“She Kills Monsters” Play Says Farewell, Cancelled Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Amid the current coronavirus pandemic, NIC classes moved online and many fun events were canceled, including the play “She Kills Monsters” that the cast had been rehearsing.

“There was so much hard work put in by the cast, crew and designers, that it was difficult letting go of the show,” said Joe Jacoby, NIC instructor and play director. “Things were just getting to the point where we were seeing the pieces come together, which is exciting because “She Kills Monsters” has so many moving parts: battle scenes, monsters, puppets, and special effects, as well as interesting acting challenges.”

“She Kills Monsters” character Agnes was played by Scout Christensen (left) and character Lilith was played by Emma Rhoades (right).

Before the pandemic changed everyone’s schedules the plan was to show the play on stage mid-April with free admission. The play won’t be seen in full light as hoped, but a moment can still be taken to thank the cast for their hard work and dedication toward rehearsals.

“Making sacrifices to make sure that rehearsals and performances happen becomes part of the DNA of theatre people,” Jacoby said. “When a play gets canceled, it becomes like losing a close friend or family member, because [we] simply aren’t built for that.”

Rehearsing a battle scene, Libby McCaslin (left) playing character Tilly Evans puts a sword back in its sheath as Steve, played by Jimmy Turman (right) lays fallen on the floor.

“She Kills Monsters” is about Agnes, a teenager who finds her dead sister’s Dungeons and Dragons (DND) manual and delves into a world of magic. Throughout the play, Agnes becomes closer to her sister and finds out who she was as a person, while making new discoveries through the game DND where both adventure and her sister are alive. Jacoby said that underneath the play’s battle scenes and humor lies a story of love and compassion.

“It’s about healing and being who you honestly are,” Jacoby said.

Jacoby said that he felt fortunate to have the cast that he did for “She Kills Monsters” and has felt the same way about other plays that he has directed in the past at NIC. He said that “She Kills Monsters” cast was hard-working, talented and supportive of each other.

“We try to move heaven and earth for the play. I was so proud and honored to work with this group of people,” Jacoby said. “They were really creating something special, which made the heartbreak that much more profound. It was a labor of love.”

Jacoby first read about the play “She Kills Monsters” in 2011-2012 and said that he has wanted to have it performed at NIC ever since. He said that he was hoping that teenagers who don’t often watch live play performances would be more interested in attending “She Kills Monsters,” as DND is a popular teen game. 

Scout Christensen (right) played lead role Agnes, the older sister of Tilly Evans who was played by Libby McCaslin (middle). Emma Rhoades played character Lilith (left).

“‘She Kills Monsters’ was my first real play and, though it’s heartbreaking that we won’t get to perform, I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have had this experience with such an amazing, warm, accepting group of people,” said Bellamy Foley, the narrator for the show. “The time that we spent rehearsing and the heart that we all put into our characters has helped me grow as an actor and a person, and I am so grateful to everyone for that.”

Jacoby said that he is lucky to have had the cast for “She Kills Monsters” that he did. He said that he always enjoys working with the cast in theater production and that there is a lot of give-and-take between him and the cast.

Anyone can audition and perform for plays held at NIC, both students and community members alike. During play rehearsals people are working together in preparation for acting live on stage.

“We had such a wonderful group of people here,” Jacoby said. “They were truly committed to the play, and we had been working on the show since the last week of January. So many people involved had such belief in the show and its messages. They were heavily invested, and it was deeply heartbreaking.”

There is a chance that “She Kills Monsters” will have another opportunity to be performed at NIC in the future.