She Kills Monsters

Agnes Evans is a 24-year-old English teacher who begins the play as a symbol of social conformity and repression. Having grown up “average” (8) in every aspect of her life, Agnes feels conflicted about being ordinary. On the night of her college graduation, Agnes wished she were “less boring” (9). The play officially begins two years after the rest of her family has died in a tragic car accident. Now, Agnes is in the middle of negotiating the life milestone of moving in with her boyfriend, Miles. Like her graduation, the event is a threshold that contributes to Agnes’s formation as an adult, and she uses the occasion to reflect on whether she has followed her own interests or those prescribed for her.

While playing Tilly’s Dungeons and Dragons module, Agnes discovers a wildly imaginative world that defies convention and gradually immerses herself in her new role. At first cynical, Agnes eventually learns to deftly annihilate her enemies and navigate the infinite options of the game. Her character transforms from quizzically asking, “What magic?” (37) to commanding, “Tilly, shoot them with a magic missile” (67). By crossing into the world of New Landia, Agnes also crosses into a more honest assessment of her own life decisions.