SHE KILLS MONSTERS – Written by Qui Nguyen; Directed by Hannah Richards. Produced by Theatre Company of Lafayette (Arapaho Center Theatre, 300 East Simpson, Lafayette) through May 17. Tickets available at tclstage.org.
The Theatre Company of Lafayette performs in an historic building, built in 1892, that served as a church, emergency hospital, library, and theatre. The City of Lafayette has authorized a major renovation project to expand the capabilities, usefulness, and role in the community for this small building. Best to visit it now or forever lose the sense of authenticity and history when you enter. But congratulations to long-time leader of the pack, Madge Montgomery, for being present and open to these improvements. I just hope it doesn’t dampen the charm of going to the theatre in Lafayette.
The basic storyline of this show is based on the desire of Agnes (Rachel Ward), a young adult who has lost her high school-aged sister Tilly (Jo Niederhoff) to a car accident. She realizes she knew very little about her sister’s life . . . until she finds her Dungeons and Dragons playbook. Still not knowing what it all meant, she enlists a friend of Tilly’s to explain it to her. Chuck, the Dungeon Master (Tim Inthavong), does so by dragging her into Tilly’s fantasy world in which she was a Paladin (“a knight renowned for heroism”) admired by the other players. The other characters are either friends of Tilly’s, including her girlfriend, Lilith (Hannah Stewart), or foes based on the bullies in her high school. What follows is a romp through the highly regulated but robust journey into Tilly’s inner life. Agnes is overwhelmed by what she discovers and finds herself fighting monsters beside her sister. Even Agnes’ totally normal boyfriend, Miles (Jeff Paley), gets dragged into the game and turned into a Jello mold.
The logic of the script is faulty, the story jumps back and forth, and the characters change rapidly from good to bad and back again. It’s always been truly confusing to non-fantasy lovers. But I must say, because of TCL’s small stage and choice not to make this into a spectacle with a huge set, it was much easier to follow the story as it wound from the real world to the Middle-earth-like world of Tilly’s imagination. Dungeon Master Chuck, with his book of rules and barked-out commands, helped us place ourselves in the correct setting consistently.
Technically, it’s a tough show for a small theatre to take on. But TCL came up with solutions to the problems of presentation that didn’t detract from the basic story and yet occasionally provided an amusing jaunt into the whimsical. It outlined the problems for young people coming to grips with changing sexual modes and personal choices. This production made clear the ultimate bond between sisters and provided a satisfying conclusion to the tale.
I’m also very pleased to see that the theatre companies in Boulder County are banding together to encourage cross-marketing. The program encourages attendance at Longmont Theatre Company’s production of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, Coal Creek Theatre Company’s A FOX ON THE FAIRWAY, and Upstart Crow’s TARTUFFE. If you like the work of one small theatre, it’s quite likely you will enjoy attending the other small theatres in the neighborhood. Good for all of youl!!
A WOW factor of 8.25!!