BUCKHANNON — West Virginia Wesleyan College’s Theatre and Dance Department is proud to present She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen.
The play will run Thursday, February 23 through Sunday, February 26 at the Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts. Shows will be at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, while Sunday is a 2 p.m. matinee. The comedic play contains simulated violence, mature language and themes and may not be appropriate for younger audiences.
Set in 1995 in Athens, Ohio, the play revolves around Agnes Evans, a high school teacher who attempts to get to know her late sister Tilly by playing a Dungeons and Dragons-esque game that Tilly designed prior to her death. Throughout the game, Agnes must deal with violent faeries, evil succubi cheerleaders, and lazy demons as she goes on a quest to save the Lost Soul of Athens, and, in doing so, confront her own personal demons and grief.
She Kills Monsters is directed by Associate Professor of Theatre Arts Thomas Schoffler and assistant-directed by theatre arts major Derek Hess ’23, who is also the sound designer for the show. Dance choreography was done by Lesa Dencklau, with scenic and lighting design by Keith Saine. The show is stage managed by theatre majors Elizabeth Tweel ’23 and Kotone Sakamura ’23. Tweel also handles costume design with Heather Bokey ’23.
The show features spectacular stage combat by guest fight choreographer Millie M. Omps, with assistance from fight captain Anthony Damcott ’23.
“She Kills Monsters has so much to offer audiences,” said Omps. “The use of fantasy as a catalyst for a very real human experience of handling grief makes for an honest yet thrilling ride. If you love the 90s, come. If you like Dungeons and Dragons, or are curious, come. If you like laughter and fantastical fighting, She Kills Monsters is the place to be.”
Freshman cast member and musical theater/communication double major Ashton Nardella remarked, “A lot of people can relate to losing a loved one, and the way She Kills Monsters handles its themes of loss is nothing short of masterful. The play is a great mix of laugh-out-loud comedy and heartfelt emotion, as many of the best shows are.”
The cast of She Kills Monsters includes Allison Blankenship ’25, music education major from Camden on Gauley, West Virginia, as Agnes Evans; Ellery Brown ’24, theatre arts/history double major from Bay City, Michigan, as Tilly Evans; Julius Pretlow ’26, technical theatre/communication double major from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, as Chuck Biggs; Ben Long ’25, musical theatre major from Buckhannon, West Virginia, as Miles; Chelyan Smith ’23, musical theatre major from Nitro, West Virginia, as Lillith Morningstar/Lilly; Wesleyan alum Sinead Pechon as Kaliope Darkwater/Kelly; Damcott, media communication/theatre arts double major from Akron, Ohio, as Orcus/Ronnie; Sydney Stewart ’25, musical theatre major from Barboursville, West Virginia, as Vera Martin; Loren Keene ’23, theatre arts major from Bluefield, West Virginia, as Evil Tina; Alexis de Coning, assistant professor of Wesleyan’s Communication Department, as Evil Gabbi/Narrator; Ashton Cork ’23, educational studies major from Salem, West Virginia, as Farrah the Faerie; and Ashton Nardella ’26, musical theatre/communication double major from Bridgeport, West Virginia, as Steve. The show’s ensemble of monsters includes Jason Coping-Smith ’25, criminal justice/theatre arts double major from Charleston, West Virginia; Cordell Winters ’23, health science major from French Creek, West Virginia; Owen Hess ’25, biochemistry major from Bridgeport, West Virginia; Dalton Harris ’25, applied physics major from Belmont, North Carolina; and Alan Stephens, Buckhannon resident last seen as Professor Plum in Clue at Buckhannon Community Theatre.
Tickets cannot be reserved in advance, but will be available at the door beginning one hour before curtain. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens, and $5 for WVWC students with a student ID.
