NPX Weekly Round-Up: Fabulous Monsters by Diana Burbano

Fame and fortune, drugs and rock n' roll-- what do they look like after a solid few decades of aging? Plus three more works I found this week!

Jun 23, 2025

Hello theatre lovers! This week’s play has a few content warnings: mentions and depictions of drug usage; allusions to sexual assault; on-stage catcalling/sexual harassment; and inappropriate age gaps. If any of that is too much for you right now, I suggest you skip this one and join me for my next post. Take care of yourself!

A lot of us could very easily categorize chapters in our lives by the music we were into at that time. If you’re currently between the ages of 28-ish and 40-ish, for instance, you probably remember middle school as either your emo music phase or your boyband phase (or maybe both, honestly). The music you grew up listening to before then was probably the bands and genres your parents liked. And whatever you listen to now may have come to you through a variety of avenues, lined with memories and people that lead you to be who you are today.

Art is incredibly human. It’s a big part of who and what we are, and who and what we become as we age. Whether you yourself are an artist or not, the books, film, theater, visual art, music, etc that you consume says a lot about not only who you are, but where you’ve been and who you’d like to be.

This play takes a deep look at this truth from inside the pasts and presents of two talented musicians.

Here is the official summary from NPX of Fabulous Monsters by Diana Burbano:

When punk rock exploded in L.A., Sally and Lou were there: feminists, Latinas, queens of noise. One went pop, one stayed punk, but sparks from their tumultuous friendship remain. Decades later, they try to overcome old wounds, forgive each other, and rock as hard as they ever did.

Sally and Lulu meet at an audition for a new girl group in the 1970’s and sparks fly immediately. Sally— a gifted guitarist and songwriter— and Lulu— an angelic singer— form the punk band The Monsters. Creating at least two albums together, the band soars from obscurity to a record deal in a fairly short time, scoring pretty sweet opener gigs for more famous bands. But when British up and comer, Nigel, offers Sally a spot in his band, everything begins to fall apart.

Decades later, Sally (now going by Slade) and Lulu (now going by Louisa) reunite in the same punk venue in which they met, set up by Louisa’s daughter, Kady. A lot has changed since the seventies: Lousia became a famous pop princess, and Slade played with Nigel until drug addiction and obscurity almost ate them alive. But some things will always remain the same— and some things will repeat themselves.

This play is told in a non-linear fashion, interspersing scenes from the past with Lulu and Sally with scenes from the present with Slade and Louisa, as well as scenes in which Louisa and Slade connect with their younger selves. Five original songs serve to weave the scenes together seamlessly, holding up a mirror to both versions of our two main characters.

Now, I don’t want to spoil the ending, but I will say it really drives home what I believe this play is truly about: fame and fortune are not immortality, and staying true to who you are as an artist is the only way to leave a legacy you’re proud of.

I think this is a play that one has to read more than once to truly understand it. There are a lot of interweaving pieces in this play that come in and out periodically that can sometimes be confusing when just read on the page. However, plays are meant to be seen and not read, so I don’t see this as a bad thing. I would absolutely adore to see this staged, as I think I’d get even more nuance that way.

What I really appreciated about this work as someone who also has a play where music is instrumental (pun intended) to the story, is how thoughtful the music is— not only the lyrics of each piece, but also the placement of them in the story and who is performing them. They not only incorporate the culture that Slade and Louisa share, but also comment on their feelings towards each other, the music industry, and their own selves. Each one is a little porthole window into the soul of whoever is performing them! This adds a lot not only to the story and characters, but to the staging of the piece. Having these beautiful pieces of music to play with is a great asset in creating the world of the play on stage.

Essentially, this is a great piece to read if you are also writing a play with music, or if your piece uses a specific art style or medium as an important factor in character, setting, and/or form. It’s a lovely example of how to do that well!

Here is my official recommendation from NPX:

A beautiful piece in which the past and the present are intimately intertwined and constantly informing each other. I loved the frank look at how the music industry treats women/femmes, as well as the solemn truth explored of how fame does not prevent disease and death. Very raw and real.

What do you think about this play? Let everyone know in the comments!

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