by Tessa Cooper ’26, Arts Editor, for The Polygon

She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen is a contemporary play featuring comedy, violence, and fantasy. Not only does it tell a thrilling story, but it also sends a meaningful message about inclusivity, specifically of the LGBTQ+ community. Poly has selected this play as the Grades 11 and 12 fall show. Through scenes that will make you both laugh and cry, the story will grip audiences from start to finish.

Mariko Watt, the show’s director, explains that she chose the play because she “wanted a show that was different from what we had done in the past. [She] wanted to integrate a lot of fun moments like fight choreography and sword work” that she thinks will look realistic with special effect choreography.

She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans, a young woman who lost her younger sister Tilly in an accident. She soon discovers an alternate world Tilly had created in her notebook centered around the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). This leads to Agnes getting drawn into this world and immersing herself in the game. In the fantasy world, Agnes encounters a series of monsters and it’s through them that she gets to know who her younger sister truly was. While grieving Tilly throughout the story, the play encapsulates the process of acceptance and illustrates the discovery of Agnes’s own identity through the LGBTQ+ characters in the D&D world. Watt shares that the play is about “accepting who you are and being true to yourself,” as well as touching on “love between family members and how to support each other.”

One of the most captivating parts of the production is the costumes. Kim Griffin, the costume designer, has poured her creativity into each piece, bringing the characters and story to life. Griffin’s primary focus when designing the costumes was making sure she honors how the show was set in 1995. Additionally, she wanted to highlight the difference between the fantasy world and the real world.

Griffin describes the outfits as having “armor and glitz,” particularly with the monsters. She aims to bring a scary aspect to them to contrast with the rest of the characters. “There’s that line you can [cross] of making it funny or making it scary, and I don’t want to cross into the silly aspect, because we’re not trying to mock the game” or “the people who are avid fans and players of the game,” she explains. “There’s a line of respect that I want to utilize.” Furthermore, the “characters who are not in the game are real, they’re not caricatures of people.”

Technically, the costumes for the show require a significant amount of “rigging,” which means that the costumes are easy to get into and out of. The students playing monsters in the show often play different characters and need to be able to change costumes fast. To address this need, Griffin used zippers, snaps, and Velcro. Griffin’s thoughtful designs with their technical efficiency enhances the experience of watching the cast on stage while also sending a meaningful message.

Drew Waldman ‘25, who plays Agnes, is also an Assistant Director. Although she is on stage for the majority of the show, she dedicates her time offstage to “helping the group as much as [she] can.” It is “enlightening to [Drew] to see how other people are performing,” shaping her experience as an actor and director.

She Kills Monsters covers themes of grief, self-discovery, and identity, and provides the audience and actors with many ideas to think about once the curtain comes down. In three words Watt would describe the show as “exciting, fantastical, and innovative.” Come watch the entertaining performances of She Kills Monsters in the Richard Perry Theatre on December 13 at 7:00 PM and December 14 at 2:00 PM!

Reserve Your Tickets

Families are asked to register to attend our Grades 11 and 12 play, She Kills Monsters, on Friday, December 13 at 7:00 PM and Saturday, December 14 at 2:00 PM in the Richard Perry Theatre.

Note: This article was originally published in The Polygon‘s October/November 2024 issue.