CenterStage’s She Kills Monsters Beautifully Explores Grief

Photo courtesy of CenterStage’s Instagram

By Mariah Solis

Catholic University’s student-run theatre company CenterStage put on a production of She Kills Monsters in the Caldwell Hall Auditorium on February 24-26. The show explored topics like friendships and family relationships while simultaneously encapsulating the range of emotions one goes through when facing grief.

The comedic play She Kills Monsters follows the story of Agnes, who recently lost her parents and teenage sister, Tilly, in a car accident. When she discovers a Dungeons and Dragons campaign created by her sister, Agnes plays the game in an attempt to connect with Tilly and learn more about the geeky little sister she never truly got to know. The story repeatedly changes between reality and the imaginary world of Dungeons and Dragons, where she goes on an action-packed quest whilst interacting with elves, lethal fairies, sexy demons, and most importantly, her sister. 

With vibrant lighting, creative costumes, seamless transitions, and engaging acting, CenterStage perfectly brought this story to life. They successfully allowed the audience to connect with the characters and the emotions they experienced while also leaving them highly entertained. Several times throughout the show, the audience roared with laughter, creating a dynamic energy between the cast and the audience. 

After watching the show, junior social work major Rachel Sanders commented, “It was excellent! It was the perfect mixture of funny and heartfelt.”

The show consisted of many fun and lively scenes, such as intense sword-fights, hilariously horrible misunderstandings between characters, and dance battles that ended in a rupture of applause. This was balanced out with moments of tenderness, introspection, and sadness for the characters. 

Throughout the story, Agnes wrestles with the fact that she did not know her sister as well as she would have wanted, and she faces that regret as she learns more about Tilly. This is especially apparent when she realized that Tilly was a lesbian. She was both shocked and upset by this, and was not able to immediately express the acceptance and love that she should have. 

Kelsey Draves, sophomore musical theatre major and actress for the role of Stevie, shared how she felt that acceptance was a very important message she hoped the audience received. 

 “It’s a very big theme in the show. Accepting everybody and loving everybody for who they are,” Draves said.

Abigail Aronne, freshman BFA acting major and actress for the character Tilly, reflects by saying, “As a bisexual women, I really connected with Tilly because sometimes I don’t always feel one hundred percent accepted by this university. Being able to play a character that is just so openly gay was really affirming for me.” 

By playing Tilly’s Dungeons and Dragons, Agnes learns to love and embrace the various parts of her sister that she used to not understand. By the end of the quest, she is able to face the reality that her sister is gone. She finds a way to reconcile the grief she feels to the love she has for Tilly, and use that love to honor her sister within her own life. 

Hope Blahusch, sophomore musical theatre major and actress for the role of Lilly and Lillith, commented about how she felt that “connection and finding that love within your family” was a central motif within the play. She added, “Even if someone passes away, there’s still love there.”

“I’ve been dealing with grief, so being able to grieve with Agnes and Tilly has been something that’s been really good for me,” Aronne said. “It’s been hard, but it’s been a really beautiful experience to go through.”

It was very evident that the cast and crew were able to bond, form friendships, and support each other through the emotional parts of the show. 

“I really love the friendships in the show, between the actors in real life and on stage. I just love the relationships that they have,” said Bailey Haraburda, junior sociology major and technical director. “The actresses that play Tilly and Agnes hug each other before bows, and it’s just really heartwarming to see people of different majors and backgrounds getting to connect with the story.”