Background image: A 20-sided die with images of shadowy figures and objects from Dungeons and Dragons, atop a scenery of trees, mountains, and a castle.

UC Berkeley's Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies presents:

SHE KILLS MONSTERS

By Qui Nguyen
Directed by Karina Gutiérrez

November 20-23, 2025
Zellerbach Playhouse

“But this story remains. And isn't that essentially all that life is—a collection of stories?"

A thrilling amalgam of action, comedy, and heartfelt storytelling, She Kills Monsters features dynamic stage combat, fantastical D&D characters, and fast-paced dialogue exploring the complexity of grief, love, and sibling bonds while celebrating the inner nerd within us all.

Critical Acclaim for She Kills Monsters

“It will slash and shapeshift its way into your heart.”—The New York Times

“Packed with action, wit, and a sizable nerd-quotient, the production is a delight from start to finish.”—Theatremania

“Nguyen is a refreshing, break-the-rules writer – he has a ready embrace of pop culture, high-school speak and 'High Fidelity' cool, and he also has a mission to redeem gaming geeks everywhere. . . . She Kills Monsters delivers exactly what it promises, is generally a blast.”—Chicago Tribune

Man in pink shirt and wearing glasses, looking upwards.

About the Playwright

Qui Nguyen is a playwright, screenwriter, and co-founder of the Obie Award-winning Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company of NYC.

His plays include Vietgone (2016 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, 2016 LADCC Tim Schmitt Award, 2016 Edward M. Kennedy Prize finalist); War is F**king Awesome (Frederick Loewe Award); She Kills Monsters (2014 AATE Distinguished Play Award, 2012 GLAAD Media Award nom); Soul Samurai (2009 GLAAD Media Award nom); and the critically acclaimed Vampire Cowboys shows: The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G, Alice in Slasherland, Fight Girl Battle World, Men of Steel, Six Rounds of Vengeance and Living Dead in Denmark.

Recent awards include a 2016 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Preschool Animated Program (Peg+Cat) and a 2015 New York Community Trust Helen Merrill Playwriting Award. He is proud member of the WGA, The Dramatists Guild, The Playwrights Center, Ensemble Studio Theatre, and The Ma-Yi Writers Lab. He’s an alumnus of New Dramatists and Youngblood. For television, he's written for PBS’s Peg+Cat and SYFY’s Incorporated. Currently, he’s a screenwriter for Marvel Studios.

A portrait of Karina Gutiérrez. She has long black hair and brown eyes. She is wearing dark red glasses and is smiling.

About the Director

Karina Gutiérrez’s work focuses on the intersection of politics and performance, with a concentration on how digital interventions, institutionalization efforts and historical narrative have affected the development and sustainability of social and politically engaged performance companies and collectives throughout the Americas. Her reviews have appeared in journals such as Theatre Survey and The Journal of American Drama, with forthcoming publications in Modern Drama, Theatre Annual, and the Latino Literature Encyclopedia for Students. Prior to coming to UC Berkeley, Gutiérrez was an assistant professor at Santa Clara University. She earned her doctorate in theater and performance studies with a minor in feminist, gender and sexuality studies from Stanford University in 2020, upon which she was awarded the Carl Webber Prize for integration of Creative Practice and Scholarly Research. Outside of academia, Gutiérrez works as an actor, director and dramaturgist throughout the Bay Area, in addition to co-founding BALTAN, or the Bay Area Latino Theatre Alliance Network. Reviews of her directed productions have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Broadway World and Berkeleyside. 

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM

Cast

Alethea DeLay

as Agnes

Anita Semsarha

as Tilly

Wilhelm Scholz

as Chuck

Lainie Beamer

as Vera/Farrah

Joshua Delman

as Miles

Maree Denvers

as Lilith/Lily

Belle Ramos

as Kaliope/Kelly

Broderick Dempsey

as Orcus/Ronnie

Sarah Avalos

as Evil Gabbi/Gabbi

Chayenne Greenberg

as Evil Tina/Tina

Tiber Ray

as Steve

Wesley Leung

as Bugbear

Creative Team

Karina Gutiérrez
Director

Amy Jiménez
Stage Manager

Arnel Sancianco
Scenic Designer

Ray Oppenheimer
Lighting Designer

Dominique Fawn Hill
Costume Designer

James Ard
Sound Designer

Carlos-Antonio Aceves
Projections Designer

Jessica Berman
Voice Coach

Jeunée Simon
Intimacy Choreographer

Dave Maier
Fight Director

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Tickets

Buy tickets online at tickets.berkeley.edu up to two hours before each performance. Buy tickets in-person at Zellerbach Playhouse beginning one hour before each performance.

Estimated Run Time

90 minutes with no intermission.

Showtimes

  • Thursday, November 20th at 8pm
  • Friday, November 21st at 8pm (with post-show conversation with the creative team)
  • Saturday, November 22nd at 2pm (with post-show panel on D&D and Disability)
  • Saturday, November 22nd at 8pm
  • Sunday, November 23rd at 2pm (optional Ren Faire Dress Day)

Audience Advisories

Trigger Warnings: This show features discussions & portrayals of death, grief, and homophobia, as well as mature language, sexual content, staged violence, and the use of a homophobic slur.

Sensitivities: Flashing Lights & Projections

Accessibility

To request wheelchair accessible seating, assisted listening devices, large print programs, or other accommodations, please contact us at least 7–10 days in advance: tdpsboxoffice@berkeley.edu

Arrival & Doors

Please plan to arrive on campus 30–40 minutes prior to the performance to ensure that you are in your seat before showtime. The lobby opens 30 minutes prior to the performance, and the theater opens 20 minutes prior to the performance.

Additional information for guests is available here.