Neptune Theatre School’s YPCo production of She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition by Qui Nguyen is a joyful triumph in storytelling, and showcases a wide array of talents in its cast of sixteen teenagers.
The story centres on the relationship between two sisters who lived in a small town in Ohio. The play is set in 1995. Agnes (Jillian Peters) is a cheerleader and has never understood her geeky younger sister Tilly (Phoebe Rex). When Tilly is killed in a car accident, all Agnes has to hold onto is a notebook, which turns out to be a Dungeons & Dragons module that her sister wrote. Searching for some kind of connection, Agnes meets Chuck (Brayden Penny), a Freshman at school and Dungeon Master, who helps her enter the world Tilly created and to embark on an adventure to slay the dragon and discover the keys to sister’s soul.
Nguyen’s play is beautifully written. The dialogue feels authentic, both as the way real teenagers speak, and also true to the way people spoke in 1995, but never in a way that descends into a spoof. The story is full of laughs, epic battles between good and evil, unexpected twists and turns, a dance battle, and lots of opportunities for silliness. It also has a beautiful beating heart that explores the grieving process, the barriers that often exist- even between two girls who love each other- as they begin to grow into two disparate individuals, and the isolation and powerlessness that Queer kids can feel as they maneuver around Junior and Senior High and begin to slowly come into their own. This is heightened even more so, since the play is set in 1995, but unfortunately, this is still the experience of many Queer teenagers coming of age today.
All the performances in this play are strong. Anisa Sobhani gives a very nuanced portrayal of Vera, an unexpected best friend for Agnes who continually gives her great advice and is rooted in a wisdom beyond her years. Braydon Penny is perfect as Chuck, a whimsical geek with a heart of gold, who beautifully guides Agnes along her journey, but also lacks the maturity and psychological tools to always be able to be what Agnes needs, since he’s also a fifteen year old boy. Brooke Mitchell and Emma Strang play Kaliope and Lily, two badass characters in Tilly’s Dungeons and Dragons’ party, and also their real life counterparts (and seeing them play both parts is great, for Mitchell it’s in the nuance and Strang gets to showcase two very different sides to this character). The confidence, strength, and depth both bring to Kaliope and Lily respectively is empowering and impressive. Connie Young, Madelaine Hanley and Ryan MacDougall play Evil Cheerleaders and the way Nguyen layers their existence in the game is one of the most poignant parts of the play. I think we all likely recognize Tina, Gabbi and Tommy from somewhere in our teenage years. Jay Mosher and Locke Williams bring great comedic prowess to Orcus and Steve respectively. Liah Christie is also hilarious as Farrah, an atypical faerie, and her command of Karen Basset’s fight choreography is especially impressive. Phineas Stewart plays Miles, Agnes’ boyfriend, and he finds a great balance between being both hilariously oblivious and unexpectedly lovely. Peters’ Agnes has a huge emotional range, from flippant to devastated to irate, and she maneuvers around this arc in a way that really roots her character in being a young person forced to experience a tragedy none of her peers are able to relate to. Since Agnes is described as being “average,” her ability to express herself so freely is a privilege that Rex’s Tilly, a queer teenager, doesn’t have. Even as her Dungeons and Dragons alter-ego Tillius, Tilly experiences the same wide range of emotions as Agnes, but Rex shows us that she is much more guarded, restrained and stoic than her sister. This demands extreme nuance from Rex, who delivers a very touching performance of a young hero who was, indeed, struck down far too soon.
Richie Wilcox directs the play in a way that continually drives the action, the silliness and the fun forward, while still taking great care with the dramatic arcs of the two sisters. He finds delicious opportunities to pepper the show with music from the early 1990s, and there’s a scene transition that includes the claps in the Friends theme song, which made my entire night. Karen Bassett’s fight choreography brings the battle scenes to vivid life; it feels like watching an early 90s cartoon. The puppetry (Brian Riley and the cast) helps to bring the more fantastical elements of the play to vivid life, along with Helena Marriott’s excellent costumes.
She Kills Monsters: Young Adventures Edition is a rare play in that it is so perfectly suited to its cast of teenagers. This production is very strong, everyone in the cast shines, and together they have created a magical, exciting and delightful piece of theatre.
She Kills Monsters opened March 6th, 2019 and runs at the Neptune Theatre Scotiabank Studio (1593 Argyle Street, Halifax) until Sunday, March 10th. For tickets CLICK HERE or call 902.429.7070 or toll-free at 1.800.565.7345 or visit The Box Office at 1593 Argyle Street.
The matinee on Sunday, March 10th is in support of the Nova Scotia Youth Project and Halifax Pride.
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