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She Kills Monsters
A comedic romp into the world of fantasy role-playing games, She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly's Dungeons & Dragons notebook, however, she stumbles into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was Tilly's refuge. In this high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and 90s pop culture, acclaimed young playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all.
72 pages, Paperback
First published October 2, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
July 15, 2020
I went in expecting to love this play. I ended up liking it...kind of. She Kills Monsters has a slow, at times almost cringe-y start and though it gets considerably stronger towards the end, the places where edits could be made to improve the text are so palpable that I'm finding myself wondering why Nguyen hasn't made them.
The play opens with pre-Scene One narration, and then Scene One, which details the relationship set-up between Agnes and Tilly and also the fact Agnes's entire family, including Tilly, died in a car crash. It's two pages, I'd estimate it takes about three minutes of stage time, and then BAM, we're asked to buy in to exploring Tilly and Agnes's relationship. We hear no mention of the parents ever again.
This is my first issue: the beginning of the play frames Agnes as an average, boring, girl, who likes "typical things such as boys, music, and popular television programs." Tilly is a kooky "anything but average" girl who likes "the dark arts -- magic, dragons, and silly silly costumes." I think this is incredibly belittling, and falls into the gross narrative/literary trend of making fun of girls for liking the things society expects them to like. And there's no reason for it. The story doesn't need to frame Agnes as average and boring, we just need to understand that she sees her sister as weird.
There are parts of the story later, once we're within Tilly's DnD campaign, where we see Tilly/Tilly's friends being disparaging of Agnes. That makes considerably more sense -- Tilly is using DnD to write herself controlling things she doesn't have control over in real life. But for the play to juxtapose Agnes and Tilly like that already rubbed me the wrong way.
The relationship central to the play, between Tilly and Agnes, doesn't really take any sort of shape I felt invested in until the end. Tilly and Agnes are five years apart, which means Tilly and Agnes were never at the same school to be embarrassed by each other. Agnes realizes she never really knew her sister at all, which excuses some of the lack of specificity about their relationship, but that also made it seem kind of shallow. I just wanted there to be something more there.
There were also little, not totalizing things but things that made me stop and pause and be pulled out of the story.
There was also just a lot of talking about how hot everyone is, or isn't, in the play. It was distracting and not particularly funny.
Definitely some of my complaints come from my specific experiences, but the issue with the central relationship remains regardless. It would be remiss not to mention were a lot of things I did enjoy about She Kills Monsters. I also think it would be a much more dynamic experience on stage. But reading it, I was distracted by all of the things that could have been better, and that's never something I want to be thinking about a play.
The play opens with pre-Scene One narration, and then Scene One, which details the relationship set-up between Agnes and Tilly and also the fact Agnes's entire family, including Tilly, died in a car crash. It's two pages, I'd estimate it takes about three minutes of stage time, and then BAM, we're asked to buy in to exploring Tilly and Agnes's relationship. We hear no mention of the parents ever again.
This is my first issue: the beginning of the play frames Agnes as an average, boring, girl, who likes "typical things such as boys, music, and popular television programs." Tilly is a kooky "anything but average" girl who likes "the dark arts -- magic, dragons, and silly silly costumes." I think this is incredibly belittling, and falls into the gross narrative/literary trend of making fun of girls for liking the things society expects them to like. And there's no reason for it. The story doesn't need to frame Agnes as average and boring, we just need to understand that she sees her sister as weird.
There are parts of the story later, once we're within Tilly's DnD campaign, where we see Tilly/Tilly's friends being disparaging of Agnes. That makes considerably more sense -- Tilly is using DnD to write herself controlling things she doesn't have control over in real life. But for the play to juxtapose Agnes and Tilly like that already rubbed me the wrong way.
The relationship central to the play, between Tilly and Agnes, doesn't really take any sort of shape I felt invested in until the end. Tilly and Agnes are five years apart, which means Tilly and Agnes were never at the same school to be embarrassed by each other. Agnes realizes she never really knew her sister at all, which excuses some of the lack of specificity about their relationship, but that also made it seem kind of shallow. I just wanted there to be something more there.
There were also little, not totalizing things but things that made me stop and pause and be pulled out of the story.
There was also just a lot of talking about how hot everyone is, or isn't, in the play. It was distracting and not particularly funny.
Definitely some of my complaints come from my specific experiences, but the issue with the central relationship remains regardless. It would be remiss not to mention were a lot of things I did enjoy about She Kills Monsters. I also think it would be a much more dynamic experience on stage. But reading it, I was distracted by all of the things that could have been better, and that's never something I want to be thinking about a play.
October 15, 2021
Brilliant concept, boring execution.
I'm actually acting in She Kills Monsters as a narrator at my school, and was quite excited about this script. I was very disappointed. While the idea is intriguing and some scenes are mildly entertaining, it is overall a dull, clunky play. Characters are irritating and uninteresting, save for maybe Vera and Tilly. There is a nice little twist at the end and the final scene is sweet, so it's not total crap. I did not appreciate the hypersexualization of Lilith Morningstar/Lily, who is a teenage girl. Explicitly states that she dresses like a dominatrix. Very gross when you remember a middle aged man wrote it. Really just seemed like a poorly written teenage lesbian sex party, with a few emotional moments thrown in for good measure. "Hot" scenes read like something out of a girl on girl porno with men as the target audience. I'm no prude, but I feel like this could've been written much better. When you consider the ages of the characters, it's kind of off putting.
Qui, I beg of you, consult some lesbians next time.
I'm actually acting in She Kills Monsters as a narrator at my school, and was quite excited about this script. I was very disappointed. While the idea is intriguing and some scenes are mildly entertaining, it is overall a dull, clunky play. Characters are irritating and uninteresting, save for maybe Vera and Tilly. There is a nice little twist at the end and the final scene is sweet, so it's not total crap. I did not appreciate the hypersexualization of Lilith Morningstar/Lily, who is a teenage girl. Explicitly states that she dresses like a dominatrix. Very gross when you remember a middle aged man wrote it. Really just seemed like a poorly written teenage lesbian sex party, with a few emotional moments thrown in for good measure. "Hot" scenes read like something out of a girl on girl porno with men as the target audience. I'm no prude, but I feel like this could've been written much better. When you consider the ages of the characters, it's kind of off putting.
Qui, I beg of you, consult some lesbians next time.
December 2, 2020
While I first played Steve in a student-directed college production of this show, I read it for a research paper for my History of Theatre class analyzing how role-playing should be considered its own form of theatre. She Kills Monsters is a zany, nostalgic, and heartfelt show about geeks, one RPG, and one young woman's quest to honor something of her dead younger sister's memory.
December 22, 2025
I recently started working on performing this play, i like it more now than when i first read it in 2023 but i still think the writing falls short in some areas. it also felt like the author didnt know how d&d works he just knew about d&d things and used them for the play
(edit) im relogging because it didnt count toeatds my reading goal for some reason
(edit) im relogging because it didnt count toeatds my reading goal for some reason
March 31, 2022
This week I was lucky enough to read She Kills Monsters, then to see it on stage with my son in multiple roles. There are few better ways to engage with a play than the double joy of reading + watching.
Now She Kills Monsters wasn’t the best play on the page. I couldn’t help feeling that Qui Nguyen’s work needed another round or two of work shopping along with a solid edit from a skilled D&D Dungeon Master actually familiar with 2nd Edition, yet even so, there is much to be admired about Nguyen's play, even in its slightly roughened state. The conceit of sharing oneself with a loved one through a D&D module (subbing in for a journal) was unique and emotionally satisfying, and the way the play lustily embraced LGBTQ+ issues was pretty exciting. So even if my son hadn't been in the show, I'd have been keen to watch She Kills Monsters, especially to see how a theatre company would tackle the D&D elements.
But the written play wasn't without its problems. There were some cringe worthy moments, which included a false rape allegation (played off as a joke), some fairly silly dick and fart jokes, and some strong sexism towards straight white boys. More annoying to geeks like myself was the claim -- embedded in the opening narration -- that She Kills Monsters was about the 2nd edition of D&D, but that was patently false. It was much more inspired by LARPing and video games than by AD&D the 2nd, and little or no care was taken with accuracy. It wouldn't have taken much to fix these issues, and I am fairly sure D&D accuracy wouldn't have diminished Nguyen's tale. But this latter complaint reveals one of the benefits of pre-reading a play you're about to watch onstage ... I knew about the D&D anachronisms ahead of time, so I was able to avoid being pulled out of the magic the actors were weaving, thus the written issues were mitigated onstage.
And onstage, the things that were good about She Kills Monsters were definitely heightened by the performances. The revelation about a friend of Tilly's who has cerebral palsy was deftly handled, the dance battle against the Succubi was energetic and inspired, the coming of the Gelatinous Cube (played by my son!) was exactly what I wanted it to be, and the end of the play was absolutely satisfying.
All told the staging was funny, kooky, and entertaining. But I think it really could have been even better if the necessary work had been put in on the page. Oh well. My son and his friends were a blast, and I am guessing any staging of She Kills Monsters is worth watching if you know someone in the cast. But you'll like it even better if you borrow their script and give it a read ahead of time ;)
Now She Kills Monsters wasn’t the best play on the page. I couldn’t help feeling that Qui Nguyen’s work needed another round or two of work shopping along with a solid edit from a skilled D&D Dungeon Master actually familiar with 2nd Edition, yet even so, there is much to be admired about Nguyen's play, even in its slightly roughened state. The conceit of sharing oneself with a loved one through a D&D module (subbing in for a journal) was unique and emotionally satisfying, and the way the play lustily embraced LGBTQ+ issues was pretty exciting. So even if my son hadn't been in the show, I'd have been keen to watch She Kills Monsters, especially to see how a theatre company would tackle the D&D elements.
But the written play wasn't without its problems. There were some cringe worthy moments, which included a false rape allegation (played off as a joke), some fairly silly dick and fart jokes, and some strong sexism towards straight white boys. More annoying to geeks like myself was the claim -- embedded in the opening narration -- that She Kills Monsters was about the 2nd edition of D&D, but that was patently false. It was much more inspired by LARPing and video games than by AD&D the 2nd, and little or no care was taken with accuracy. It wouldn't have taken much to fix these issues, and I am fairly sure D&D accuracy wouldn't have diminished Nguyen's tale. But this latter complaint reveals one of the benefits of pre-reading a play you're about to watch onstage ... I knew about the D&D anachronisms ahead of time, so I was able to avoid being pulled out of the magic the actors were weaving, thus the written issues were mitigated onstage.
And onstage, the things that were good about She Kills Monsters were definitely heightened by the performances. The revelation about a friend of Tilly's who has cerebral palsy was deftly handled, the dance battle against the Succubi was energetic and inspired, the coming of the Gelatinous Cube (played by my son!) was exactly what I wanted it to be, and the end of the play was absolutely satisfying.
All told the staging was funny, kooky, and entertaining. But I think it really could have been even better if the necessary work had been put in on the page. Oh well. My son and his friends were a blast, and I am guessing any staging of She Kills Monsters is worth watching if you know someone in the cast. But you'll like it even better if you borrow their script and give it a read ahead of time ;)
October 18, 2023
Tilly: But this story remains. And isn’t that essentially all that life is - a collection of stories? This is one of mine.
Probably the key passage from Tilly, who died but lives again once her older sister Agnes gets her Fungeons & Dragons notebook leading to a 1995 centered play centered around the famous role-playing game.
A unique story to build a play on and pretty funny to a gamer such as myself.
Probably the key passage from Tilly, who died but lives again once her older sister Agnes gets her Fungeons & Dragons notebook leading to a 1995 centered play centered around the famous role-playing game.
A unique story to build a play on and pretty funny to a gamer such as myself.
January 10, 2018
This play is such a beautiful story. We’re doing it at my university in April, and I am very excited to bring it to life! It’s thrilling, heart-warming, and hilarious all at the same time. One of my favorite plays I have ever read!
March 30, 2023
in the words of elliot while I was livetexting my reading experience: egregious
June 18, 2023
AM I MISSING SOMETHING HERE??? this was much cuter than the last by far, but like ??
why is the writing so lacklustre???
why is the writing so lacklustre???
March 26, 2025
read for my theatre class and I can't lie, it's super cute. maybe not the best and most well-written play ever, but I think the way it tackles grief is so interesting
I also love D&D so that helps
I also love D&D so that helps
January 12, 2022
So as a theatre major I have to read a lot of plays and yes I will be adding them to my goodreads. Not only to keep track but because they’ll count towards my 100 books goal! So this was the first one I read this year and I liked it. I’ll be working on one of the monologues from it and while sometimes it felt a bit cheesy, a lot if plays have that. I just really liked the idea and how different it was, definitely recommend.
November 12, 2025
1.5/5
This caused complete uproar in our lit class during which I focused on my doodling.
I’m sure it’s better on stage, but I think it could have benefited from just like one second opinion.
This caused complete uproar in our lit class during which I focused on my doodling.
I’m sure it’s better on stage, but I think it could have benefited from just like one second opinion.
April 16, 2023
I don’t think this show was entirely without merit. I’m sure it would be better to see in person, but reading the show didn’t do much for me.
My brother was in this show in high school and hated it. My dad saw it and hated it. Both said it was essentially trying too hard. While I don’t agree entirely, I do think that the show had a strange approach to representation, one that I think would be a lot more effective if used in a different context.
This show is too mature for kids (as the one dnd thing it does stick to is the amount of dick jokes) but the representation is pretty shallow up until the end. I won’t deny that the show felt much better in its conclusion, but I didn’t enjoy reading it. The characters felt shallow to me, and while Tilly and Agnes’ bond felt strengthened by the story, I was just not drawn in by anything else.
I don’t want to sound pretentious and say it was too vulgar for me— I was a DM for multiple years— but it felt unnecessary. The dnd content was nearly unrecognizable, and while a joke about sticking your penis in a gelatinous cube wouldn’t be absent in any session, it felt so weird within this show. I don’t understand the appeal of this show. It’s not for me, which I do understand, but there are opportunities to represent marginalized groups in other ways, ways that don’t feel as blunt.
Second time:
I am reading this for class, and as I read it for a second time, more and more things pop out to me. Not only is the representation faulty, but it truly doesn’t make sense at times. Tilly created a world of all gay people for dungeons and dragons, but there still exists homophobia? Characters are called anti-lesbian slurs in a world where gay is the default? While yes, the characters saying the slurs are evil, it’s not like “evil” characters in heteronormative societies target heterosexual couples. I also think that Tilly’s writing of her friends (who are mentioned to be straight in real life) as hyper sexual queer characters shouldn’t be viewed as rep. Sure it’s not unlike a queer person to look for familiarity in their friends, but taking someone you know well in real life as straight and writing them as a character who emphasizes their queerness is very strange.
The characters aren’t likeable either. They truly are not. Tilly and Agnes are specific and at least they have depth, but every character in the dnd world, and a few outside of it, are just shallow and serve to fit the needs of the main characters above all else. Miles is demanding to Agnes, doesn’t seem like he actually cares to understand her until the end. Vera is honestly a really shitty counselor, and tries to offer advice to other characters but it never truly lands. Chuck is irritating and stereotypical.
Lilith’s only true traits are being attractive and gay, and Kaliope isn’t much better. Orcus doesn’t even have the benefit of being described as attractive. I wish I could’ve felt more for these characters, but they truly did feel like they were written by Tilly and acted by Chuck, which is not a good thing.
My brother was in this show in high school and hated it. My dad saw it and hated it. Both said it was essentially trying too hard. While I don’t agree entirely, I do think that the show had a strange approach to representation, one that I think would be a lot more effective if used in a different context.
This show is too mature for kids (as the one dnd thing it does stick to is the amount of dick jokes) but the representation is pretty shallow up until the end. I won’t deny that the show felt much better in its conclusion, but I didn’t enjoy reading it. The characters felt shallow to me, and while Tilly and Agnes’ bond felt strengthened by the story, I was just not drawn in by anything else.
I don’t want to sound pretentious and say it was too vulgar for me— I was a DM for multiple years— but it felt unnecessary. The dnd content was nearly unrecognizable, and while a joke about sticking your penis in a gelatinous cube wouldn’t be absent in any session, it felt so weird within this show. I don’t understand the appeal of this show. It’s not for me, which I do understand, but there are opportunities to represent marginalized groups in other ways, ways that don’t feel as blunt.
Second time:
I am reading this for class, and as I read it for a second time, more and more things pop out to me. Not only is the representation faulty, but it truly doesn’t make sense at times. Tilly created a world of all gay people for dungeons and dragons, but there still exists homophobia? Characters are called anti-lesbian slurs in a world where gay is the default? While yes, the characters saying the slurs are evil, it’s not like “evil” characters in heteronormative societies target heterosexual couples. I also think that Tilly’s writing of her friends (who are mentioned to be straight in real life) as hyper sexual queer characters shouldn’t be viewed as rep. Sure it’s not unlike a queer person to look for familiarity in their friends, but taking someone you know well in real life as straight and writing them as a character who emphasizes their queerness is very strange.
The characters aren’t likeable either. They truly are not. Tilly and Agnes are specific and at least they have depth, but every character in the dnd world, and a few outside of it, are just shallow and serve to fit the needs of the main characters above all else. Miles is demanding to Agnes, doesn’t seem like he actually cares to understand her until the end. Vera is honestly a really shitty counselor, and tries to offer advice to other characters but it never truly lands. Chuck is irritating and stereotypical.
Lilith’s only true traits are being attractive and gay, and Kaliope isn’t much better. Orcus doesn’t even have the benefit of being described as attractive. I wish I could’ve felt more for these characters, but they truly did feel like they were written by Tilly and acted by Chuck, which is not a good thing.
March 15, 2023
edit: just as cringe the second time
The writing was kind of cringe, but it was cute and entertaining for a play. I would be interested in seeing this staged.
The writing was kind of cringe, but it was cute and entertaining for a play. I would be interested in seeing this staged.
July 23, 2024
“it can be serious because its campy and it can be campy because its serious”
“the hardest thing in this world is to live in it. be brave. live.”
so many emotions come to mind while i log this play for goodreads, and my dear friends, to see. many of my friends who may see this review i had left just yesterday. i havent very much allowed myself the room or ability to cry. mostly ive been numb. and extremely tired. every time i seem to enter a car, i fall asleep. during lunch all i wanted to do was curl up and begin to dream. dream about baby goats, about vampires i can slay, about the pink opaque. this whole summer seems to contain many a whiplash; the day after i graduated high school on june 9, i was headed straight to michigan to be a counselor at someplace i would consider a second home. but the only constant is change, and so that ended yesterday, july 21st, as well. i gave away some bracelets, i gave hugs, and i got into our car and drove home, listening to rock-a-billy and the ninth house audiobook, which i eventually fell asleep to. today, july 22nd, i began rehearsals for this show, she kills monsters. immediately i connected the text to two other pieces of media. one was “i saw the tv glow” which i watched the day before i graduated. the second, which the first piece has a large basis in was “buffy the vampire slayer” my favorite tv show of all time. after our first read through, i mentioned these connections, how they related to each other through their depictions of growing up, growing up queer, growing up in the 90s, and how growing up is terrifying.
im still scared. im still numb. im still feeling everything and nothing. as a counselor i often felt as if i wasnt actually an adult. i was still a kid. my fellow counselors were the same kids i had gone to camp with for years; i remember us being little and squeaky voiced. i was still that little kid. i still am. i dont know if ill ever feel grown up. i dont know if i want to be. all i know is that the only constant is change and to be brave and live.
“the hardest thing in this world is to live in it. be brave. live.”
so many emotions come to mind while i log this play for goodreads, and my dear friends, to see. many of my friends who may see this review i had left just yesterday. i havent very much allowed myself the room or ability to cry. mostly ive been numb. and extremely tired. every time i seem to enter a car, i fall asleep. during lunch all i wanted to do was curl up and begin to dream. dream about baby goats, about vampires i can slay, about the pink opaque. this whole summer seems to contain many a whiplash; the day after i graduated high school on june 9, i was headed straight to michigan to be a counselor at someplace i would consider a second home. but the only constant is change, and so that ended yesterday, july 21st, as well. i gave away some bracelets, i gave hugs, and i got into our car and drove home, listening to rock-a-billy and the ninth house audiobook, which i eventually fell asleep to. today, july 22nd, i began rehearsals for this show, she kills monsters. immediately i connected the text to two other pieces of media. one was “i saw the tv glow” which i watched the day before i graduated. the second, which the first piece has a large basis in was “buffy the vampire slayer” my favorite tv show of all time. after our first read through, i mentioned these connections, how they related to each other through their depictions of growing up, growing up queer, growing up in the 90s, and how growing up is terrifying.
im still scared. im still numb. im still feeling everything and nothing. as a counselor i often felt as if i wasnt actually an adult. i was still a kid. my fellow counselors were the same kids i had gone to camp with for years; i remember us being little and squeaky voiced. i was still that little kid. i still am. i dont know if ill ever feel grown up. i dont know if i want to be. all i know is that the only constant is change and to be brave and live.
August 31, 2019
The premise had me so hooked that I ILL'd a copy of the script: Agnes's younger sister and parents died in a car crash, and she finds notes for a homebrewed DND campaign in her sister's belongings. She finds a local teen to DM her sister's campaign for her, so she can get to know her sister.
But the execution disappointed me. The ableism with one of the characters was pretty gross, and I tried to google whether Qui Nguyen was queer or not because it felt like a real hetero narrative about queerness. And the boys in the story were gross and stereotypical. Except for the boyfriend Miles, who I couldn't really figure out why everyone hated? They kept coming back to that he'd been dating Agnes for 5 years and they were now 25 and he hadn't asked her to marry him/move in with him.
I don't know - there were some funny parts, but this could have been so much better. Meh.
But the execution disappointed me. The ableism with one of the characters was pretty gross, and I tried to google whether Qui Nguyen was queer or not because it felt like a real hetero narrative about queerness. And the boys in the story were gross and stereotypical. Except for the boyfriend Miles, who I couldn't really figure out why everyone hated? They kept coming back to that he'd been dating Agnes for 5 years and they were now 25 and he hadn't asked her to marry him/move in with him.
I don't know - there were some funny parts, but this could have been so much better. Meh.
June 8, 2018
I probably wouldn't have read a play for fun, hadn't it been for the urging of my friend. Though it was funny, this particular story started off rather slow, and while interesting, the plot seemed a tad bit forced; however, as the book reached its close, all of the more serious plot lines about sexuality and loss tied together. I feel that with the right director, this has the potential to be a spectacular story, but it doesn't strike me as Hollywood material.
February 26, 2020
I read this script for my Drama class! Me and my friends are going to perform this (and I'll be directing it!). So excited!!
The story was heartwarming. I didn't know it's going to make me cry. Deep meaning behind it. But it's kinda slow, and some parts seem a bit off–probably because I didn't get that particular jokes. My bad. I know nothing about Dungeons and Dragons 😭. The other parts of it are mainly and extremely funny, especially Steve!
The story was heartwarming. I didn't know it's going to make me cry. Deep meaning behind it. But it's kinda slow, and some parts seem a bit off–probably because I didn't get that particular jokes. My bad. I know nothing about Dungeons and Dragons 😭. The other parts of it are mainly and extremely funny, especially Steve!
September 28, 2021
I think the highlights of this play are that it's about D&D (which I've actually never played but you don't need to to enjoy the play) and more importantly, this play has an extremely high potential for creativity through visuals, costuming and direction. There is really no limit to what a creative team can come up with to tell this story.
Other than that, the story is a little weak and feels immature. It's an okay play that is (hopefully) carried on it's creative merit.
Other than that, the story is a little weak and feels immature. It's an okay play that is (hopefully) carried on it's creative merit.
September 8, 2022
My problem with this terrific little play is that I wished it had gone on longer. That’s how much I enjoyed it. Ultimately a story of how we use stories and story telling to help us deal with complex emotions, it brought an almost Gaiman-ish quality to the piece.
That’s right. Gaiman-ish.
I’ll now see myself out.
That’s right. Gaiman-ish.
I’ll now see myself out.
September 13, 2016
Just read this play in one sitting with my roommate! My school is producing it in a few months, and I'm beyond psyched to see it!
April 27, 2019
great play, fantastic for high school students. Playwright is pro geek all the way
August 9, 2017
TLDR: Awesome, feminist play about D and D/sexuality/grief that is probably not appropriate for High School but well worth reading
A fun play about a teacher, Agnes, who loses her teenaged sister in a car accident. Agnes never could relate to her little sister Tilly, who was a D and D nerd. After Tilly's death, Agnes seeks out Tilly's D and D friends to learn to play as a way to connect with her sister. The D and D simulations are fun to read and hilarious to imagine, but stressful as a director. The script calls for giant beasts to appear and for epic battles to take place on stage-- It would be almost impossible to do this play justice with a HS Theatre budget. It also has a lot of adult language and themes. I am still considering adapting it for my school, and I would highly recommend it to any bad ass, feminist type organization that isn't afraid of challenging their audience. Don't even bother to look at this play if you cannot work with a proper fight choreographer- lots of sword fighting, most of which is described as ''epic'' and ''amazing'' and ''badass'' by the stage directions.
A fun play about a teacher, Agnes, who loses her teenaged sister in a car accident. Agnes never could relate to her little sister Tilly, who was a D and D nerd. After Tilly's death, Agnes seeks out Tilly's D and D friends to learn to play as a way to connect with her sister. The D and D simulations are fun to read and hilarious to imagine, but stressful as a director. The script calls for giant beasts to appear and for epic battles to take place on stage-- It would be almost impossible to do this play justice with a HS Theatre budget. It also has a lot of adult language and themes. I am still considering adapting it for my school, and I would highly recommend it to any bad ass, feminist type organization that isn't afraid of challenging their audience. Don't even bother to look at this play if you cannot work with a proper fight choreographer- lots of sword fighting, most of which is described as ''epic'' and ''amazing'' and ''badass'' by the stage directions.
May 3, 2024
4.23 roses for this silly lil piece of theatre 🌹🌹🌹🎭
Definitely a bit cringey at times, but overall heartwarming story about distant sisters who only begin to understand one another after one dies in a tragic accident through the dead sister’s Dungeons & Dragons module. I’ve never played D&D but sounds wicked cool. Very obsessed w/ 90’s nostalgia. I love the spice girls & empire records. Never gonna forget Rae & I watching saved by the bell everyday after school from 8th grade to sophomore yr of high school. Anyways, a bit harsh on Agnes but at the end accepting of everyone. Made me realize not everyone lives their life like they are the main character & makes up stories / narratives abt their life in their head — absolutely shocked & feeling a bit insane bc I 100% do. Loved the mix between real-world & fantasy elements bc I think life is culture life is literature life is media. What we like is a reflection of an intimate part of our personality & what people choose to invest their time in says a lot abt them. anyways slayer quick read would recommend xoxo
Definitely a bit cringey at times, but overall heartwarming story about distant sisters who only begin to understand one another after one dies in a tragic accident through the dead sister’s Dungeons & Dragons module. I’ve never played D&D but sounds wicked cool. Very obsessed w/ 90’s nostalgia. I love the spice girls & empire records. Never gonna forget Rae & I watching saved by the bell everyday after school from 8th grade to sophomore yr of high school. Anyways, a bit harsh on Agnes but at the end accepting of everyone. Made me realize not everyone lives their life like they are the main character & makes up stories / narratives abt their life in their head — absolutely shocked & feeling a bit insane bc I 100% do. Loved the mix between real-world & fantasy elements bc I think life is culture life is literature life is media. What we like is a reflection of an intimate part of our personality & what people choose to invest their time in says a lot abt them. anyways slayer quick read would recommend xoxo
November 14, 2022
A play set in Ohio in 1995 about a woman named Agnes whose sister Tilly was killed in a car crash. Agnes discovers Tilly's D&D notes among her personal effects, and realizing she didn't know her sister or her geeky interests at all, goes to a game store and recruits a DM to run her sister's D&D module for her. She learns a lot about who her sister was in the process. This was fun, and really enjoyable. It doesn't adhere to any particular D&D canon, and can be really irreverent about D&D lore (so if that will bother you, I wouldn't recommend this play). It also has some minor typos and editing issues (on p. 66 of my copy, for example, a character named EVIL TINA has the dialogue, "How will we ever get passed [sic] them?" and on p. 67 a character is listed as "EVIL ANGEL" who is actually "EVIL GABBI" in the rest of the text). It's nothing too bad, but could have used better editing. Anyway. the story was enjoyable to me, so I'm giving it 5/5 . . . .
November 20, 2022
Had the joy to see this at the local college. Phenomenal. All the gay couples and people with dyed hair in the audience tipped me off this would be a treat to see but then the entire half hour pre show waiting for people to take their seats they played nothing but classic 90s final fantasy and Chrono trigger songs. Am I supposed to not Pog out my gourd as frog's theme plays?! My two favorite moments from the adaptation were the montage of killing an endless stream of level 1 jobber monsters like bugbears and kobolds set to mama said knock you out and the dance battle against the lesbophobic succubus cheerleaders. I laughed, I cried, this is one special show and I'm glad it's really having a moment. If you get the chance to see it, do.
March 13, 2022
One of the most unique concepts for a play I’ve ever heard. But oh boy, did I want more!!! The secrets revealed felt flat. The characters did too. I’d still love to see this play and enjoyed reading it.
June 21, 2024
As far as reading this script goes, I would say it's 3 stars, but having seen it performed, it's more like 4! It's a bit cringey at times, but truth be told, I bet if someone random watched the D&D sessions I'm a part of, they might feel the same way! All in all, I think this is a fun and often funny show that has some nice emotional impact.
August 23, 2025
ok i did cry at the end. read this at the reading rhythms party at the nypl for the performing arts, overall glad this play exists although it’s not super well-written… but super interesting take on grief and RPGs, and would prob be so much fun for a high school or college theater program
March 4, 2017
A very tech heavy show about the world of D & D. A fun and funny read that will touch you in ways you don't expect.
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