Actors rehearse for “She Kills Monsters”

Angela Mashroutechi

Students rehearse for “She Kills Monsters,” a science fiction story about how a young girl attempts to reconnect with her sister through the game Dungeons and Dragons.

Down the halls into the auditorium awaits the Lincoln drama cabinet (club) working tirelessly day in and day out, vocal cords strained, stained with paint from the set, sore from all the stage combat.

She kills monsters, a play written by Qui Nguyen, is a science-fiction story filled with magic and emotions. The story revolves around the protagonist, Agnes, who loses her family in a car accident and attempts to reconnect with her younger sister, Tilly, through the game Dungeons & Dragons.

The play is directed by local actor and director Francisco Garcia. This is Garcia’s first time working with the Lincoln drama cabinet.

“It’s been good, I think [the cast and crew] have done a good job, you know, diving into it,” Garcia says. “I can see the characters in them.”

“I think it’s a really special story,” says senior Rory Hays who plays Agnes. “It comes to an intersection of having [supernatural] elements but also being a play about grief and closure.”

The cast has been working with a fight choreographer, Christine Moon, to better develop their stage fighting as well as the emotions of the play.

“It’s the smoothest a play has gone so far,” says senior Ana Winner who plays Tilly. “It’s really interesting because it’s a topic [Dungeons & Dragons] that isn’t really touched upon.”

Although the play is centralized around the game Dungeons and Dragons, it is relatable for anyone who hasn’t played it or heard of it.

“You’re getting to explore different aspects of yourself through pretending to be someone else,” says Hays.

This play is one of the most ambitious plays the drama cabinet has done in a while due to the technology and costuming that are used. In addition to stage combats, there are special effects and choreographed dances.

“It’s about loss, it’s about finding yourself… [it’s about] identity and not being able to share your identity,” says director Garcia.   

Actors in the drama cabinet expressed what they feel is a lack of support  from the rest of the school. They believe their hard work isn’t as appreciated as athletes and sports teams.

“We work so hard for these plays, working just as hard as any athlete,” says Hays.

“You can come in, grab a drink, grab a snack and sit down and people are there to entertain you and there to put on a show and there to make you feel happy and sad and laugh and all the things in between,” says Ana Winner. “Support our drama department,” she adds.

The play opens on November first, at 7 p.m. and goes on until November 10th.You can buy tickets through the LHS Drama website (lincolnhighschooldrama.com) the price is seven dollars. You can also follow them on social media under @lhsdramacab.

 

Actors in the play:
Agnes – Rory Hay
Tilly – Ana Winner
Lilith- Cordelia Rouffy
Kaliope- Neala Mullen
Orcus- Jake Pinkstaff
Chuck- Aidan Kent
Miles- Mak Johnson
Farah- Chloe Karnes
Narrator- Connor Howes
Evil Gabbi & Tina – Zoe Bowman, Ellen Dahanay
Vera- Emily Renison
Steve- Matthew Sgroi
Monsters/Ensemble – Suresh Sehdev, Amanda Taylor, Juliet Malecha, Luna Abadia