On February 9th and 10th, San Pasqual’s Drama department showcased their first play of the year. 

“She Kills Monsters,” by Qui Nguyen, explores the beauty of fantasy and the relationship of two sisters – Agnes, and her deceased sister, Tilly.

After Tilly’s death, Agnes is determined to better understand her younger sister; Agnes discovers Tilly’s notebook, revealing a game scenario she had created. Tilly was prominent in the world of Dungeons and Dragons, and imagination was her refuge. When Agnes decides to play the game, she must conquer an action-packed adventure that shows who her sister really was. The play is packed with feral goblins, captivating sword fights, a malicious dragon… and a gelatinous cube? “She Kills Monsters” presents a dramatic comedy that ventures into the physical and fantasy world with elements of friendship, loss, and acceptance.

Eddie Rodriguez, head of the Drama department, notes that creating this play was no easy feat. According to Rodriguez, the production in total was “…A five month period of prep in order to get it from start to finish.” Within this time frame, costume designers envisioned and created outfits for every actor, actors memorized their lines; stage crew prepared sets; and the technical support learned the complex lighting and sound functions. Rodriguez claims the process was lengthy due to a “very large cast, and…a lot of lighting and sound that needed to be done.”

Priscilla Angulo, a senior here at San Pasqual, was the director of the play. She stated that one of her biggest challenges she had to overcome was “leadership”, and “making sure everyone is able to listen…” As a director, she had to ensure she “established student to student relationships with everybody”, and “made everyone comfortable with me as a leader”. Her obvious dedication to the play, and her strength in teamwork resulted in a highly successful play.

Both Rodriguez and Priscilla had one goal: to visualize a magical play for the audience to enjoy. Rodriguez hopes to create many more productions that people will understand and deeply resonate with. He states, “At the end of the day, we’re telling a story. So the more we could refine it and make it so that people aren’t noticing us, they’re noticing the characters, then the play is good.”

If you missed the first play, keep your eye out for the next play in April.