She Kills Monsters - RPS Drama Brings Fantasy to Life in Production of Qui Nguyen's Iconic Play

Rutgers Prep’s latest drama production in Holley Hall had been a long time coming. Cora Turlish, Chair of the school’s Department of Theater and Dance, directed a production of Aliens vs. Cheerleaders, a one-act play written by She Kills Monsters’ award-winning playwright Qui Nguyen in 2011, the same year that She Kills Monsters was first produced. Ms. Turlish saw the original production of She Kills Monsters that fall, and immediately thought, “This is a show I could direct some day!” Qui Nguyen’s work, as described by Ms. Turlish, typically uses humor to address serious issues, often makes pop culture references, and also usually includes staged combat. This show’s themes of the importance of stories, and of going beyond one’s comfort zone to connect with others, are richly resonant; Ms. Turlish is not surprised that the show has become particularly popular with high school and college drama groups. (The Educational Theater Association does an annual poll of who is producing which show; last year, She Kills Monsters made the list of the top ten most-produced plays.)

“Some plays that are written for high schools kind of underestimate that population, to my mind… they come in at the low end of what could be done. But Qui Nguyen seems to understand that theater that’s geared towards high school students doesn’t have to be shallow or pat… these performers are capable of really great things, and this play is one of the ones that calls them to their best work,” Ms. Turlish shared.

Ms. Turlish often thinks about shows in terms of casting, and usually has a “short list” of shows that she’s contemplating putting into production… with the right cast. In this show’s case, deciding to move forward also meant seeking out a professional fight choreographer with whom she could partner in order to bring the play’s multiple fight scenes to life. To that end, Ms. Turlish reached out to local actor and fight choreographer Christopher Guild, who worked closely with the cast and the space to develop fight scenes that were both exciting and safe. (One thing about having a script that includes fight scenes is that some of the actors needed to be “off book” earlier than usual in the rehearsal schedule, because - you know - you need both hands free for fighting!) Olivia Mode, Rutgers Prep’s dance instructor, was called upon to help with choreography, as the show includes a significant dance number in addition to multiple fight scenes.

Finally, two members of the production team also had personal familiarity with role playing games, which came in handy, as the show centers around a character who is playing Dungeons and Dragons for the first time, and alternates between “real world” scenes and scenes that take place within a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.

“In addition to it just being a great script,” Ms. Turlish added, “the play is somewhat flexible in terms of cast size. The original production used some double-casting, but in our production we were able to cast everyone who was interested in participating, which is something I’m happy to be able to do when it works out. This show had a lot of moving pieces, and a lot to keep track of, from weapons to different settings, but I had a goal of making sure we left enough time for rehearsing some of the quieter moments, which in many ways I think are at the heart of the show. I am pleased with how it all came together.”

Rutgers Prep audiences responded enthusiastically to this action-packed, humorous, and touching show, and thanks to Ms. Turlish’s running list of "shows I could direct someday," there’s always another show to look forward to.