Arts Centre, Surrey Arts Centre, Bowen Island Fridge Festival and many more!
Mini Masterpieces features three different adaptations of classics of literature each performance, and the Monsters are always updating this exciting project! So far, it includes classics like Anne of Green Gables, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, 20 000 Leagues under the Sea, A Christmas Carol, Rip Van Winkle, The Ugly Duckling and many more!
THE BIG ROCK SHOW tours to schools across BC.
NAPOLEON’S SECRET DIARY tours the Canadian fringe, playing in Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.
THE HISTORY OF THE FUTURE premiers at One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo. Directed by Mark Chavez, designed by Geoff Bouckley, written by and featuring Jeff, Bruce and Ryan. “You guys are the Weirdest!” -Michael Green, One Yellow Rabbit
HERE BE MONSTERS: A CARNIVAL OF THE ARTS – an arts festival has its first appearance in March of 2006. Co-produced with 6 producers, led by festival curator Jeff Gladstone. Featuring Lazy Susan, Michael Green, Keith Johnstone, SHOW-OFF: Theatre Under the Gun Reloaded, and over 200 artists in all. The first year was a smash success. Will return in fall 2007.
JESUS CHRIST: THE LOST YEARS premiers in Toronto and subsequently tours Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver Fringe Festivals. Co-written by Bruce, Ryan and Katherine Sanders. Directed by Bruce, featuring Ryan and Katherine.
JESUS CHRIST: ZOMBIE SLAYER! Is unveiled on the Monster Theatre website. Created by John Schuett.
THE CANADA SHOW runs at Manitoba Theatre for Young People in Winnipeg for three months October until December 22.
This version: Directed by Rebecca Northan. Featuring Sheldon Elter, Ryan and Bruce. Special thanks to Herbie Barnes and Ian Ross as First Nations consultants.
THE BIG ROCK SHOW is remounted and plays for a month long run at Calgary’s Lunchbox Theatre.
CONFESSIONS OF A CLASS CLOWN, written by and featuring Ryan Gladstone in his first one man show. Directed by Bruce Horak. “(If laughter is a drug)Gladstone is the equivalent of Vancouver’s most potent weed!” -Edmonton Journal
THE CANADA SHOW tours to schools across the province of BC. A teachers strike postponed part of the tour – leaving shows to be picked up later in 2006.
THE CANADA SHOW: IN 2 ACTS! Premiers at the Waterfront Theatre in Vancouver. New material written by Ryan and Bruce with Jeff. This version directed by John Murphy.
THE CANADA SHOW is remounted and plays for a month long run at Calgary’s Lunchbox Theatre.
THE BIG ROCK SHOW is remounted in Toronto at Second City.
THE MACBETH SHOW: FUCKING WITH SHAKESPEARE premiers at the Tim Simms Playhouse. Directed and Adapted by Rebecca Northan – featuring Ryan, Bruce, and new Monsters Alex Dallas, Chris Gibbs, and Derek Flores. “A gross-out excess of bleeding orifices and baby entrails: exactly what Shakespeare would have wanted.” -EYE Weekly
FRINGE SHOW: A Love Story is created by Ryan and Bruce and tours the fringe circuit. Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Bruce and Ryan Spend hundreds of dollars on Saran Wrap.
January, Bruce and Ryan move into the Monster cabin to begin research on THE BIG ROCK SHOW, grow big beards and improve their alcohol tolerance. They publish their weekly symposium The Valley Itch as well as penned the weekly improvised serial Another Milo March Adventure: No Tweed Too Tight.
THE BIG ROCK SHOW premiers at Crump Manor in Calgary. Co-written by Jeff, Ryan and Bruce. It then tours the fringe circuit Montreal, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Vancouver.
Monster Theatre is banned from the kids fringe at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival for singing a Bush-bashing song, a historical song about Hitler, and telling the kids that Disney has spies/lawyers everywhere watching you always!
Cabin Style Monster Theatre’s first CD is released featuring songs from THE CANADA SHOW, THE BIG ROCK SHOW and other oddities including ‘The Presidents Song’, ‘Pip pip talleyho’, and ‘Grumpy pants’.
THE CANADA SHOW is remounted in Toronto at the Tim Sims Theatre in Second City. The re-mount is co-directed by Dave Horak and Rebecca Northan and features Ryan and Bruce along with Albert Howell.
THE CANADA SHOW tours the Saskatoon and Edmonton Fringe Festivals with a run at Calgary’s Loose Moose Theatre with Albert Howell as the straight man. Ryan’s brother Jeff Gladstone replaces Albert for stops in Montreal, Thunder Bay, Ottawa and Vancouver Fringe Festivals – plus a Canada Day performance at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre.
The show also returned to Montreal for a run at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, after winning the Frankie award for Best Comedy.
THE CANADA SHOW: The Complete History of Canada in One Hour!
Written by Ryan Gladstone and Bruce Horak, Featuring Ryan Gladstone, Bruce Horak and Aaron Olney, Directed by Duval Lang
The Canada Show premiers on the outdoor stage at Calgary’s Shakespeare in the Park. It then tours to the Winnipeg and Edmonton Fringe Festivals. Little did we know that 10 years later we’ll still be performing this play!
Monster Theatre is founded by Ryan Gladstone. It all started with an Edmonton Fringe outdoor stage application form – “name of company?” – Monster Theatre!
Fairy Tale: The Choose Your Own Adventure Play
Created and Performed by Ryan Gladstone, Katherine Sanders, Jennifer Kelly and Charlotte Mitchell, Directed by Ryan Gladstone
Fairy Tale was an outdoor, improvised, kids show that toured to Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Victoria Fringe Festivals. Our very first original production, ambitious to say the least. We learned as we went and by the time we arrived in Edmonton we had a real live functioning, and funny, street show!