“She Kills Monsters” presented by Brandeis Ensemble Theater, details twenty-something high school English teacher Agnes’s (Joanna Murphy ’17) quest to unearth more about her late sister Tilly (Jessica Kinsley ’20) through Tilly’s favorite game,“Dungeons and Dragons.” Riddled with epic fight scenes and mythical creatures — some of the scariest being high school cheerleaders — the play handles its themes such as the sister-sister dynamic sensitively, highlighting the sentiments felt but never expressed outright.

The cast was able to convey the narrative without overacting or relying on elaborate production values such as crazy sets or props. In a way, there was a sort of minimalism to the play that placed emphasis on the acting, which really shined. One of the most memorable scenes in the play is when Agnes admits to the audience the reason that this game has suddenly become so important to her that she puts her life — her boyfriend, her job and her apartment — on hold She commits a considerable amount of her time to befriending high school student Chuck Biggs, played by Zack Garrity ’20, to have him teach her the ways of D&D because during Tilly’s lifetime, Agnes never developed a strong connection with her sister because they were exact opposites; in the beginning, we learn that Agnes was more interested in “normal” hobbies such as “boys, music and popular television programs,” whereas Tilly found enjoyment in everything but. Her pastimes mainly involved the dark arts and slaying evil monsters. Agnes explains that they were too different and perhaps one day they would have bonded, once Tilly grew out of her “dorky” ways of “Dungeons and Dragons” and mythological realms. But that mutuality never presented itself, and what would have been never happened.

However, as the play progresses, it becomes apparent that Agnes does grow from playing the game. She learns that instead of waiting for her sister to change and become someone else she isn’t, she should have appreciated their differences. As she becomes more deeply involved in the game, Agnes learns more and more about Tilly. She realizes Tilly’s remarkable compassion and love for her closest friends — Tilly inventively re-imagines her real-life friends into characters in the game. For example, she portrays one of her friends who is reserved, quiet and handicapped as a fierce and ruthless elf called Kaliope Darkwalker (Jessie Gedallovich ’20).

Adapted from the original play written by Qui Nguyen and produced in New York City, “She Kills Monsters” is a refreshing choice for Brandeis Ensemble Theater. Not only was the screenplay written by a person of color, the characters are also strong warrior women. And for once, the heroine did not compromise her life in order to enhance the male counterpart. A majority of the characters in Tilly’s world are also queer, a fact that initially surprises and even offends Agnes. Only through Tilly’s gamebook does Agnes become aware that her sister was a closeted lesbian coming to terms with her first love, all the while dealing with school bullying and fear of societal rejection.

The play’s strong emotional streak is cut with frequent moments of comedic relief which are fresh and aptly acted. Although the jokes that received the most laughs were crude, even these jokes kept with the play’s theme and did not come off as indulgent. Jason Kwan ’20, who played Orcus, ruler of the underworld, seller of souls, bearer of fuzzy feet and devil ears, as well as Ryan Sands ’19 who played mage Steve, an audience favorite, provided the majority of this necessary humor, making the play thoroughly enjoyable. Murphy and Kinsley were extremely convincing sisters, and their emotions at many moments felt real and raw, creating a necessary depth to convey the heavy themes the play addressed.

The show succeeded in maintaining a pace that was easy to follow from beginning to end. Never at any point throughout watching did the characters’ performances feel rushed, confusing or slow. The response from the audience seemed to attest to this — their faces and reactions demonstrated an active and entertained engagement the whole way. Major props to the cast and crew of “She Kills Monsters.” If there is any testimony to the value of hard work, this play is it.