Reston Community Players presents She Kills Monsters, a high-energy comedy by Qui Nguyen that explores grief through a very particular lens — the popular role-playing game Dungeons Dragons. Director Joshua Paul McCreary leads an enthusiastic cast through this thrilling, action-packed adventure. It’s a rare gem that can appreciate heavy themes by way of slapstick, swordfights, and a towering gelatinous cube! Technical director and master carpenter Sara Birkhead has a real project on her hands with this production — volleying between reality and fantasy, everything from sets and props to costumes has to reflect both worlds. Set designer Kimberly Leone uses large, imaginative set pieces to flow between reality (bedrooms, high school hallways, etc.) and fantastical landscapes. On such a busy stage, light designer Kurt Gustafson uses spotlighting to focus the audience’s attention when needed. The story is set in the 1990s, so sound designers Liz Shaher and Weston Weber use a lot of angsty ’90s alternative hits during their transitions. The idea is great, and they made excellent song choices, but there were moments when the music made the set changes somewhat choppy and awkward. However, given how challenging this production must be for its technical and stage crew, it’s a growing pain that can be forgiven.  Eliana Weiss (Tilly) questions RC Castaneda (Orcus) in Reston Community Players’ production of ‘She Kills Monsters’ by Qui Nquyen. Photo by Chip Gertzog. Agnes Evans (Abigail Atwater) is a young woman who is dealt one of life’s biggest tragedies — losing her entire family in a car accident. This includes her younger sister, Tilly (Eliana Weiss), with whom she didn’t get along well. The sisters were very different — Agnes was your typical “average” teenager, while Tilly was … not. Tilly loved fantasy and adventure, and spent a lot of her time playing Dungeons Dragons with her fellow “geeks.” When Agnes finds her late sister’s DD notebook, she decides to look deeper into her sister’s life — and steps into an imaginative world full of courageous battles, adventurous quests, and thrilling romance. Agnes quickly becomes consumed by Tilly’s world, and with every secret she uncovers, her reality becomes more enmeshed with Tilly’s fantasy. The two realms begin to mirror each other, which inspires a touching journey of discovery for Agnes — as well as some rude awakenings. Tilly’s fantasy world was greatly inspired by her own reality, and oftentimes, it was not for the better.  TOP LEFT: Emily-Grace Rowson, RC Castaneda, Emily Dawes, Abigail Atwater, and Eliana Weiss; TOP RIGHT: Abigail Atwater (Agnes), Jeffrey Mouritzen (Miles), and Caleb Cecil (Chuck); ABOVE: Kris Saylor as the Narrator introduces the demon Orcus (RC Castaneda), in Reston Community Players’ production of ‘She Kills Monsters’ by Qui Nquyen. Photos by Chip Gertzog. For a story about grief and loss, this show sure is delightful! The plot is full of interesting characters, both real and fantastical. Emily-Grace Rowson is memorable as Lilith Morningstar, an intimidating warrior whose outfit I can only describe as similar to a dominatrix (shoutout to costume designer Nicole Andres!). Together with Emily Dawes, who plays an ethereal elf named Kaliope Darkwater, and RC Castaneda, who plays a slacker demon named Orcus, the trio make up Tilly’s (and now Agnes’) adventure party. Michael Greco gets enormous laughs as The Great Mage Steve, a fellow adventurer with the worst timing ever, and Caleb Cecil easily becomes an audience favorite as Chuck, a friend of Tilly’s who teaches Agnes the ins-and-outs of Dungeons Dragons. Chuck uses hysterical wit and a naïve sweetness to encourage Agnes to step out of her shell, and then becomes her anchor to reality when her world begins to spiral. And of course, every good quest needs a reliable Narrator, and Kris Saylor is fantastic job with this quirky role.  The cast did a great job working off of each other, though I do feel the fight choreography could use some refining. These are not professional working actors, and perfectly polished performances shouldn’t be expected, but they all do a great job with the material, and the material is fantastic. From rip-roaring hijinks and intense battle scenes to moments of sorrow, introspection, and poignant acceptance, She Kills Monsters covers all of the bases. These rich, lively characters and their stories will stay with you long after you leave the venue. Running Time: Two hours with one 15-minute intermission. She Kills Monsters plays through February 1, 2026, presented by Reston Community Players, performing in the Leila Gordon Theatre at the Reston Community Center; 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston, VA. Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 2:00 PM. Reserved seating ticket prices are $26–$31. Purchase tickets online.  The program is online here.  The post Fantasy delights in ‘She Kills Monsters’ at Reston Community Players appeared first on DC Theater Arts. ...read more read less