She Kills Monsters Reflection

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      As an audience member, I really enjoyed watching the performance of "She Kills Monsters." I think all of the actors did really well and the show was well executed. I was surprised at how much comedy there was in the show - I wasn't expecting to laugh so much. I was confused for a good part of the show because I did not understand what dungeons and dragons was (I thought it was a video game, I didn't know that you wrote your own story in the game) but I understood the overall storyline of the show. My favorite part of the show was fight scene between Chuck and Miles and the scene where Tilly introduces her party. I think both of these scenes were really well executed and I think that the music, lighting, costumes, and props contributed to the comedic affect in the first and the overall cool vibes in the second. 

      In my opinion, I am not a huge fan of fight scenes in theater because they seem cheesy and out of place to me, but I understand that they were an integral part of the storyline in this show and I think they were overall well done. I think the fight scenes created tension in the show, but also the frustration of Jess's character Agnes that built up throughout the show also created tension, as she was trying to come to terms with the loss of her sister. This tension broke down when Agnes finally accepted that her sister was gone but that through the game she got a better understanding of what her life was like. I think Jess did a really great job of showing emotion: I especially noticed this when she grasped Amelia (Tilly) in a super tight hug and looked like she was brought to tears. The overall atmosphere of this show was really cool -- to me it seemed as though even though parts of the show were set in a mystical world, they still almost felt like real life, probably because much of the story was from Tilly's diary. The fact that all of the scenes had nearly the same set contributed to this feeling, but I don't think this took away from the story, it just gave a different feel to the show. I think that there were several overriding themes/messages/meanings in the show. I think a big lesson learned in the show is that Agnes comes to terms with her loss and accepts that Tilly is gone. Another theme is the relationship between Tilly and Agnes as Agnes learns more about her sister and her sister's sexuality; this shows the importance of acceptance. Both of these lessons can relate to the real world and can apply to a lot of people's lives. 

    I thought this production was excellent and I am so proud of all of the actors, stage crew, and behind the scenes people! 

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