SHE KILLS MONSTERS: An Obvious Choice for Brave Adventurers

From left to right, Evalynn Larson as Lilith, Edith Cramer as Kaliope, Kacie Pochert as Orcus, Hazel Groen as Tilly, Kennedy Morgan-Jones as Agnes, and Charlie Fetters as Miles 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 Jordan Staacke, age 11

Hello, my name is Jordan Staacke and this is my review of the play She Kills Monsters at the Waukesha Civic Theatre. In this review, I will cover my opinion on the actors, the set, the costuming, the lighting, and more. So sit back, relax, grab a snack, and be prepared for an amazing review!

First, I want to talk about the actors. All of the actors in this play are fantastic, but there are some who went above and beyond. For instance, Peter Abshire, who played Chuck, was hilarious. His timing for the puns made them 10 times funnier! Isabel Fouquart (who played Evil Gabbi) fit her role perfectly, because on the outside, the character seems nice, but at some moments she can be scary. Next we have Molly Guilfoy, who was Farrah. Her way of making her voice loud and proud made her amazing in the role. Essence Lark as Vera just downright fits her role, because she’s got the attitude that’s just right. Then we have Evalynn Larson as Lilith, who did her fight choreography perfectly - which is hard because she uses an axe! Emme McDonell as Evil Tina had power in her voice and Andi Pochert as Steve made me laugh every time. Last but not least, Lake Siglin proved that even if your role is small, it can be important. 

Next I want to talk about the costuming and set. The costuming for the play is very similar to what mystical creatures and high school kids would look like. Shout out to the costume designer Claire Kinder for the imaginative costumes. The set is so realistic on the background and I liked how the blocks resembled D&D dice with six sides. Aven Mrosko who made and painted the set did amazing.

Lastly, we have the props and lighting. The props were more real than I thought, because I was expecting the weapons to be plastic. They surprised me by using either real or very realistic ones. Shout out to the designer Madison Penzkover. When I saw the show, there were some lighting problems, but it was still good. I liked how they used the lights to make shadows. Lighting designer Aubrey McDonell did a spectacular job!

Now that wraps up my review of She Kills Monsters. This was a great play, but I don’t recommend bringing little kids, because there is violence and language used in the play that is not appropriate for young children.

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the rating! I rate this show…

5 stars!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

See more Academy productions like this at the Waukesha Civic Theatre!