She Kills Monsters opens May 2!

THE PLAY
She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen

An adventurous quest awaits! SHE KILLS MONSTERS tells the story of Agnes Evans as she packs up her childhood home after the death of her younger sister, Tilly, and her parents. When she finds Tilly’s Dungeons and Dragons notebook, Agnes is transported into a journey of discovery and a world of fantasy and adventure. Learning more about her younger sister, Agnes meets elves, bugbears, and other fantastical beings while connecting with people Tilly loved. This action-packed, dramatic comedy is full of kick-butt fairies, nasty succubus, energetic 1990s pop culture, and, most importantly, living life to the fullest. Acclaimed playwright Qui Nguyen’s SHE KILLS MONSTERS celebrates the inner geek and warrior in us all.
Content warning: Adult language and themes, including violence, bullying, homophobia, and sexuality.

City Theatre at Sacramento City College is producing She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen and directed by Janey Pintar. The production opens Friday, May 2, and plays through Sunday, May 18. Performances are at 7:30 pm on May 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16,and 17 and at 2:00 pm on May 4, 11, and 18. Performances will be held in the Art Court Theatre, Room 160, in the Performing Arts Center on the Sacramento City College campus at 3835 Freeport Boulevard in Sacramento. This production is recommended for ages 13 and older as there is adult language and themes, including violence, bullying, homophobia, and sexuality.

THE PLAYWRIGHT

Qui Nguyen is an American playwright, screenwriter, and co-founder of the Obie Award-winning Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company of New York City. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, The Playwrights’ Center, and The Ma-Yi Writers Lab. His plays include the acclaimed VIETGONE, POOR YELLA REDNECKS, SHE KILLS MONSTERS, SOUL SAMURAI, and LIVING DEAD IN DENMARK. His screenwriting credits include the children’s series “Peg+Cat”, which he won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing. Currently, he is a screenwriter for Marvel Studios. Many of Nguyen’s theatre and film works include humor, nerd culture, and adventure. Many of the characters in his plays are female, BIPOC individuals, and LGBTQ+ individuals, celebrating underrepresented identities in the theatre arts.

THE DIRECTOR

Courtney Janey Vargas Pintar, also known as Janey, is an actor, director, theatre educator, and inclusion advocate. As an actor, she has acted at many theatre companies including the Sacramento Theatre Company, Capital Stage, and Sacramento Shakespeare Festival. Janey proudly wrote and directed THE OPHELIAS: BADASS VOICES, a new play with movement inspired by Shakespeare’s Ophelia, produced by the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance. Her other directing credits include SWEAT at Sacramento City College, ELECTRA at Cosumnes River College, and THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST at William Jessup University. She has taught theatre arts in higher education at various colleges and universities. Janey’s theatre and educational work centers on inclusion and empathy. She encourages underrepresented and socioeconomically disadvantaged students to engage in the arts. She is an alumnus of the Los Rios Community College District and holds an M.A. from SFSU and M.F.A. from UC Davis.

THE PRODUCTION

SHE KILLS MONSTERS is directed by Janey Pintar. The artistic team includes Nicole Sivell (costume design), Wiley (scenic design), Isaiah Leeper (lighting design), Janey Pintar and Matthew Yazel (projection design), Elijah DeAnda and Tobi Putzel (sound design), David Harris (fight choreographer), Maddy Flint (dance choreographer), Jacob DeHart (props), and Eva Hernandez (production stage manager).
The cast includes Andrew De Camp, Destiny DeJesus, Myah Doty, Chase Early, Leo Eynon, Mikayla Hinds, Tem Huerta, Bill Qarau, Arian Sarwari, Seven Scripa, Des Silva, Tatupu Vaili, Leandro Williams, Matthew Yazel, and Zofia.