Image courtesy of The Vortex Theatre

Agnes spent most of life overlooking her little sister. Agnes was interested in boys and fashion, followed by English literature and teaching, while Tilly was a nerd deeply involved in Dungeons & Dragons and struggled with a heavy crush on a fellow player of the game, Lilly (Evening Star Barron). Agnes remembers an early connection to Tilly as an infant and toddler, but completely ignored Tilly as a child and teenager.

Now that Tilly's gone, Agnes is aghast at her own behavior. So she works with Chuck to open Tilly's D&D notebook and join the action with her sister. While Agnes—never the nerd—is awkward among sword fighters in the murky worlds of colorful foes, she's willing. She's eager for even a fantasy chance to connect with her sister. And Agnes does gets to know her over the course of the play. Fantasy and reality blend as Agnes goes deeper into Tilly's notebooks, guided by Chuck. She meets Tilly's closest friends in the D&D scenes and learns the value of the fantasy, where outcast kids can become sword-wielding heroes of the dark worlds.

Agnes confronts the real-life version of Tilly's D&D mates, including high schooler Lilly, who is Tilly's lover Lilith in D&D. The closeted Lilly is horrified to discover Agnes thinks she was Tilly's lover. Ultimately, though, Agnes' simple sincerity in reaching out to Tilly's world—both real and D&D—wins the affection of Tilly's friends who are also devastated by Tilly's real-world death.

In this 2011 play, Qui Nguyen intertwines real life and the D&D world brilliantly to create a contemporary story of loss and grief. Underneath all the swordfights and fantasy blends is a quiet tale of deep sadness: a woman who realizes too late that she never really saw the beauty and strength of her little sister.

It took two directors to get all this flurry on stage, Bridget S. Dunne and Emily Carvey. Given all the fight scenes, it's handy that Carvey is a fight director and stage combat instructor by trade. After years of watching Game of Thrones, I kinda missed the sound of clashing steel, but the wooden swords on the Vortex stage carried the right idea. The staging is much like an intricate dance, and the direction, lighting (Kevin Benjamin), set design (Evie Noel), and costumes (Louisa O'Neill) are all well done.

The performances are solid, with a few standouts. Callis is terrific as Chuck in all his unassuming goofiness. Smith as Agnes delivers well on her transition from a shy, awkward D&D participant to full-on fighter. She also captures the right level of tender sadness over the loss of her sister. The actors playing Tilly's close friends—Evening Star Barron as Lilly, Anna Nassiff as Kelly, and Bon Boulom as Ronnie—are all excellent.

The real star of this production is Caroline Patz as Tilly. She offers a strong combination of the master sword fighter and lover as well as the shy nerd struggling with a same-sex crush that is an awkward semi-failure. The blend of bravado and vulnerability is terrific.

Thanks, Vortex, for bringing this newish play to Albuquerque.

She Kills Monsters, by Qui Nguyen and directed by Bridget S. Dunne and Emily Carvey, will run at The Vortex Theatre, 2900 Carlisle NE, through September 10, 2017. The show starts at 7:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2:00 pm on Sundays. General admission tickets are $22, $19 for ATG members, and $15 for students and those in an entertainment union. You can buy tickets online at vortexabq.org or by phone at 247-8600.