UW-Parkside To Present ‘She Kills Monsters'

Published: April 22, 2022

She Kills MonstersSomers, Wis. – The Theatre Arts department at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside will soon open its final show of the season, “She Kills Monsters” by Qui Nguyen.

Performances of “She Kills Monsters” will start at 7 p.m. on April 29 and 30, and May 6 and 7, and 2 p.m. on May 1 and 8 in the Black Box Theatre located in the Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities. A matinee performance will start at 10 a.m. on May 6. 

The high-spectacle production is rooted in the Dungeons and Dragons universe and features numerous complex sword-fighting scenes, advanced projection technology, and loads of special effects.

“She Kills Monsters” tells the story of Agnes Evans, a young English high school teacher, as she prepares to leave her childhood home, following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes discovers Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, she reaches out to Chuck, one of her sister’s friends, and together they start playing the game. Then begins an action-packed adventure that transports Agnes into the fantastical world created by Tilly’s imagination. 

“Our students are thrilled to be collaborating on this production with exceptional guest artists, including Christopher Elst, our fight choreographer,” said Fabrice Conte-Williamson, director of the production.

Elst is a Milwaukee-based fight director and violence and intimacy designer. He holds ranks of Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) and Associate Instructor with Dueling Arts International (DAI).

“This show is such a fun and fast-paced experience for the audience,” said Lynn Bryant, a senior Theatre Arts major who plays Agnes. “But that’s not all. It’s also about community, friendship, and love.” As the story unfolds, Agnes discovers that her sister was the victim of bullying but that she had many friends who loved and supported her.

The production opens as UW-Parkside celebrates Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Nguyen —a first-generation American born to Vietnamese parents — is one of the most produced contemporary Asian American playwrights. Nguyen is also an award-winning TV and Film writer and recently co-wrote Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon.”

“I think it’s important to note that his work is being produced,” said Conte-Williamson. “Our department strives to produce plays written by playwrights who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, or belong to other historically underrepresented communities.”

Ticket information is available at www.uwp.edu/therita. Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office at the Rita, which opens two hours prior to each performance.


The University of Wisconsin-Parkside is committed to high-quality educational programs, creative and scholarly activities, and services responsive to its diverse student population, and its local, national, and global communities. We are a dynamic learning community grounded in academic excellence and focused on student success, diversity, inclusion, and community engagement. The campus serves as a premier comprehensive public institution and a destination of choice, serving as a focal point of local, regional, and global progress.


Media contact:

Tannette Elie
Executive Director of University Relations
University of Wisconsin-Parkside
elie@uwp.edu

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