Become a Dungeon Master at MIAC's She Kills Monsters

Thursday, Oct. 3 - 6

Next month, the Mercyhurst Institute for Arts & Culture will be opening its 2019-20 season with a different kind of play on campus - an "homage to the geek and warrior within us all."

Qui Nguyen's She Kills Monsters is a comedic drama that explores themes of grief and growing up through the lenses of fantasy, role-playing games, and '90s pop culture. Following the death of her teenage sister, protagonist Agnes Evans is sent on a thrilling odyssey filled with "homicidal fairies and nasty ogres" after stumbling upon her sister's Dungeons and Dragons notebook. Aided by the renowned Pittsburgh-based fight director Randy Kovitz (whose resume spans everything from Broadway to Saturday Night Live and The Addams Family), She Kills Monsters was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design in 2012.

"From The Diary of Anne Frank to Dracula, Cabaret to Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, we've produced a diverse array of classic and contemporary plays and musicals over the past six years," says Dr. Brett D. Johnson, director of the Mercyhurst Theater Program. "My primary consideration when choosing material is finding works that will challenge us both intellectually and aesthetically, and She Kills Monsters is no exception." — Aaron Mook

Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., encore Friday at 11:55 p.m., matinée Sunday at 2 p.m. // Taylor Little Theatre, 501 E. 38th St. // $16 adults, $11 seniors, $6 students/youth // Runtime approximately 90 minutes, recommended for mature audiences