I am excited to welcome you to Brown Working Theatre’s 2024-25 Fall Play She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition. This play is the product of much hard work and dedication on the part of our student theatre artists, and we cannot wait to share it with you.
Set in suburban Ohio in the mid-’90s, She Kills Monsters tells the story of average Agnes Evans following the unexpected death of her sister Tilly. Agnes never really got Tilly, who was more interested in fighting imaginary monsters than music, clothes, or boys—that is, until she finds Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook. With the help of local D&D expert Chuck and Tilly’s own adventuring party, Agnes dives headfirst into a world of magic and monsters in search of answers, setting in motion a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure that will change Agnes’ average life forever.
As soon as I read She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition, I knew it was the show for us. Like our students themselves, it is goofy and hilarious, difficult and deep and heartfelt all at once. Dungeons & Dragons is a popular activity with our theatrically-inclined students (several of our cast members serve as Dungeon Masters for Brown’s D&D Club) and the queer representation reflects the identities of the many LGBTQ+ students involved in BWT. Most importantly, however, it affords some of our most dedicated student actors the opportunity to challenge themselves artistically, intellectually, and even physically. Nguyen’s script doesn’t shy away from the awkward, sometimes painful, realities of life as a teen, especially one who doesn’t fit into the mainstream. Yet, at its heart, it is a love letter—to D&D, and to the stories and friendships it creates and the power they have to transform everyday life into the stuff of adventure.
Lucy Kania
BWT Artistic Director
Content Warning: This play contains mild language, portrays homophobia and bullying, and includes comedic depictions of death and fantasy violence.
