The latest production by Red Devil Dramatics, “She Kills Monsters,” originally written by Qui Nguyen, is a beautiful confluence of tragedy, grief, fantasy and comedy. RV’s rendition of the play was directed by Adriana Santilli, Grant Mech, Michael Pliskin, Nick Rossi and Lauren Plisken. In fact, this is Santilli’s first directed play and in my opinion, she was the perfect person to direct, since she was a former member of RV’s Red Devil Dramatics.
The play takes place in Athens, Ohio, and in the Forgotten Realms of New Landia. The play follows Agnes played by senior Lydnsey Finsen, a cheerleader and an average girl, who ventures into the geek world of Dungeons and Dragons after the passing of her sister, Tilly, played by freshman Emma Risell. Dungeons and Dragons introduces Agnes to a world somewhere between creative imagination and reality. In a search for Tilly’s lost soul, Agnes must team up with Tilly and her old party to venture through the realm and defeat three guardians and finally Tiamat. However, when the adventure is undergoing it seems that that story is more connected to the life of Tilly than expected.
Most of the “She Kills Monsters” protagonists are presented as strong women who aren’t overly dramatized or stereotypically represented. It also stands out from other plays by addressing serious issues. Although the play is comedic, it can be sentimental and sorrowful at moments. It pushes the boundaries on what is seen as appropriate, and while it shouldn’t be, it can be seen as contentious due to the reason that it represents the LGBTQ+ community and shows the effects of bullying through the impacted lovers, Lillith/Lily wonderfully performed by senior Miranda Cruz, and Tilly.
All of the students displayed extraordinary acting. Finsen executed her character remarkably well through the wide range of scenes she was given. It was impressive to see scenes where she went from fighting monsters to crying on stage, showing great control over her expression of emotions. Also, Risell showed real dedication to her role with her humorous, and passionate lines that made everyone in the audience laugh. The depiction of the journey of building a loving sister bond between Agnes and Tilly was unforgettable for me.
I loved senior Nathan Melendez’s character Chuck, the awkward, silly game master who helped guide Agnes through her difficult journey.
Additionally, sophomore Olivia Dragan, who played Vera, did an amazing job at acting as the greatest, best friend you could ask for by always supporting and defending Agnes.
“I absolutely loved working with all of the cast and Ms. Santilli,” said Dragan after the show. “They are all so talented, and I am so happy that I got to be a part of something that is so fun and comedic but also has a lot of dramatic parts.”
The supporting cast’s monsters and villains all contributed to the creation of the immersive atmosphere. Steve’s (senior JT Mozes) recurring overly-confident character always brought laughter from the audience, and the introduction of senior Melany Glover’s character, Farrah, was very memorable.
The props as well as the costumes used set the mood for the play. Each outfit fit the characters perfectly and helped the audience understand more about the characters’ personalities, and the music choice was also amazing, bringing a 1990’s vibe that older audience members could appreciate. “Waterfalls” by TLC is a personal favorite.
This sentiment was echoed by a number of audience members, including sophomore Autumn Austin.
“I loved how it embraced the 90’s theme,” she said, “I thought it was really good. [The cast] did a really good job.”
“I thought [the play] really spoke to me emotionally because it’s something teenagers can relate to,” said sophomore Morgan Lettieri. “It really taught us how we shouldn’t judge people before we meet them, and that we should try and get to know people. Also, how we can make friendships for life because of that.”
In general, it was an honor to be able to see this play and witness the wonderful and talented cast perform. I want to say congratulations to the members of Red Devil Dramatics, the production staff, and the directors. I honestly believe that the entire cast was extremely well-selected, and the actors and actresses did an impressive job of representing their given characters. And, perhaps most importantly, the play hit on themes relevant to many people of all ages.
“I try and see people for who they are before I go and judge them,” said Lettieri, “and the play makes me think a lot differently about the world and everyone around me.”
