Middleton High School Theatre Slays in “She Kills Monsters”
Middleton High School art teacher Luis Perez designed the poster for “She Kills Monsters,” MHS Theatre’s second play of the school year. The show which featured contributions from departments outside theatre, including animations from Media Production Club.
November 20, 2022
After weeks of preparation, Middleton High School Theatre presented their second play of the season, “She Kills Monsters,” on Nov. 10, 11, and 12, 2022 in the Black Box Theatre.
The part-comedy follows Agnes, a teenager who is mourning her sister, Tilly’s, death and grappling with regret. Tilly was always a nerd, and Agnes feels guilty for never making the effort to know her, so when Agnes finds Tilly’s old Dungeons and Dragons campaign, she decides to play through it to better understand her sibling.
“She Kills Monsters” includes sword fighting and clever jokes and discusses growing up in the 1990s, accompanied by ‘90s music and entertainment, not to mention the clever satire on classic teen movie tropes. It also takes on a deeper meaning in exploring LGTBQIA+ themes. As she delves deeper into her sister’s life, Agnes discovers discrimination Tilly faced that she has never had to face in her own life.
Freshman Isa Killian enjoyed playing Tilly in her first play at the high school.
“I had fun and I learned a lot. My favorite part of playing Tilly was that my character wrote the story, so I could interact with the plot and the audience in a unique way,” Killian said.
The stage and production crews also brought life to the show, and they made the costumes in unique and fun ways. Freshman Silver Sterling worked as a part of the costumes crew.
“I had a lot of fun designing the costumes and contributing to this production,” Sterling said.
The special effects and lighting were also crucial to the performance’s success, contributing to both the story and the feel of the show. The show opened with a short animation depicting Tilly’s death in the form of a dragon.
“Animating for this play was very fun,” said freshman Isla Holmstrom, a member of the Media Production Club. “I know everyone in Media Production Club worked hard on this, and it was so fulfilling seeing our work on stage.”
Middleton High School Theatre’s performance had incredible visuals, sound design and acting. Everyone who contributed to the production was so talented and passionate. Middleton can look forward to seeing the future performances these students will put on.
