SAN MARCOS — “She Kills Monsters,” a play of emotional healing, adventure and laughs is opening soon at Palomar.
Written by Qui Nguyen, this dynamic play will take place at Palomar’s San Marcos campus from Dec. 6 to 15 with performances in the Studio Theatre. The opening show will begin on Friday at 7 p.m.
“If people enjoy theater, they should not miss this production, because… it is so unique, and it’s going to be very memorable because of that,” Director Heather Megill said.
“She Kills Monsters” tells the story of Agnes Evans, who loses her parents and sister, Tilly, in a car crash. Agnes begins to play Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons (D & D) game, as a way to process her grief, and gains a deeper understanding of her sister and herself along the way.
Although the premise might seem heavy, Megill said the play is full of comedy, action, dance, mock monster battles and fantasy.
“It really feels more like an adventure, and it has a message of healing and hope. So, it’s not a terribly heavy play, despite the premise,” she said.
To flesh out this adventure, the play will have unique fight scenes, costumes, lighting, and set design.
Inspired to do the play because of its fight sequences, Megill has worked on the sound design to match the choreography with battle sounds.
Because of this, she said the fight scenes are more like “stylized comic book type action sequences set to music,” than traditional fighting.
The stage will be painted like a D & D gameboard, according to Megill. And lighting and special effects from above will project images of settings and scenes onto the stage.
“It’s really quite remarkable. It’s visually stunning,” Megill said, regarding visual effects.
Actor Tristan Murphy, who plays Tilly Evans, said there will also be dice rolls projected on the floor. In the game, the number rolled determines how well a player performs.
“I think the tech side will really astound people. We have some really cool costumes, some good lighting plans,” Murphy said.
The actors will wear a variety of costumes — from everyday high school outfits to fantastical Medieval armor, weaponry and head pieces.
Megill shared that, at one point in the show, 11 actors will act as a five-headed dragon that Agnes, the main character, takes on to fight.
The studio theatre is in the round, which means there is seating on all sides of the stage. So, there are no backdrops. And the actors take care of all set changes, moving or rolling the set pieces on and offstage.
Performing in this kind of theater is a new experience for actor Exia Albistegui–DuBois, who plays Kelly and Kalliope. Kelly is Tilly’s friend, and Kalliope is the D & D character that’s based off Kelly.
Albistegui–DuBois shared that keeping a constant awareness of being seen from all sides is a challenge, which affects how the actors position themselves.
“There’s a lot of pivoting. We’re on a lot of diagonals…to keep everyone visible,” they said.
Director Heather Megill shared that the actors have been handling the technical challenges of the show well.
“Everyone’s been very open to growing as actors. The process has been really, really great and I’m super proud of them,” she said.
Actor Tristan Murphy agreed rehearsals have been going well, saying, “I feel more prepared with the shows coming up...It’s a secure feeling. So, there’s a lot of good planning that went into this.”
Albistegui–DuBois said they’d consider the show to be PG-13, and that it’s set half in D & D and half in a real-life setting.
“This show, specifically, was one I was really looking forward to because I’m a big D & D nerd. I love the game,” Albistegui–DuBois said.
While parts of the game have been changed to fit the show, according to Albistegui–DuBois, Megill said that “She Kills Monsters” is something fans of D & D and those unfamiliar with the game can enjoy.
“This is a really humorous and heartfelt show, and it’s got something for everyone,” she said.
Free parking will be in lots 1 and 15 on Palomar’s San Marcos campus. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.
