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She Kills Monsters -- SOLD OUT!

SORRY, SOLD OUT!

By Qui Nguyen
Directed by Kayla Minton Kaufman

Friday / Saturday - Jan 10th through Feb 1st at 8PM
Sunday - Jan 19th and 26 at 2PM
At La Val’s Subterranean Theatre
No Wheelchair Access

A comedic journey into the world of fantasy role-playing games, Qui Nguyen's "She Kills Monsters" tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly.   (Click for Tickets)  (Program PDF) (Photos)

She Kills Monsters PostcardWhen Agnes finds Tillys Dungeons & Dragons notebook, however, she stumbles into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was Tillys refuge. In this high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and 90s pop culture, acclaimed young playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all.

The performance is about 80 minutes without an intermission.
 
Presented by Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, Berkeley's longest-running theatrical organization, since 1957.  Performed at LaVal's Subterranean Theatre, that cool spot where theatre happens (for nearly 30 years now), in the basement of LaVal's Pizza just north of the Berkeley Campus.  Buy a pizza and a tasty beverage upstairs and bring it down with you to watch the show!

Directed by the young and intensely creative and collaborative Kayla Minton Kaufman.

With:
Tilly - Jackie Wolfe
Agnes - Joyce Domanico-Huh
Chuck - Dylan Barrows
Miles - Peter Malmquist
Lilith - Raquel Orendáin Shrestha
Kaliope - Kirstin Louie
Orcus - Patrick Glenn
Vera/Succubus - Vicki Victoria
Steve - Amanda Bailey
Narrator/Farrah/Succubus - Gertrudis "Tru" Colon

Stage managed by Kaitlin Weinstein.  Costumes by Lyre Alston.  Set/Puppet design by Nathaniel J. Bice.  Lighting design by Kathryn Gubler.  Sound design by Hayden Kirschbaum, Fight choreography by Josephine Czarnecki.  Dance choreography by Emily Simso.

Performed Friday-Saturday January 10th through February 1st at 8 p.m.  Sunday matinees January 19th and 26th at 2 p.m.  Tickets $25, $20 for seniors and theatrical artists, $15 for students.  Special sliding scale $10+ on Friday January 17th and 24th.


 Cast Bios and Pictures

Jacqueline Wolfe (Tilly) is an LA trained actress whose most recent works include Lysistrata and A Man for All Seasons, two staged readings for Actors EnsembleThe Julie Cycle, an original adapted piece with the Poltergeist Theatre Project, and Freddy with the Fountain Theater in Los Angeles. Wolfe is immensely grateful and excited to be working with such a distinguished company and hopes everyone will get in touch with their sense of play and enjoy this wild ride into our collective imagination.   
     
Joyce Domanico-Huh (Agnes) is a Korean theatre artist, born and raised in the Bay Area. She’s thrilled to perform again with Actors Ensemble, where she last participated in the Fall Staged Reading Series (as Calonice in Lysistrata). She’s performed with companies such as Killing My Lobster, Theatre Rhinoceros, Shotgun Players, and Magic Theatre, among others. She is a proud member of the Oakland-based ORO Arts Lab, a 2019 KML Comedy Fellow, and trains regularly with Barrow Group classes. She thanks Kayla, Actors Ensemble, and this dynamic cast for the tremendous opportunity to play Agnes. ILYSM fam, buds, Ben n Hawk.  
     
Dylan Barrows (ChuckStay awhile and listen.  Can you believe they made a play about being a nerd! As someone who has been a giant nerd all my life this is great news!   I am 28 years old and definitely passed my prime. My parents always used to tell me I was going to be an actor when I grew up but little did they know I never really grew up. I get to play make believe for a living. Which is exciting, to say the least. So kids, if you’re reading this, listen to your parents, they probably know what you want.  
     
Peter Malmquist (Miles) is from Mill Valley, CA. He received a B.A. in Acting from Penn State University. Recent theatre credits include: Valere in The Miser by Moliere (Conservatory Theatre Ensemble), Dennis in Loot by Joe Orton (Novato Theater Company), Jimmy in The Speakeasy (Boxcar Theatre Company), and Buddy in The Diviners by Jim Leonard Jr. (Blackbox Theatre Company).  
     
Raquel Orendáin Shrestha (Lilith) is an actor, filmmaker, videographer and editor.  She is a graduate of A.C.T’s Summer Training Congress and holds a B.A. from Stanford University, where she worked on 25 theatre productions in various roles.  Previous Bay Area work includes Mari in Memoria de Silencio at MCCLA.  She recently returned to the bay and is thrilled to be part of this exciting production, and thanks her family and friends for their support.  
     
Kirstin Louie (Kaliope) is an East Bay native and is so excited to be in her first full production with Actors Ensemble of Berkeley. She was last seen playing the role of Athenian Chorus Leader 2 in Lysistrata, as part of Actors Ensemble's staged reading series. Recent projects include playing Courtney in Ray of Light Theatre’s production of American Psycho and understudying the role of Hana in Berkeley Rep’s The Great Wave. She thanks her mom and dad for their support and always encouraging her to use her imagination!  
     
Name: Patrick Glenn (Orcus).  Class: Bartender/Actor.  Alignment: Mischievous.  Race: You can't ask that.  Strength: 10.  Wisdom: 4.  Charisma: Electric.  Speed: Declining.  AEB Roles: Many.  ABV: 7.2%.   
     
Vicki Victoria (Vera/Succubus) has appeared in Actors Ensemble’s The Skin of Our Teeth and The Chalk Circle. Musical theatre credits include TVRT’s Avenue Q, MST’S Les Miserables and PCT’s Into the Woods and Spamalot. Vicki is also an actor in commercial, independent and major studio film and television shows. Also a visual artist, she is honored to create graphics for Actors Ensemble. She loves how this production mirrors her own exploration of D&D as a means of discovering the secret worlds of her first born.  
     
Amanda Bailery (Steve) is a drama student at Chabot College, and a long-time performer with Happily Ever Laughter Parties. She is so excited to get to be a part of Actors Ensemble's production of She Kills Monsters, as it's one of her favorite off-Broadway shows, celebrating the so-called 'weird' and different. This year she's performed as a cheerleader #1 in Theatre Cultura's ¡Cheer!, as Daniel in Plethos Productions summer show The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, and assistant-directed Plethos' fall production of Next to Normal. She wants to thank her Mom Cindy and her best friend Blue for all their support!  
     
Que lo que! The name's Gertrudis "Tru" Colon (Narrator/Farrah/Succubus) but everyone calls me Tru. I’m a proud Latina cuentista who was originally based in Boston but decided to expand to the West Coast about 3 years ago. I just wanted the opportunity to use my voice to lift the hearts of others and bring them along my journey of story telling. And here I am doing just that. Are you vibing with me yet?  

Thank You

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley is delighted to acknowledge the Berkeley Civic Arts Program and Civic Arts Commission's support in the form of a grant of $8,000.00 awarded in 2017. Also, a thank you to Theatre Bay Area for a grant of $2,500.00.

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Actors Ensemble of Berkeley - P.O. Box 663 - Berkeley - California - 94701 ¦ Our Answering Service: (510) 649-5999 ¦

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