Magic, Nerds, and the Vanquishing of Pure Evil

Peter Abshire as Chuck in She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition at the Waukesha Civic Theatre. Photo credit: Andy Holley.

A review of She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition

by Meika Olson, age 17

We all have those people in our lives whose hobbies we just don’t understand - your uncle who dedicates hours to playing pickleball, your older sister’s friend who loves nothing more than collecting beetles, that one person in your class who spends their time making soap. For Agnes Evans in She Kills Monsters, that person is her younger sister, Tilly. In their 1990s high school world, Agnes is a cheerleader, spending her time shopping with her best friend and hanging out with her football-playing boyfriend. She just doesn’t get Tilly, who plays Dungeons and Dragons every chance she gets - until Tilly’s tragic death in a car crash.

Suddenly, Agnes’ whole world is turned upside down. With the help of a Dungeon Master named Chuck, she starts to play Tilly’s old D&D campaign, setting off on a quest to finally understand her little sister even though it may be far too late. Waukesha Civic Theatre Academy’s She Kills Monsters contained terrific young actors, an engaging storyline, and exceptional stage combat.

Kennedy Morgan-Jones’ portrayal of Agnes was in the best ways sarcastic, genuine, and heartfelt. She balanced Agnes’ sardonic sense of humor, her fear of losing her memories of Tilly altogether, and the grief and healing process she embarks on, all with ease throughout this complicated show. Hazel Groen as Tilly was the perfect scene partner for Morgan-Jones, illustrating both Tilly’s insecurities and strengths as she appeared throughout the D&D campaign, guiding Agnes and her friends with an extremely strong command of the stage. Tilly’s friends within her Dungeons and Dragons campaign—Edith Cramer as Kaliope, Kacie Pochert as Orcus, and Evalynn Larson as Lilith—were a wonderful group to watch together as well, playing off of each other and providing the heart, support, humor, and friendship within a world of fighting terrifying monsters.

The script of She Kills Monsters is exceptionally funny for almost any age, from its ‘90s pop culture references to its hilarious one-liners. But the script also comes with huge challenges for its actors, especially younger ones. The amount of stage combat (choreographed by Kara Penrose) within this show could be daunting, and it seems these actors took up the challenge with eagerness and a readiness to learn, maneuvering the tricky props and combat beats.

The show’s set (designed by Aven Mrosko), props (designed by Madison Penzkover), and lighting and sound (designed by Aubrey McDonell and Stefan Kent), all contributed extremely effectively to the complete storytelling of the play as a whole, and I felt completely immersed in the world. The only piece that ever took me out of the show was the voice-over style of narration that was used, instead of an actor speaking the lines live onstage. But altogether, She Kills Monsters at Waukesha Civic Theatre was a genuine, earnest, and profound work of theatre.