CSULB Theatre Arts Kicks Off Spring Semester with SHE KILLS MONSTERS

California State University Long Beach (CSULB) Theatre Arts presents She Kills Monsters, written by Qui Nguyen, and directed by Amanda McRaven with movement by Julia Granata Hunicutt. This hyper-theatrical comedy playing February 17 to February 26 at the Studio Theatre kicks off an eclectic season of shows at CSULB.

She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes, a young woman who finds a notebook written by Tilly, her recently deceased younger sister. Age kept the two sisters apart in life, but after Tilly's sudden death Agnes leaps into the fantastical world of Dungeons & Dragons in a desperate attempt to understand the sister she barely knew. Agnes stumbles into a journey of revelatory self-discovery, but as she dives deeper into her sister's domain, the lines between reality and game begin to blur, clashing with family expectations and putting Agnes's real-world relationships at risk. Agnes must decide what is most important - the memories of her family, or the possibilities of her own future.

"It's a play that portrays young women as powerful leaders, guides, sages. And I think that's important right now," says director Amanda McRaven. "It's a play that normalizes a gay central character which I think is really important... It is a highly theatrical event that invigorates the space between people and allows the audience to experience something alive that they can't find anywhere else."

Movement director Julie Granata Hunicutt says, "The fight choreography isn't going to be traditional punching, stabbing, swords clanging. Instead, it will be a combination of dance forms like capoeira that are based on fighting styles. Each of the characters will really come through - the imagination that they bring to the characters will be reflected in how they move."

Amanda McRaven is a director, theater-maker, educator, and writer. She is the winner of the 2014 Ovation Award for Directing and a member of the Society of Directors and Choreographers and Lincoln Center Directors Lab. The former Director of Education for the American Shakespeare Center, she is now based in Los Angeles where she teaches Performance Studies at California State University Northridge and makes theatre with her company, The Fugitive Kind.

Julie Granata-Hunicutt is an educator and performer with 18 years of professional experience in regional theaters across the country and is a trained dancer and certified yoga instructor. Julie teaches body awareness and creative movement for actors, to both young performers and working professionals. She holds a BFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University, and is a proud member of SAG - AFTRA & AEA.

Qui Nguyen is a playwright, screenwriter, and co-founder of the Obie-award winning theatre company Vampire Cowboys of NYC. His plays include Vietgone (2016 Steinberg Award, 2016 LADCC Ted Schmidt New Play Award, 2016 Kennedy Prize Finalist), She Kills Monsters (2013 AATE Distinguished Play Award, 2012 GLAAD Media Award nom), and The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G among many others, and his screenwriting credits include PBS's Peg+Cat, SYFY's Incorporated, and working for Marvel Studios.

She Kills Monsters opens Friday, February 17, and closes on Sunday, February 26 with a preview performance on Thursday, February 16. Performances run Tuesday through Saturday at 8pm, with three matinee performances at 2pm on Saturday, February 18, Saturday, February 25, and Sunday, February 26. Performances are in the Studio Theatre, inside the Theatre Arts Building, on the southeast corner of the CSULB campus, accessible via East Campus Drive. Tickets are $17 for general admission and $14 for seniors, students, and CSULB faculty and staff (with valid ID). Parking is available for $7 in CSULB Parking Lot 7, next to the theatre. For tickets and information please visit www.calrep.org.