By Janie Hodny
During the academic year, UW – Green Bay’s Theatre Department produces two shows, one in the fall and one in the spring. This spring, the theatre department chose She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen. This drama-comedy production takes you into a fantasy world full of friendship, loss, and acceptance.
The story centers around a popular high school cheerleader, Agnes Evans. When the play opens, you learn that Agnes has lost her parents and little sister Tilly in a car accident. Audiences can learn that Agnes really never got to know her sister. They see that Tilly is the opposite of Agnes; nerdy, unpopular, and infatuated with playing DnD with her friends.
As Agnes longs to get to know her little sister, she throws herself into a fantasy DnD game that her sister created. Agnes learns about Tilly’s exploration of her sexuality and how she struggled with her sexuality in her day-to-day life. Agnes also gets to know those who were closest to Tilly and how they impacted her life.
Throughout this production, we are watching a DnD game come to life while also learning about Tilly alongside Agnes. In this year’s production, the main character, Agnes, was played by the talented Alexandra Smith, and the equally talented Audrey Soberg played Tilly.
This spring production would not have been possible without a director to lead, teach, and inspire these young actors. Alan Kopischke set the stage to direct this spring’s production. When speaking to Kopischke about his thought process on directing She Kills Monsters, he stated that it was “about a year ago when the department chose the plays and directors, and I started working immediately on envisioning what our product would look like, feel like, and sound like.”
Kopischke wanted to see nothing but the best, and to ensure that this play would be a success, he stated that he met with actors individually until we started rehearsals in early March.
Although this production was about a year in the works, the cast members had a smaller window to become prepared for opening night. Jasmine Christyne, a graduating senior and theater major who started as Lilith/Lily in She Kills Monsters, stated that “the production timeline was almost 2 months, but we had one table reading prior to that as a little head start.”
Although they only had two months to prepare, the cast and crew effectively pulled off a very visually and physically intricate performance. With such little time also the balance of other schoolwork, the members involved with writing the show handled it professionally to pull it off.
Kopischke has performed in large theaters such as the American Conservatory Theater and acted in TV shows such as Texas Ranger as well as multiple movies, including Just Visiting. Kopischke has been teaching courses at UWGB for a little over six years. Throughout his time at UWGB, he has directed for productions Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 by Anna Deavere Smith, Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin, and finally, She Kills Monsters. Kopischke also will be directing William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure this fall.
When asking Kopischke what makes this production different from other plays, he said, “The Dungeons & Dragons element is really unique. For me, it was the biggest, most complicated production I’ve ever directed – it had combat, projections, dance, intimacy, big surprise effects, lots of costumes – with quick changes, a lot of light/sound/projection cues – many of which had to be carefully coordinated. There were also multiple layers of perspective and reality in the storytelling.”
The play had carefully choreographed combat scenes, a projector to visually show DnD aspects and wonderful costume designs.
Christyne was asked what makes this performance different than others:
“Well, I would say much like our other pieces, it challenged society and brings light to communities that are silenced or not recognized as whole,” Christyne said. “Our department is very proud of representing the LGBTQ+IA community through our art, and She Kills Monsters was another gem in that story. As far as different, I will say that this play has stronger themes that need to be illustrated, but it does it in such a way that it’s fresh and new. I am sure not a lot of people have seen theatre productions told through Dungeons & Dragons, but I think that is something the Playwright Qui Nguyen executes so beautifully. I mean, losing your sibling at such a young age is heartbreaking, but finding you can get to know them better and love them all over again that’s heartwarming.”
This play was Christyne’s final bow for her college career. Through her four years of being a part of this program, she has starred in If/Then, Fun Home, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, and Circle Mirror. When reflecting on her last performance, Christyne mentioned that she thought “the biggest thing that I felt was proud. I was just so proud of everyone for this production. I mean, there were so many elements that were new and exciting, and it truly was a very special show!”
As a theatre major and minor, nothing is more important than being involved with productions to gain that experience. Christyne stated, “This program means everything to me. It has allowed me to interact with countless opportunities and even create some of my own, and with that, I have grown not only in my craft but in my areas of study as well. It truly has prepared me for my future endeavors, and I feel safe in knowing that.”
As Jasmine takes her last bow at her graduation, she will be continuing her passion at The Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland, this summer. She will continue to grow her professional skills and learn from others.
