←Recommendations of Monstrogenesis

The myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth is, for me, the most intriguing of the Greek Myths. And Georgia Xanthopoulou (one of my personal favorite writers on NPX), with "Monstrogenesis", gives us a unique, probing take on this classical tale. The humanity in this piece is similar to that in "The Elephant Man", and just as embracing.

Who creates monsters? We do, of course. Humanity. Society. Sometimes as grotesqueries. Sometimes in our own image. In “Monstrogenesis”, Georgia Xanthopoulou summons the mythic hybrid, the Minotaur, to challenge us directly as to why we as people need to invent such creatures. Is it really to explain that in the world which we do not understand? Or do perhaps we do it to defray the blame from our own monstrous natures? A true thought piece.

One of my favorite things about myth is its malleability. There’s countless ways to tell these stories that change over lifetimes and millennia, but their hearts never do. Xanthopoulou brings us into the Labyrinth via the POV of its iconic “monster,” unpacking what the word truly means, and what monsters truly look like. Lovely monologue that shoulders a poignant gravitas.

[2026-02-06]

I love plays that recalibrate what we think about classical monsters, and Georgia Zanthopoulou brilliantly reinvents the Minotaur, adding a new dimension to the legend and making his struggle achingly relevant to our times.

I mean, DAMN! This exquisite testimonial from The Minotaur weaponizes the mythology we know into an indictment of how society persecutes its outcasts and the spin that requires. Reading this as an American in 2026, it hits like a jackhammer to my heart. But in a universal sense, it's even more profound. Xanthopoulou has again immersed me into a world she's created and I had the honor of witnessing her and the Minotaur unleash Eumenides raining truth on a populace desperately in need of it.

This monologue is a powerful testimony to the power of empathy. Xanthopoulou's writing is both poetic and chilling. We find ourselves connecting to The Minotour's perspective, thereby seeing more clearly who the real monsters are. Brilliant!

In Georgia Xanthopoulou’s Monstrogenesis, a monster speaks truth to power - and does so with chilling, compelling rhetoric. Xanthopoulou’s take on the Minotaur is unlike any I’ve had the pleasure of seeing or reading. This monologue is a fantastic gift for actors and audiences alike!

What makes a monster? Or better question... WHO makes a monster? GEORGIA ZANTHOPOULOU has created a poetic, meaty monologue for a talented actor to bring to life. JUST STUNNING.

02.04.26 - In a weird way, a look at job security from a Minotaurs point of view. As he expounds on his lot in life, we get to see that the Monster is both more like us than we care to admit, and yet, is not nearly as monstrous as perhaps those who put him where he is. Georgia Xanthopoulou has given us some meaty food for thought.