Review: SHE KILLS MONSTERS at The Weekend Theater

Dungeons and Dragons fans unite and head over to The Weekend Theater, 1001 W 7th St, in Little Rock, as the game comes to life in SHE KILLS MONSTERS, now through Sunday, June 23. Written by Qui Nguyen, Directed by Amie Galloway and Sponsored by Game Goblins, this show will have you cheering for the heroes while tugging at your heartstrings.  

The show begins by introducing you to Tillius the Paladin (Bee Golleher) and how awesome she is, but then says it’s not about her, it’s about her plain sister Agnes (Shaina Tippitt), who wishes for a more exciting life and is granted that by all of her family dying in a car crash. Distraught and ready to move, Agnes packs up Tilly’s things and finds her notebook that has her own personal DnD campaign. Eager to get to know her sister better and encouraged by her friend Vera (Laura Landers), Agnes enlists high schooler Chuck (Brasen Winchell) who becomes her dungeon master. Agnes is introduced to Kaliope the Elf (Lucy Strahin) and Dark Queen Lilith (Jade Coldiron) and is taken on an adventure for the lost soul. They head to see Orcus (Jett Holbert) Overlord of the Underworld and find out that he traded it for a tv. Throughout the adventure, they run into crowd favorite Steve (Logan Morgan) and various demons known as The Shadows (CJ Allison, Alex Bratton, Jon Chin, Megan Major, Kirsten Rasmussen, and Micah White). Through challenges and storytelling, Agnes grows closer to her sister and comes to understand the lure of the game.  

Though I am familiar with the concept of DnD, I am not an active participant, however, this cast makes you want to join in on the fun. The characters worked well in crafting the story both fantasy and real life. I loved how the ensemble brought the excitement and connected with the audience so much so that they were actively interacting through the production.  

Bee was perfect as Tilly. I loved Tilly’s confidence, yet I felt almost motherly when the insecurities during the evil cheerleader's scene fleshed out some of their real-world problems. Bee embraced all the different characteristics of being a teenager in high school, and I loved their charisma and stage presence.  

Lucy and Jade’s characters were perfect sidekicks for Tilly. According to my assistant Jim Allen, “the costumes were awesome with a hint of risqué.” Though I would say that Jade’s costume was more than a hint of risqué, she definitely rocked the look, and Lucy was absolutely breathtaking.  

Shaina’s Agnes went through all the emotions. She was sad at the beginning, frustrated with things she was finding out about Tilly, and excited during the fighting scenes. She did a great job taking us through the story and making us feel like we were on the journey with her.  

Brasen, Jett, and Logan were fun to watch, and finding out that it was Phillip Robbs first ever acting experience was a surprise since he blended in so well. I loved the energy that everyone brought to the stage and enjoyed it immensely.  

Jim said that the set design (Alan Malcolm and cast) was great and really liked the five-headed dragon. I especially enjoyed the giant eyeball and the beautiful mural (Christen Estrada).  

Though they still have two weekends left, TWT has already auditioned for Julius Caesar, which is scheduled to take the stage July 19. Follow their socials for all the details, and don’t forget to get your tickets to SHE KILLS MONSTERS at https://centralarkansastickets.com/organizations/the-weekend-theater.  

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