MacLean and her team have launched Monumental Artists.
Monumental Artists is a new initiative dedicated to uplifting marginalized voices-particularly disabled playwrights affected by mental illness, neurodivergence, or traumatic brain injuries.
Too many talented artists face financial and structural barriers that keep them out of the industry, especially with DEI and the Arts under attack.
We’re here to change that.
Our mission: To amplify the voices of these artists and provide them with financial stability, creative support, and national visibility, while building a theater culture that is truly accessible.
Our cohort-based program will provide:
-commissions for new work
-developmental partnerships with theaters
-rehearsal and office space
-dramaturgical support
-mental health led talkbacks nationwide
These talkbacks are a crucial part of our model.
Ali’s first play, She’s Not There, received a reading after winning the John Gassner Award. Following the performance, audience members flooded her with questions about depression, suicide, and how to get help. So Ali partnered with Did Hirsch Mental Health Services and NAMI to lead post-show conversations. What happened next was transformative – families healed, strangers connected, and audiences received real resources.
That catharsis is not the core of Monumental’s work, with NAMI-WLA as a non-profit supporting partner.
Our initial goal is $50,000 to commission the first cohort, give them the freedom to create without financial fear, and a platform where they can be heard. Your tax-deductible gift directly funds this program.
As we launch this inaugural season, we hope you will consider a gift of $25, $75, $125, $250, or whatever feels right. Your support amplifies stories that challenge stigmas, inspire empathy, and build community.
You can make a tax deductible donation to Monumental Artists HERE:
Thank you for believing in this work and in the artists who deserve to be heard.
Donate to Monumental Artists.
ALI MacLEAN 