She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen is a play that takes us through a journey of the self. The story filters you through the world of Dungeons & Dragons and transports you back to your younger years—times packed with imagination, fantasy, and playfulness.
The story
The protagonist, Agnes, is grieving the death of her sister Tilly. When Agnes finds a Dungeons & Dragons notebook that contains a campaign written by Tilly, she decides to play into this fantasy world in hopes of learning more about her sister (and her secrets).
By diving into the world of Tilly, Agnes not only learns about her sister, but she also learns about herself. She transforms from broken to a person who finds strength in learning, open-mindedness, and imagination.
She learns what it means to be in the face of violence, bullying, shame, fear, and grief and what it means to dream, be curious, courageous, and brave. While these experiences primarily occur during her Dungeons & Dragons adventure, they are all encounters that happen in real life, which makes this play relatable and accessible to people of all ages. The story “embraces a huge spectrum of humans,” says director Mieko Ouchi. This spectrum resonates with us all, whether it comes to sexuality, gender, friendship, loss, or life experiences.
The production
From the script and set design to execution, She Kills Monsters is “a beautiful and welcome return to a sense of play that we all had as children and teens that we strive to return to as adults, especially in the face of something as serious as a pandemic,” says Ouchi. She has worked closely with the University of Alberta student cast to bring Nguyen’s script to life. The set design represents the young and playful mind of Tilly—yarn and puppets are some of the props, to name a few. This youthful lens stimulates a state of deeper reflection, prompting the audience to question what matters.
To top it off, this play is a beautiful reminder that life is a collection of stories and that these stories continue to live on in the world beyond our time.
The production runs until February 12 at the Timms Centre for the Arts. Tickets can be bought online or at the box office 1-hour before the show.
