(LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ)-- Rider Theatre will present Qui Nguyen’s She Kills Monsters in the Yvonne Theater on the campus of Rider University in Lawrenceville from October 26 through October 30. A comedic romp into the world of fantasy role-playing games, She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of Tilly, her teenage sister. The production, directed by Trent Blanton, will be performed by Rider University students.
When Agnes finds Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, however, she stumbles into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was Tilly’s refuge. In this high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and 90s pop culture, acclaimed young playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all.
Trent Blanton is associate professor of Theatre at Rider University’s Westminster College of the Arts. His directing credits at Rider include The Penelopiad, Metamorphoses, The Crucible, The Laramie Project, Anatomy of Grey and Striking 12, as well as Westminster Opera Theatre’s production of Falstaff. A member of Actor’s Equity, Blanton’s professional acting credits include Young Frankenstein, Les Misérables, A Christmas Carol, 1776, Fiddler on the Roof, A Christmas Carol, Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, The Taming of the Shrew, and Masada. He played virtually every major city in North America in the Broadway National Tour of Les Misérables. He was also in the Chinese premiere of Les Miz in 2002 with Colm Wilkinson at the Shanghai Grand Theatre. At Rider he teaches acting and movement. He received an award for excellence in directing from the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival for his direction of Rider’s productions of The Crucible and Metamorphoses. He is an associate artist with the Forestburgh Playhouse, where he directed A Murder is Announced and Oliver this summer.
Rider University’s Theatre program has a rich tradition of preparing students for successful careers in all aspects of the theatre. Graduates of the program are working with national theatre companies, in film and on television. Our campus productions have earned critical praise for more than 50 years and offer the community the opportunity to see aspiring actors in the early stages of their careers.
A preview performance will be Wednesday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m., and performances will be Thursday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, October 28 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, October 29 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, October 30 at 2 p.m. Tickets for She Kills Monsters performances are $20 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. They can be purchased at the door, through the box office at 609-896-7775 or online at www.rider.edu/arts. General admission preview tickets are $9 and are only available at the door. For more information, visit rider.edu/arts. Rider University is located at 2038 Lawrenceville Road in Lawrenceville, NJ.
PHOTO: Gabrielle Beckford (left) and Sophia Introna (right) rehearse a fight scene from Rider University’s production of Qui Nguyen’s She Kills Monsters, which will be presented in the Yvonne Theater on the campus of Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J. October 26 through 30