By Babiha Kaur, Digital Editor
The River Hill theater arts department is thrilled to announce the school’s fall play: She Kills Monsters! As always, students have been working extremely hard in order to put on a successful production this October.
She Kills Monsters tells the story of high schooler Agnes Evans as she deals with the death of her younger sister, Tilly. After discovering Tilly’s Dungeons and Dragons notebook, Agnes embarks on a new adventure to save her sister’s soul in an imaginary world. Throughout the play, Agnes encounters mythical creatures, meets people that Tilly knew, and learns more about her sister and herself along the way. The dramatic, emotional plot is perfect for a high school setting, as the coming of age story entails meaningful relationships and unique adventures.
Students who were cast in the play are extremely excited to get to work. Senior Jazzy Dong is playing the role of Lilith, a Demon Queen and star Dungeons and Dragons player. She exclaims, “I’m really excited to put on the production, I’m really excited to get started; I have never been more excited for anything in my entire life!” Last year, Jazzy participated in Clue and High School Musical, and she “really loved both experiences”. Similarly, senior Mira Karpati expresses, “I’ve been in theater since [it’s] been available to me, and I just really love it. I’ve also been doing theater since middle school. Any opportunity to be in River Hill’s theater department is a great opportunity.”
The plot of She Kills Monsters is exciting to many, as the show comes with unique scenes and characters. Mira will be portraying the role of Kaliope, an elf in the D&D world who is part of Tilly’s party. She describes her character as “more reserved in the matter that she has trouble dealing with emotions and understanding them, but she is a skilled tracker and useful to the team.” The actors find their characters interesting, which will allow them to portray their roles in special ways.
Cast members not only enjoy the productions themselves, but also value spending time with their fellow peers while working together towards a common goal. Junior Jonathan Mackrell is playing the role of an adventurer, Steve, in the show. He describes how “the theater family is very welcoming all of the time, so it’s nice to have that friend group.” Jazzy agrees, sharing, “[I like] the idea of working together with other people towards a production that we all really wanted to be a part of. Of course, I love performing. I love the whole process of walking through things [and] working as a team. I genuinely enjoy everybody’s presence there.”
With rehearsals just starting, students have already been putting their hearts and souls into preparation for this production. Whether you’re a fan of Dungeons & Dragons or not, She Kills Monsters has something enjoyable for everyone. Come see the show from October 19-22!