The loss of a loved one is never easy, and moving on is even harder. In “She Kills Monsters,” this is what 25-year-old Agnes Evans, played by Korah Jo Robinson, deals with after the sudden death of her 15-year-old sister, Tilly, who is played by Shea Sanders.
The story is set in the town of Athens, Ohio, in 1995 and weaves between reality and the fantasy land of New Landia. The story is told through shadow art, projectors, and a comical British narrator. Even though there were few props, my favorite detail was that the stage was painted like a Dungeons & Dragons, or D&D, board.
According to the narrator, Agnes and Tilly were not very close growing up. Agnes is described as an average girl and seen dancing to songs on the radio. Tilly is described as a lover of dark arts and is seen running around with a sword.
After Tilly’s sudden death in a car crash, Agnes finds a notebook among her sister’s belongings. It contains a D&D module that Tilly created but never got to play and leads Agnes to Chuck, Tilly’s Dungeon Master, or the person responsible for rolling the dice that determine each character’s moves.
Agnes convinces Chuck to be her Dungeon Master and plays the game in hopes of getting to know her sister. From there, we are introduced to the characters: Kalliope Darkwater the Dark Elf, Lilith Morningstar the Demon Werewolf, and Tilly herself in the form of Tilius the Paladin.
As someone who knows almost nothing about D&D, I was very appreciative that the characters explained the game in simple terms. Since Agnes was just as unaware, I felt like I was in her shoes.
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The play is definitely presented as a comedy. When the team encounters Orcus the Overlord, he is not as fierce as anticipated. Rather, he gets annoyed at them for interrupting his viewing of “Friends.”
“Friends” is not the only popular ‘90s reference in this play. Through Orcus, we hear the names of shows like “Twin Peaks” and “ER.” When the team battles the villains, the battles are energized by songs such as “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now).”
Agnes learns more about her sister as they battle the monsters. As she returns to reality, she realizes that the monsters in the game represent the people who bullied her sister. Even more so, they bullied Tilly for being a lesbian.
Robinson and Sanders do a wonderful job of capturing the powerful, raw emotions of this scene. Agnes is very regretful that she never got to know her sister, and Tilly is very bitter and angry that Agnes never tried to know her.
Agnes eventually becomes attached to the game, but she still doesn’t realize how much this game means to her sister. That is until Chuck introduces her to the real-life members of the team: Orcus, whose real name is Ronnie, and Kalliope, whose real name is Kelly.
After meeting Ronnie and Kelly, Agnes realizes that the game gave them the possibility to be anyone they wanted to be. Ronnie became someone strong. Kelly, who walks with the help of mobility aids, used her character as a way to experience walking. Most of all, Tilly used the game as a way to be comfortable with her sexuality and to escape the bullying in her real life.
Overall, “She Kills Monsters” is an enjoyable comedy play that explores some heartfelt themes in a very raw and real manner. The talented cast did a wonderful job expressing the vibrant personalities of their characters and showing how a simple game of D&D can represent so much more.