After months of rehearsals, countless hours of monster construction in the scene shop, and two weekends of performances, the curtain has closed on St. Ambrose University's production of She Kills Monsters.
She Kills Monsters is the story of Agnes Evans, played by Senior K. Hampton, and her late sister, Tilly Evans, played by Senior Becky Meissen. Throughout the play, Agnes plays through a Dungeons and Dragons module created by Tilly in an effort to understand who her kid sister was. While fighting monsters Agnes is able to grow closer to her sister and see beyond the once dorky teenager.
In addition to Hampton as Agnes and Meissen as Tilly, the cast included Senior Nyssa Wagner as Lillith, Sophomore Elena Vallejo as Kaliope, Senior Andrés Garcia as Miles, Sophomore Beckett Conwell as Chuck, First-year Caroline Sieren as Vera, Senior Sam Lange as Steve/Puppeteer, Senior Ruby Jasa as Evil Tina/Puppeteer, First-year Ebby Barber as Evil Gabbi/Puppeteer, First-year Megan Rohn as Farrah the Faerie/Puppeteer, Sophomore Jayden Lebron as Ensemble, and Sophomore Drew Dowda as Ensemble. The show was directed by Dan Rairdin-Hale ‘04, stage managed by Junior Ellis Albaugh, and had numerous people behind the scenes that helped bring the play to life.
With a five-headed dragon, six foot tall bugbears, and a monstrous floating eyeball, this show was one of the most technological heavy productions that our Theatre Department has ever put on. However, thanks to the amazing tech and run crew, this show ran smoothly and owes its success to them.
Audiences received the show well, which was a delight to everyone who worked on the show. The audience members laughed, they cried, and were fully entranced by the world that the cast and crew created. Even River Cities' Reader reviewer Pamela Briggs felt the same way.
"I was consequently happy, on Saturday, to enjoy a new rendezvous at St. Ambrose University," she wrote. "Director Daniel Rairdin-Hale and the show's staff, crew, and cast have assembled a singularly beautiful, big-scale-impressive production of Nguyen's play."
This show was also adjudicated by David Lane from Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri, who represented the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. He showered the cast and crew with praise and complimented the cohesiveness of all the elements in this show. Upon his leave, Hampton and Wagner were nominated to participate in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Competition for their fantastic work.
The St. Ambrose University Theatre Department is so grateful because for the first time since COVID-19, we were able to produce an in-person mainstage show. She Kills Monsters was perfect for our debut because it was able to showcase all of the acting skills and technical aspects our students have been working on for the last year and a half and we cannot wait to continue on this path in the spring semester.
Stay tuned for more impending productions and if you see Wagner or Hampton on campus, wish them the best of luck at the Irene Ryans!
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