Pooja Shaunak
Reporter
Dungeons and Dragons came out in the ‘70s, but evolved in terms of graphics and storyline to adjust to the changing gamers. D&D has been a staple of many people’s lives. The MUW Theatre Department also likes D&D. So, this year it is putting on a play called “She Kills Monsters, Virtual Realm.” The play is based on Dungeons and Dragons and follows the journey of an older sister as she learns more about her younger sister, who died in a car accident.
“She Kills Monsters” was originally supposed to be a staged play, but when COVID hit and cases began to rise this summer, the play was moved to the online platform Zoom.
Brittany Bigott is excited to perform in the play, although it is online. The cast has been practicing online and preparing themselves every day to ensure the virtual aspect runs as smoothly as possible.
Kathy Newman, assistant professor of Theatre and co-director of the play, says there is no way to be fully prepared for a play to be virtual.
“We are going to stream live, and when virtual production is usually done, they are prerecorded and edited. We are hoping that the Internet will be on our side those opening nights,” said Newman.
The dorm rooms do not have reliable Internet service, so for rehearsals many students have been going to Cromwell, the building where the Theatre program is housed. The students are socially distanced but are able to have a more reliable Internet source.
A stable Internet connection seems like the biggest con for doing a play live on Zoom. But for cast member Alexis Doolie, the virtual rehearsals allow her to practice on campus as well as when she is at home with her family. Since this play is over Zoom, the department was able to bring a professional actor from a different state to help out. Rehearsals are every weekday from 6-9 p.m.
Clearly, a lot of time, effort and dedication are going into this play to make it as good as possible. Libby Hawkins, assistant professor of Theatre and co-director and choreographer of the play, is excited about this performance.
“The play will showcase fights, costume changes, virtual backgrounds, dragons and so much more exciting elements…since students have been on Zoom for classes, they know how to interact and bring these elements to life,” Hawkins said.
The play will be live Thursday, Oct. 29, and Friday, Oct. 30, both nights at 7 p.m. You can get your link to the show by emailing dbcarter@muw.edu, calling 662-329-7353, or going to the MUW Theatre page on Facebook. Although tickets are free and the play is open to the public, donations are encouraged, but not required. More information can be found at www.muw.edu/as/theatre. So, if you enjoy Dungeons and Dragons, a sweet story about sisterhood, fighting monsters and other exciting elements, join the Zoom crowd and watch the play live.