Photos from costume shop for She Kills Monsters
She Kills Monsters takes audiences on an adventure through treacherous lands into the deepest corners of their imaginations. Thanks to collaborations from across campus, this production promises to be a fun visual experience and a heartfelt story. Directed by Aviva Neff, a Columbus artist, scholar, and educator, She Kills Monsters transports the audience to the 1990s, interweaving elements of the iconic game Dungeon and Dragons.
The 2011 comedy-drama by Qui Nguyen introduces us to Agnes Evans, who bemoans her boring life before a car accident kills her parents and sister, Tilly. Desperately wanting to connect with Tilly, Agnes embarks on a journey into the D&D world of role-playing games and geekdom. Laura Plikerd, costume shop supervisor at the Eisner Center and costume designer for this production, reveals the work of creating authentic costumes for a show like this. “As a costume designer, you’re serving the director’s vision. This one is set in the 1990s with many nerdy references, so I’m looking for that in our designs.”
Plikerd also created puppets, including one of a five-headed dragon, for the show. “It’s fun to play with duality and for people in the shop to do a lot of crafting. It’s a lot of painting and dyeing,” she said.
Costumes aren’t just about appearance; functionality also plays a crucial role in a production with dance. As Plikerd explained, “Costumes have to accommodate movement and physicality.”
Dancing isn’t the only choreography in this production. Sarah Vargo, a Denison staff member in student life, studied fight choreography in college. She moved to Dublin, Ireland, to train with a group focused on stunts before returning to work on Columbus theatre productions. Vargo is excited to use her experiences in this play and hopes her expertise adds an exciting visual impact in a fun and safe environment. “Fights add to the story,” Vargo shared. “You never want it to detract from what the characters are doing in the show, but I hope to add some embellishments through the choreography.”
Performance Dates and Times are as follows:
- Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m.
- Friday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 11, at 8 p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 8 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m.
