SHE KILLS MONSTERS IS QUITE AN ADVENTURE
“SHE KILLS MONSTERS” at NMU is Quite an Adventure!
MARQUETTE, MI – When I first heard that NMU was doing a play based on a Dungeons and Dragons campaign I said “Really? Seriously?” I almost made the mistake of blowing it off as some silly geek-fest full of stage combat and no substance. And what a mistake that would have been.
“She Kills Monsters” is instead an interestingly crafted story of a young woman’s journey to finally meet and understand her deceased teenaged sister, killed along with her parents in a car crash when she was just 15 years old. As Agnes is sorting through her sister Tilly’s things she finds a handwritten D&D module, an adventure that Tilly had created, and takes it to a Dungeon Master, Chuck, to find out what it is and what it all means. He persuades her to play the game as that is the only way that she will truly understand what is written there. The strait-laced and conventional thinking Agnes starts to play…and learn.
Shane Vincent as Chuck the DM
Agnes is well portrayed by Cecilia Holt. She doesn’t understand her younger sister Tilly, really only knew her as a child, but never as a teenager. She doesn’t get into the spirit of the game at first, wanting to use her regular name as her D&D name. That nets her the name of Agnes Asshat. The whole thing is beyond her ken at first, but as she gets more involved in her sister’s world, she gets more invested in the game and what it reveals about her life and her sister. Cecelia does a great job bringing these emotions to the stage.
Laura Thompson plays Tilly’s 15 year old vigor and exuberance very convincingly. It would be easy to play any of these characters as caricatures rather than as real people with depth and feeling, but Laura succeeds in blending the fantasy with the reality of how complex her 15 year old life really was and how much she longed to truly know her older sister in life. Well played.
Amanda Woods is onboard as Lillith, a deliciously evil demon warrior who views Agnes as “lunchmeat.” She is Tilly’s fantasy creature in more ways than one, and Amanda obviously delights in her role. A solid performance on all levels.
Jill Vermeulen plays Kaliope, the “super-model dark elf”, another of Tilly’s party on the adventure. Jill has been predominately known for her voice and dance skills throughout her career onstage, but here turns in a well-acted and nuanced performance. Her freshman year at Northern has been a busy one and you can see the fruits of her labor on the stage in this performance.
Rounding out the party of adventurers is Orcus, a “retired” stoner-demon played to great effect by Donavon Chambers. His character is tired of being one of the “bosses” on a level and willingly hands over his charm to a geeky mage…and then gets drafted into Tilly’s party as they search for her soul. Again, you can tell that Donovan is having great fun with his role.
The DM, Chuck, is played by Shane Vincent. He is a fun character, immersed in his geeky world of D&D and key to Agnes’ journey of discovery. He also plays his high school “I’m macho, not a geek” card very well. We meet a couple evil succubi clad in cheerleader outfits. Breanna Harvell and Sophie Shahbazi are alternately seductive and scary in these roles. The not so nice fairy Farrah is played with malevolent glee by Abby Schneck. She delights in her flight and fights with the others.
The show is introduced and narrated by the ever enjoyable and talented Alexandra Marks. And then there is Miles, Agnes’ buttoned-down boyfriend played by John Scheibe. This character is universally disliked by all the players and especially by Tilly. She even weaves him into her fantasy by using him as one of the bosses, a gelatinous green cube/shape shifter that Agnes must defeat. John is always a pleasure to watch onstage. Talented and interesting, he brings a special presence with him every time he takes the stage in every production.
RT to Lft Jill Vermeulen, Amanda Woods, Laura Thompson
Shelley Russell has done a fine job directing this troupe on this epic journey. She obviously had a great time leading them, and it spills off the stage into the audience’s lap in every scene. The fight choreography is great. She was ably assisted by Timothy Grams who is credited as both her Assistant Director and Fight Captain. Shelley is also responsible for the costume design. It was fun, fanciful, and I am certain kept the costume shop and its staff burning the midnight oil to create.
The technical aspects of this show are outstanding as well. Steve McClain, Technical Director, should be very proud of the countless hours that he and his crew have put into this show. It certainly has paid off. The set design by Victor Holliday was spare and served well. Kristy Priest’s lighting design was very effective and helped to create the mood and move the story along. Dan Zini did a fine job with a very demanding sound design. All the players are well miked and the sound effects are well coordinated and carefully crafted. And the puppets…the dragons…I won’t say more than “wow” as I do not want to spoil your enjoyment of what happens in the second act. It is truly magic in the best sense of the word.
“She Kills Monsters” runs this week, Wednesday through Saturday at the Forest Roberts Theatre. Tickets are available at all NMU EZ Ticket outlets. I encourage you to buy them now as the show is deservedly selling fast.
This show is so much more than it seems on the surface and well worth a watch. It is interesting, exciting, fast paced, a technical delight, and just a well-crafted piece of theater. Enjoy.
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