As the lights dim and the music fades, a voice fills the theater, setting the stage for what’s to come. The narration begins, introducing us to the characters and drawing us into a world where reality and fantasy collide.
The FC Theatre Department is ready to hit the ground running to stage with their latest production, “She Kills Monsters,” written by Qui Nguyen and directed by Michael Mueller, head of acting and stage and screen combat at FC. This fast-paced, action-packed play blends intense fight choreography with moments of heartfelt comedy, while exploring themes of grief.

The play is set in the 1990s and juxtaposes the real world with the vivid. To divide and help build a world, the main stage brings the audience to a fantasy world with a movable set piece whilst on the floor it brings us to reality showing a packed up house.
Doors open on Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. for opening night at the Campus Theater, performances follow the next two nights. Pre-sale tickets are available for $20, with tickets priced at $24 at the door of the Campus Theater.

The audience follows the emotional journey of Agnes Evans, a young woman struggling to cope with the unexpected loss of her younger sister, Tilly. Agnes stumbles upon her sister’s carefully crafted Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign—a world full of monsters, magic, and daring quests. Seeking to understand and reconnect with the sister she never fully knew, Agnes decides to immerse herself in the universe Tilly created.
“The thing that really stood out to me about agnes.. The older sister thing I can absolutely relate to. Siblings go through that phase in which all of a sudden you become different people,” said Nina Rae, who plays Agnes. “It really struck me as this is a tragedy, watching this grief process unfold throughout the story.”
As Agnes navigates Tilly’s campaign, she encounters a diverse cast of characters, including Tilly’s friends who were part of the gaming world. These characters, such as the fierce and loyal hero Lilith and the enigmatic, wise Dungeon Master, help Agnes unravel the layers of Tilly’s life, revealing her struggles with sexuality, acceptance and the challenges of being a queer individual in a predominantly heteronormative society.

“Tilly is a really interesting character, all she wants is to live–she wants to be alive and love her friends and that one thing she wants she can’t get,” said Isabella Caspersen, who plays Tilly. “As a character it is really interesting to play that, when you’re guiding your older sister through a D&D game you have this excitement but having that conflict of loving something you can’t do anymore.”
Seventeen students are in the cast and many other students working behind the scenes along with faculty to assist. Auditions began in the first week of the semester, the casting being done within that same week then moving on with having six weeks of rehearsal plus a tech week bringing it together at eight weeks for the production.
“We have gone with one particular version of the play, keeping the elements from the text,” said Mueller. “We had the freedom to pick and choose specifically with the songs we use in the show.”
In the past faculty have chosen the season but as of last year Mueller worked with the students, faculty and staff to make a student selection committee in which they all chose “She Kills Monsters.”
“This story has a lot of thematic value in terms of grief but also what family is, both chosen and blood family–who we deem as family and how friendship is so important in our lives,” said Mueller. “The openness of not getting stuck into our own personal bias and expanding our horizons.”