The Parallel Project - by Argel Monte de Ramos & Jocelyn Tsui (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The Parallel Project is a groundbreaking collection of monologues written by and for IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, and People of Color) and racialized artists. Emerging from an innovative monologue-writing initiative, this vital resource brings together original commissioned works designed to reflect a diverse range of voices, lived experiences, and cultural perspectives.

Presented in versatile texts coined as "monologue clusters," each piece is fully customizable--allowing artists to tailor excerpts for optimal use in classes, auditions, and performances. Spanning themes such as identity, community, grief, queerness, language, immigration, family, and more, The Parallel Project is a lighthouse, forging a path for under-represented voices to take centre stage.

About the Author

Argel Monte de Ramos (he/him) is a Filipino Canadian singer-songwriter, actor, playwright-producer, and director based in Surrey, BC. His work is known for emotional depth and authentic storytelling. He holds a Bachelor of Performing Arts and a Musical Theatre Diploma from Capilano University. In 2021, he was a Top 10 finalist in CBC Music's Searchlight and received the Excellence Award by a BIPOC Artist at the Fraser Valley Music Awards. He later won the Surrey Board of Trade Arts and Business Award. Argel advocates for diversity and inclusion, using his platform to amplify immigrant and IBPOC voices through music and theatre.

Jocelyn Tsui (she/her) is a mixed-race Chinese Canadian theatre producer, performer, playwright, and artistic leader. She is passionate about making the performing arts industry more progressive and inclusive for youth and emerging IBPOC artists. In 2020 she co-founded Momentum 180 Theatre Collective, through which she co-leads The Parallel Project as Managing Artistic Producer. She became Producer at the Arts Club Theatre Company in 2023. Jocelyn holds a Musical Theatre Diploma from Capilano University and a Bachelor of Arts from Simon Fraser University. She is a board member for Camp Cue, a non-profit musical theatre sleepaway camp.