She Kills Monsters
Written by Qui Nguyen
**Sensitive Content Warning: She Kills Monsters contains discussions of death and grief, homophobia, coarse language, and sexual innuendos. The production also includes staged combat (armed and unarmed) and staged intimacy involving kissing, one instance of which is peer-pressured.
All sensitive content will be carefully blocked, choreographed, and rehearsed with the guidance of appropriate professionals (e.g., a fight choreographer). This work will be done collaboratively with the actors, in alignment with their comfort levels, and under the oversight of Sock ‘n’ Buskin’s Equity and Accessibility Coordinator, Mac, who will be available to address any concerns at any time.
If you would like more information about the content of this show please do not hesitate to reach out to either snbtheatre@gmail.com or our confidential equity and accessibility email snbequity@gmail.com
Volunteer Due Date: September 10, 2025
Show Dates: November 13 – 16, 2025
Play Synopsis
She Kills Monsters is a bold, comedic, and heartfelt story about grief, identity, and the transformative power of imagination. She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of both her parents and her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes discovers Tilly’s module for a homespun Dungeons & Dragons campaign, she finds herself longing to seize this opportunity to connect with her sister but having no clue where to begin. With the help of Chuck, a local hobby store employee and Dungeon Master, Agnes is pulled into a scrappy fantasy world where homicidal fairies, quirky adventurers, and campy monsters collide. Through this exploration of fantasy, reality, and those magical moments where the two intersect, Agnes learns who Tilly truly was, uncovers parts of herself along the way, and, of course, kills monsters. She Kills Monsters is a love letter to imagination, queer joy, and the heroes we no longer get to roll the dice for.
Character Descriptions
Leading Roles
Agnes Evans
Tilly Evans
Chuck Biggs
Agnes Evans
An average young woman beginning a new chapter in her life. As Agnes prepares to move in with her long-time boyfriend, Miles, she discovers the materials for a homespun Dungeons & Dragons campaign created by her late younger sister, Tilly. Determined to connect with Tilly in any way she can, Agnes enlists the help of local Dungeon Master, Chuck, to play through her sister’s module – but nothing could prepare her for the adventure that unfolds.
Stage Combat Required.
Stage Intimacy Required between Agnes & Miles and Agnes & Kaliope.
Tilly Evans
Agnes’s nerdy but totally badass younger sister who died in a car crash at sixteen. Her memory comes alive as Agnes and Chuck play through the Dungeons & Dragons campaign she created, interacting with her character, Tillius the Paladin. Tilly has a passion for D&D adventures and anything considered nerdy or geeky. Through the module, it becomes clear that Tilly was navigating her own struggles with her sexuality and bullying while she was alive.
Stage Combat Required.
Stage Intimacy Required between Tilly & Lilith and Tilly & Evil Gabbi
Chuck Biggs
A high school student, hobby store employee, and Dungeon Master who serves as Agnes’s guide through the world of Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons campaign. He’s a comedic smooth talker with an abundance of nerdy knowledge and seemingly unshakable confidence.
Supporting Roles
Lilith Morningstar/Lilly
Kaliope Darkwalker/Kelly
Orcus/Ronnie
Miles
Vera
Lilith Morningstar/Lilly
Lilith is a member of Tilly’s adventuring party in Dungeons & Dragons. She serves as the squad’s muscle and is described as “the perfect combination of both beauty and brawn.” Lilly, Lilith’s real-world counterpart, is a gentle teenage girl still learning to accept her sexuality while mourning the loss of her first kiss, Tilly.
Stage Combat Required.
Stage Intimacy Required between Lilith & Tilly.
Note: The actor portraying Lilith must be comfortable wearing semi-revealing clothing, such as a sleeveless top or shorts.
Kaliope Darkwalker/Kelly
Kaliope is a member of Tilly’s adventuring party in Dungeons & Dragons. She is graceful, athletic, and always has “a few magical tricks up her non-existent sleeves.” Kelly, Kaliope’s real-world counterpart, is a pretty teenage girl who enjoys spending time with her brother, Ronnie, and his dorky friends.
Stage Combat Required.
Stage Intimacy Required between Kaliope & Agnes.
Note: The character of Kelly “walks using fore-arm crutches to stabilize her cerebral palsy.” While the specific nature of Kelly’s disability is never discussed within the story, it is important that she uses a mobility aid such as crutches or a cane.
The character of Kaliope, however, does not use any mobility aids.
Actors with disabilities who are part-time mobility aid users and are comfortable performing scene-work, stage combat, and simple dance moves without mobility aids for an extended period of time will be asked to self-identify within the audition form and will be prioritized for the role.
Orcus/Ronnie
Orcus is a member of Tilly’s adventuring party in Dungeons & Dragons. He is a demon and the former overlord of the underworld. He holds onto lost souls – or knows where to find them – but really just wants to chill and watch TV. Ronnie, Orcus’s real-world counterpart, is a “slacker” who loves Power Rangers almost as much as his friends Lilly and Tilly, and his sister, Kelly.
Stage Combat Required.
Miles
Agnes’s long-term boyfriend who adores her but sometimes struggles to understand how best to support her – both in her newfound interest in Dungeons & Dragons and in navigating life after the loss of her family. He also plays various monsters within Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Stage Combat Required.
Stage Intimacy Required between Miles & Agnes.
Vera
Agnes’ best friend and colleague. She is not afraid to speak her mind, sometimes to the detriment of her job as a high school guidance counselor. She also plays various monsters within Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Stage Combat Required.
Featured Roles
The Narrator/Evil Gabbi
Farrah the Faerie/Evil Tina
Steve
The Narrator/Evil Gabbi
The Narrator is an ethereal presence who will guide the audience through Agnes’s journey over a God mic.
Evil Gabbi is one of Tilly’s high school bullies, transformed into an evil succubi cheerleader in the world of Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Stage Combat Required.
Stage Intimacy Required between Evil Gabbi & Tilly.
Note: The Narrator will deliver their lines through a God mic and not appear onstage.
Farrah the Faerie/Evil Tina
Farrah is a foul-mouthed forest faerie who loves to kick ass and take names.
Evil Tina is one of Tilly’s high school bullies, transformed into an evil succubi cheerleader in the world of Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Stage Combat Required.
Steve
Steve is a “Great Mage” and unfortunate soul who meets with frequent (and often hilarious) death within Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons world. Stephen, Steve’s real-world counterpart, is a high school student who experiences frequent general misfortune. He also plays various monsters within Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Stage Combat Required.
Meet the SKM Production Team
Erin Chappel (they/them) - Director
Erin earned their BA in English Language & Literature from Carleton University last year and is now beginning their studies in Public Relations at Algonquin College. Having acted, volunteered, and served on the board as Sock ’n’ Buskin’s first Outreach & Accessibility Coordinator, Erin is thrilled to add the title of Director to their tenure with the company!
First stepping into the spotlight in their hometown of Mississauga at eight years old, theatre has always played an important role in Erin’s life. Their passion has taken them across many facets of performance and production – onstage as an actor and singer, backstage as a crew member, and behind the scenes as a leader, student, and educator. For Erin, theatre has always been more than performance: it has been a place to grow, to connect, and to heal – shaping who they are as both an artist and a person.
When they don’t have a script in hand, Erin can be found playing Dungeons & Dragons, volunteering with Lighthouse for Grieving Children & Families, or taking a nap with their partner and cat.
They can’t wait to share the magic of storytelling with you!
Julia Carroll (she/he/they) - Assistant Director
Julia is a third year studying English and Greek and Roman Studies, and she cannot wait to be joining this fantastic crew for She Kills Monsters as an assistant director! She has experience both on stage and backstage, acting in productions such as Antigone Now (Antigone), Twelve Angry Jurors (Juror 8), Twelfth Night (Sebastian), and most recently with SnB, 1984 (Parsons). Julia has also had the honour of co-directing two productions at his former cégep: Twelfth Night and The Welkin. She’s still fairly new to Sock ‘n’ Buskin but this year, Julia is all in. You may also recognize them as a new member of the Board, serving as the inaugural Archives and Alumni Coordinator, tasked with collecting this company’s long and impressive history to share with all of you. In her free time, Julia can usually be found reading ridiculously large books, pretending to work on her novel, or talking about whatever interest she’s obsessed with today. She can’t wait to show you all the impressive work this team is doing to bring She Kills Monsters to life!
Devan Sharma (he/him) - Stage Manager
Devan is in his second year of Teachers College at the University of Ottawa. He just graduated from Carleton University with a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management in 2024. Devan is truly excited about the opportunity to be a part of the She Kills Monsters Production Team as the Stage Manager for this current season.
He has worked for Sock ‘n’ Buskin on two previous productions before She Kills Monsters. He worked on the production of Murder on the Orient Express (2024) as the Lighting Designer. He also worked on the production of 1984 (2024) as an Assistant Stage Manager with Sock ‘n’ Buskin. He has also previously been involved as an Assistant Director for Theatre Ashbury’s Productions of Mamma Mia (2023) and Mean Girls (2024). He has always had a passion for theatre, both on and off stage. He has lived in Ottawa his entire life and cannot wait to teach high school History, English and/or Drama in the future. When Devan is not working on various theatre projects or buried in coursework, he is likely playing Dungeons and Dragons, watching/reading anything and everything in the superhero genre, or nerding out a little too much over Lord of the Rings. Lastly, Devan is absolutely ecstatic to be working with Sock ‘n’ Buskin again for the first show of the 82nd season, and is really looking forward to working with the amazing and creative team on She Kills Monsters.
Alec Kyte (he/him) - Assistant Stage Manager
Alec is thrilled to be back for another season of theatre with Sock ‘n’ Buskin! Alec is a recent graduate from Carleton University with a degree in Public Affairs and Policy Management. On stage, he has performed as the titular character in Macbeth, Stream Mob in Rotten Apple, The Evangelist in What the World Needs Now, and Seymour Krelborn in Little Shop of Horrors. He also directed Neil Simon’s Rumors for Sock ‘n’ Buskin’s 81st season. Outside of scripted theatre, Alec is an avid improviser and occasionally enjoys non-theatre-related things such as watching baseball, reading the news, and playing with his cats, Elizabeth and Sidney. He is very excited to be working alongside Erin, Julia, Devan, and Kat to create a fantastical show for people to enjoy!
Katherine Duran (she/her) - Assistant Stage Manager
Katherine is a second year Electrical Engineering student at Carleton University. This is her second season with Sock n Buskin and she is very excited to be working as an assistant stage manager. Last year at SnB, she was a tech assistant for 1984 and was a stagehand for both Rumours and The Picture of Dorian Grey. Outside of theatre, she enjoys reading and watching horror movies.