Friday, February 28, 2025. Monster, Madhura Studio. Gowanus, Brooklyn.—Madhura Studios proudly presented “MONSTER”, a visually stimulating, and audibly captivating performance that highlights significant turning points in the life of Activist, Creator, and Spoken Word Artist, Kristofer Sykes, popularly known as PAINE the POET.
The Columbus, Ohio native’s ambitious mission to inspire others, specifically black men, aims to bring light to the flawed aspects of the United States Justice system and its impacts on the lives of those who are incarcerated within it. Formerly incarcerated, PAINE the POET willfully launched his career performing at poetry nights in Washington, DC. His gift of spoken word has made room for him as his talents have brought him into the presence of Congress to present original thought pieces addressing the issue of mass incarceration; performing for the Jewish Council on Public Affairs on C-SPAN; he’s written and starred in a production for the NFL Honors Awards on CBS Network and presented his original poetry pieces for the civil right’s organization, JusticeAid’s, “Voices To Protect The Vote” concert series.
“MONSTER” features NYC-based artist ArinMaya (pronounced, “erin-maya”), a genre-bending singer, arranger, and sound healer as lead vocalist; Producer, and Musician-Composer, Edson Sean as the lead guitarist; and Pianist, Organist and Producer, Dexter Birk on the keys (piano). “MONSTER” also introduces to the NYC city music scene, R&B Singer-Songwriter, Denny Jackson.
Doors opened to Madhura studio (located in Gowanus, Brooklyn) and an intimate audience, which did not exceed 45 members, curiously made their way in and up to the second floor of the yoga studio. Guests were checked in and warmly greeted by the infectious energy of Stariyon Bionsay Ambroise-Smith, who acted as stagehands for the production, along with Mykiah Wiggins.
With eagerness and anticipation, the guests request to be directed to the entrance of the auditorium. “The show starts here.” Staryion replies standing in the hall of the entryway, “Follow me.” One by one, each of us crept from backstage, making our way through a thinly veiled curtain, leading to a theatre in-the-round staging, with a centered spotlight. This type of staging is set up in such a way that it allows the audience to sit (or in our case, stand) on all sides of the stage, with the performer(s), in the center. Krystofer (PAINE) enters centerstage and begins reciting, “The Yard Cipher”. He’d like us to see things from all angles as he looks for a way out of the glaring eyes watching every move he makes. PAINE is mindful to peer into the eyes of each audience member, connecting them to the confinement of his illusory space. Completing his first piece, PAINE exits, where we audibly hear his footsteps ascending above our heads, as he takes to the 3rd-floor loft. We soon follow behind the impassioned poet whose movements, figuratively and literally, introduce us to a new stage and turn of events in the metaphorical depiction of his life.
Edson Sean, a Brooklyn-based Composer, Musician, and Producer, whose collaborative credits include work with Grammy Award-winning producer Diamond D, and Hip Hop legends David Banner and Redman, stands solo under the brush of a purple stage light, melodically narrating the progression of the MONSTER and segways into the performance of the first installment of the show entitled piece, “MONSTER: 1”. Edson, known for his creative ability to craft a story out of sound through instrumentation, compliments the fabricate of ‘MONSTER’, setting the tone for what’s to come.
Shortly after the close of Edson Sean and PAINE the POET’s set, we are seated far right from the loft entrance. The audience quietly takes in the sounds, the words, the visuals, and back drop of each uniquely designed stage depicting PAINE’s life through thought pieces such as, “MONSTER 1″ and “Bad Kids” and “Broken Knowledge”. Blanketed under a red light, PAINE and Edson find themselves accompanied by Music Director and Multi-Instrumentalist (Piano/Violin), 
Dexter Birk, whose set to release his debut single “Moonbeams” in 2025; and Lead vocalist, Arranger and Madhura Sound Healer, ArinMaya.
ArinMaya, who will also facilitate sound baths classes at Madhura studios on March 15th and April 19th, brings to the performance an improvisational style that carries vibrational healing blended with sweeping elements of jazz in her vocal styling, and a brush of blues to further suggest the presence of poetic justice interwoven in the injustices depicted in MONSTER’s storyline.
With the added elements of Tibetan singing bowls and shell chimes, ArinMaya motions between the floor-seated guests, bathing them in ambient sound to highlight chapters of inner healing and surrender in PAINE’s life. Reflective pieces such as, “Give You The World”, “Paralyzed”, and “Controlled Substance” open the way for dynamic R&B Singer-Songwriter, Denny Jackson to shine and express the depth and height of her range on stage. The Vocalist adds a cradling effect to the performance of ‘MONSTER’. Denny’s warmth of voice and light presence add elements of faith and hope that dispel the sadness, loss, and grief in MONSTER’s storyline.
Artistic Director, Julia Lourie, who proudly shares her heroic story of recovery from substance abuse, founded Madhura Studio as a community-focused space, dedicated to fostering connections through sound, movement, and sensation. Mahura Studio hosts artist residencies, like ‘MONSTER’, as part of the Madhura Studios-Artist In Residency Program, a year-long program that identifies and supports the initiatives of creative practitioners working with sound, music, and/or human development. Through the Artists In Residency Program, Madhura Studios provides creative, programmatic, and financial investments in current projects and “never before attempted ideas”. Mahura remains committed to creating a welcoming and tranquil environment; one in which the studio encourages personal growth and community engagement through diverse programming.
Julie credits yoga as a major force that ushered positive change into her life. Through facilitating yoga classes, or DJing dance music sets, Julia remains focused on the same goal: drop them into an experience that makes them come alive into wellness of mind, body and spirit. With students and participants she seeks to share yogic practices, concepts, ideas, and techniques that affirm each individual’s sense of wholeness and which honor yoga’s aim of offering liberation from suffering; elements of which can be found in the intentional and abstract presentation of ‘MONSTER’.
‘MONSTER’, flows as an audio-visual spoken word immersive that allows its’ audience to move through, listen for, energetically feel, and venture through the internal landscape of PAINE the POET’s struggle. ‘MONSTER’ as a performance, warps the fourth wall of theatre for the sake of getting the message across to its audience. It’s as if PAINE asked the question, “Are they feeling me?’ and MONSTER’s Creative Director and Executive Producer, George Del Barrio, along with the Lighting and Design Curators, Ian Chen & Yang Yu, answer by collaborating and offering a wholistic interactive space for the audience to shifts, develop, heal and release along with the performers on stage.
‘MONSTER’ is a remarkable workshop with massive potential for expansion to reach a community where immersive opportunities for healing are not as readily accessible. It is riveting in its creative expression, and opens pathways of healing through color theory, sound healing, art and meditative moments. There is much to unpack from this production as is bette experience than explained. I highly recommend attending a live performance of PAINE the POET’s, “MONSTER”. Presented exclusively at Madhura’s Studios, the workshop will cover the times dates of 7:30 pm on February 22 and February 28 and March 1, 7, 8; additional showing includes March
