She Kills Monsters: The 90s, D&D, and Grief

I caught Qui Nguyen's She Kills Monsters at St. Edward University's (SEU) Mary Moody Northen Theatre (MMNT), which overlooks Austin's beautiful city skyline. I went in not knowing squat about Dungeons and Dragons (D&D). Somehow I didn't get the D&D memo in the 90s. I assumed this production would be dark and possibly complicated to follow because of the game rules, but instead it surprised me, being wonderfully light-hearted and richly hilarious. The premise is both simple and extraordinarily imaginative, largely true to life while simultaneously larger than life: a fantasy world of vibrant flamboyance.

Agnes Evans has lost her parents and younger teenage sister, Tilly, in a fatal car accident. After finding Tilly's D&D notebook, Agnes begins a quest to learn more about her younger sister. We meet Agnes in the static state of grief before reality hits, and journey right along with her in pursuit of answers. Together, wading through the unfamiliarity of D&D, we face the inevitable monsters of both the game and grief. Although the story is born from death, we are presented with a lot of heart, comical characters, and the great lesson of acceptance, much like reality.

Knowing Marcus McQuirter was at the helm, I anticipated excellence. This isn't the first time I have seen him handle a potentially complicated story with such care. She Kills Monsters could have been hard to follow for someone outside the realm of D&D, but McQuirter makes it entertaining, unique, and legible. His staging and choices deliver reliably tight, efficient storytelling. Each element of the production cooperated marvelously with its many moving parts. It was an unbelievable opening preview.

The dynamic set design supported the different scenes well and was chock-full of 90s Easter eggs and eye-candy. Nostalgic music jerked us back in time 30 years, while a fabric map and a pair of overhead projectors, materials that existed in the 90s, served as practical solutions for clear storytelling and ambiance.

The entire cast played rambunctiously together throughout and embodied the 90s delightfully well. They were clearly having a blast, balancing tongue-in-cheek humor with tenderness. It gave peak adolescence sitcom vibes, not unlike Saved by the Bell. I caught myself laughing too loud from start to finish at all the immature teenage jokes.

Victoria Turner as Agnes nails the task of "being average," which is counterintuitively difficult. She appeared naturally 90s in mannerisms and style, finding the sweet spot of balancing hard emotions while remaining grounded. Harper Scheiner-Brown as Tilly anchored the story with tough-yet-soft believability and nerdiness, fully owning what Agnes knew her to be and what she discovered. Amber Quick as Vera/Narrator spewed indulgent cynicism while remaining lovable as the high-school counselor, keeping us all in stitches and wanting more. She is Mother. A few mentions: Aldo Hernandez Huerta as Orcus/Ronnie, the overlord of the underground, effectively drew the audience into uproarious laughter (you just have to go see him, okay?) and Silvana Rivera as Farrah the Faerie effortlessly made an impact as an irreverent fantastical creature, just begging for her own spinoff. Also exceptional was Nomar De La Torre as Agnes's dungeon master Chuck, perfectly embodying your typical 90s high-school class-clown wise-guy nerd.

The puppeteers fascinated with their physical acting, they stayed in character the entire time, even though they wore black from head to toe.

MMNT is theatre in the round, and every department was beautifully displayed throughout. The staging and fight choreography had to slay from every angle, and succeeded. The multifaceted set housed each scene with practicality. In the fantasy world, the intricate costume design paired well with the hair and makeup, which committed boldly, and the 90s wardrobe was authentic. Highly entertaining effects like the unique and perfectly cued lighting and sound were executed well, making it easy to be completely immersed in the story. The fight choreography made for an action-packed evening. The cast juggled all of these assets remarkably well. The stage crew tackled fast-moving set changes, propelling pieces into place at top speed, hitting marks cleanly. And you never had to strain to understand the dialogue.

The elaborate props and monster puppets were gorgeously designed and expertly crafted. Are you kidding me? Prepare to be wowed. And the variety of puppets alone was captivating.

With that said, I've received the memo. I want to play D&D now. And you want to see this show.

Note: There is no shortage of vulgar jokes and, as mentioned, subjects of death, so leave the little kids at home. Age recommendation is 13+. But 90s kids? Yeah, I'm talking to you. We're not dead yet. Get your body up and cruise on over if you want to have fun, see something wildly unique and adventurous, and, like, laugh hysterically. She Kills Monsters runs through September 27.

She Kills Monsters
Written by Qui Nguyen
Theater Company: Mary Moody Northen Theatre
Venue: 3001 S. Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78704
September 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
September 20 and 27 at 2:00 p.m.
Running Time: 2 hours, one 15-minute intermission
Tickets: $18.50-$32
Ticket Link: https://www.stedwards.edu/academics/centers-institutes-arts/mary-moody-northen-theatre/buy-tickets