She Kills What-now? A Quick Look into She Kills Monsters

The promotional poster for She Kills Monsters.

Photo courtesy of bapaco.org.

The promotional poster for She Kills Monsters. Photo courtesy of bapaco.org.

Nadia Khazei, Journalist

Rehearsals for the fall play, She Kills Monsters, are well underway as the cast and crew gear up for their production.

But…what exactly is She Kills Monsters? Who is the titular “she?” Why are there monsters? And, most importantly, why is there a d20 on the promotional art?

She Kills Monsters, written by Qui Nguyen, follows Agnes Evans, an average high school senior in 90s Ohio, as she processes the death of her younger sister, Tilly. Before her passing, Agnes and Tilly were complete opposites, Agnes being a cheerleader and Tilly being a geeky DND player. While going through her things, Agnes stumbles upon a campaign that her sister created and, in an attempt to connect with her one last time, seeks out a local Dungeon Master, and one of Tilly’s friends, Chuck. Him and Agnes embark on a journey of discovery as they explore the high-fantasy world that Tilly created. As Agnes gets to know her fellow party members and the character of Tillius the Paladin, she starts to wonder if she ever knew anything about her sister at all.

She Kills Monsters is a story about grief, loss, and moving on. It asks the audience to empathize with the two sisters and to understand their characters: Agnes, who only started to learn about her sister after she was gone; Tilly, who felt ostracized and disliked in a world that didn’t support her.

“I think the main messages of She Kills Monsters are to appreciate what you have before it’s gone and to be open to new experiences, however strange or ‘geeky’ they may be,” says Jasmine Jenkins, who plays Lilith, a demon with a penchant for cannibalism and violence. “You never know what you may learn about others and yourself.”

She Kills Monsters, though a comedy, get very dark at times. The play tackles difficult themes such as bullying and homophobia. A portion of the proceeds from the four-day run will be donated to LGBTQ+ charities in support of the community.

The show also contains intricate fight choreography, impressive technical design, and homicidal fairies. There will be showings from October 27–30.