Theatre Newsletter | October 2021
The first mainstage production this year will be directed by Daniel Rairdin-Hale ‘04, Chair of the St. Ambrose University Theatre Department, and he has chosen the action-packed play She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen.
She Kills Monsters is the tale of Agnes Evans, a young woman grieving the death of her little sister, Tilly. Agnes and Tilly were never the closest, but after Tilly's death, Agnes wishes she knew more about her sister. While cleaning her sister's old room she finds a notebook with a Dungeons and Dragons campaign laid out so she embarks on a Dungeons and Dragons campaign of Tilly's own creation. Her party consists of a badass paladin, a demon queen, an elven goddess, and the Overlord of the Underworld. Their daunting quest is to save the Lost Soul of Athens.
Rairdin-Hale said he chose this script "because after a hard year with the pandemic, everyone just needed a little fun," and oh boy are the actors, designers and audiences in for a treat with this production. The actors have already begun learning their lines and the fight sequences that will be seen throughout the production. There is even a chance that you will see the cast running around VanderVeer Park, practicing their sword play or even building a large, green gelatinous cube.
The designers are also already hard at work. Andrea Gross will be the guest costume designer for this production. She has been coordinating with Dr. Cory Johnson and the staff of the costume shop in order to begin preparations for the first fittings when she gets on campus. She will also be holding workshops to teach students how to create fantasy wings that will be worn on stage.
Rairdin-Hale and the work study students in the scene shop have also begun designing the puppets that will be used on stage as the Dungeons and Dragons monsters and other various creatures. Masks and other large scale props are additionally being assembled to help bring each character to life.
Costume Designing
Costume Designer Andrea Gross shows students a technique and Cora Schultz works on building part of a set for the mainstage play.
Creating all of these elements is no small feat. This show has a large number of moving parts that must be taken into consideration. One thing always on Rairdin-Hale's radar is the constraint of time. This show is one of the largest and most tech-heavy shows that St. Ambrose has put on in quite a few years. There are large scale puppets and monsters that must be created with enough time to practice using them before the show begins its two-week run in November. Plus, the costumes have to be built and the light must be hung, but this is a challenge that the department is ready to take on and the tireless efforts to create this amazing production are already set in action.
The St. Ambrose University Theatre Department's production of She Kills Monsters will run for two weekends in November with evening performances Nov. 12-13 and Nov. 19-20 and matinee performances Nov. 14 and 21.
This show is a rollicking adventure through the fantastical world of Dungeons and Dragons and follows the journey of one woman's grieving. Will Agnes and Tilly's party prevail in saving the lost soul of Athens? Come out in November to see for yourself.
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