Welcome to the world of “She Kills Monsters” by Qui Nguyen. A fantasy-based straight play with highs and lows, comedy and drama, fantasy and realism. It’s a show that has become fairly well known among theatergoers thanks to the quality of the show but I want to capture the community behind the piece, those it represents, and those it inspires. In my experience, the content of the show has not always been handled with care and proper representation of those shown. This show touches on many relatable experiences, especially for those in the queer community. I want to embrace that and create a cast and creative team composed of young people who are passionate about this show and what it offers.
Out with the Old
I’ve been in the show, “She Kills Monsters” two times before in high school and it’s stuck with me since. It’s actually what introduced me to Dungeons and Dragons which has become a big part of my life. It’s been a creative outlet that has greatly benefited me in my personal and professional life. The game Dungeons and Dragons, a Table Top Role Playing Game (TTRPG), is a game that appeals to many people but often captures the attention of minorities; queer, disabled, BIPOC, etc. It acts almost as a form of escapism and or wish fulfillment for many people which is a heavy theme discussed in “She Kills Monsters”. Dungeons and Dragons is a creative outlet that lends itself to expressing different sides of yourself, sides that you may not be able to express in daily life.
Unfortunately, like other media, Dungeons and Dragons is often presented as a cishet, white, privileged hobby. In my personal experience, most people truly passionate about Dungeons and Dragons have been people from diverse backgrounds who do not fit into traditional patriarchal and capitalist systems. Often spaces for Dungeons and Dragons are geared toward privileged individuals because they are the ones with extra time and expendable income. Creators and public personalities in the Dungeons and Dragons community are often privileged and do not represent a large portion of their audience. This is a problem that is continuing to be addressed in the community and I want this show to be a part of that movement.
In with the New
I want this production to be a not-for-profit show done with a local community theatre. I want to keep ticket prices in the $5-10 range but incorporate a “tip jar” where the audience can leave donations that are evenly distributed among the cast and creative team. Realistically salaries will not be possible for people working on the show but I would like to provide compensation so that anyone interested in working on the show will have the opportunity to. This should be a show that is accessible for people to be involved in and for people to come see and enjoy the final product.
For the pre-show and post-show, I want to keep it relatively short to not take any unnecessary time from the audience and keep them engaged. The pre-show should just provide the traditional show etiquette and warnings for content and SFX. Each night I would like to have a short talkback with the cast, crew, and creative team. I think this will help with audience engagement and improve their takeaway from the show. Community is a really important part of “She Kills Monsters” and I think these talkbacks will help foster an active community around this show that could hopefully be expanded to future shows.
This production of “She Kills Monsters” will be community-based to create a deeper connection to the story and between the actors, I want to have a diverse cast of characters with personal connections to the subjects the show touches on. I want this diversity and connection the extend to the creative team and crew. The creative process will be much more collaborative than a normal show and the creative team will be able to work directly with the actors and the actors will have input on the general vision of the show.
I think “She Kills Monsters” is a show that has the potential to connect with a larger more diverse audience of those who play Dungeons and Dragons and get more people interested. I think these two passions, Dungeons and Dragons and theatre, have a lot of crossover that more people should explore and gain an interest in. I want more people to try out Dungeons and Dragons. This production of “She Kills Monsters” can represent a much more accurate and diverse community of Dungeons and Dragons players than it has in other adaptations and I think this community project is the way to achieve that.
