Raleigh Little Theatre's Teens on Stage and Teens Backstage Present SHE KILLS MONSTERS: VIRTUAL REALMS

Raleigh Little Theatre's Teens on Stage and Teens Backstage program presents "She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms," written by Qui Nguyen. The production is RLT's first ever virtual show and will be presented online select dates from July 24 - August 1. "She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms" is an adapted version of Nguyen's popular play "She Kills Monsters," created specifically for online performances as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. RLT's Director of Education, Meredyth Pederson Cooper, will direct the virtual production.

"When COVID-19 hit, the RLT staff was adamant about finding a way to still make our Teens on Stage and Teens Backstage summer program work. When it became clear to us that we would not be able to proceed with the show we had originally planned and cast, we encountered Qui Nguyen's new virtual script," said Pederson Cooper. "It felt like the perfect project for us for many reasons: it was written to be done virtually, it had a very similar cast size to the original show we planned on doing this summer, and every character is a teen character."

"Another way that 'She Kills Monsters Virtual Realms' has been an ideal fit for the program is its mix of the fun, magical world of Dungeons and Dragons, and the very real weight of a character moving through her grief after losing her sister," Pederson Cooper continued. "This script has sparked so many great conversations with the participants about grief, identity, allyship, and searching for connection."

In RLT's "She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms," Agnes Evans must cope with the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly's Dungeons & Dragons notebook, she stumbles into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was Tilly's refuge.

The Teens on Stage and Teens Backstage summer program is a six-week intensive composed of classes and rehearsals that culminate in a complete production. The program is open to students aged 14-18 and is designed to further students' theatrical training by connecting theatre classes to production work and to develop students as theatre artists by connecting theatre to the world and society. Classes focus on topics such as movement, voice and speech, text analysis, set construction, costume construction, lighting, and sound. This program is funded in part by the City of Raleigh based on recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission.

"While a virtual version of our program and production is not the same as being together in person, I've been so delighted to see the connection, collaboration and community spark among participants, even over Zoom." Pederson Cooper added. "Community and belonging have always been at the heart of this program, and I'm thrilled to see these pieces are still intact as we create a virtual production."

Raleigh Little Theatre's "She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms" is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. (www.concordtheatricals.com) and runs from July 24 - August 1 online through Raleigh Little Theatre, 301 Pogue St., Raleigh, NC 27607. Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at 919-821-3111, Monday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., or by visiting the theatre's website at www.raleighlittletheatre.org.

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