In bringing the fantasy world of 鈥淪he Kills Monsters鈥� to life, Megan Tripaldi is also making her own dreams come true.
Tripaldi spent a lot of time on the stage at Russell Hall in Gorham as a student in the Theatre program, graduating in 2012. She returns as a director to guide a new generation of students and give them a role model for a career in the arts.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really emotional,鈥� Tripaldi said after pausing to rein in a catch in her voice. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 sure I鈥檇 ever come back to this building.鈥�
Tripaldi works at in Portland teaching Shakespeare to elementary and high school age students. Her connection to young people is especially relevant to her latest production at the 杏吧传媒.
The main characters in 鈥淪he Kills Monsters鈥� are teenagers. The popularity that Agnes enjoyed at school rings hollow after the death of her sister, Tilly. To honor her memory, Agnes follows the notes for the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons that Tilly left behind. The battles Agnes fights with her inner demons play out on the stage.
Juliet Moniz, a third-year student majoring in Theatre, had never held a sword before winning the role of Agnes. She committed to weeks of training to become a convincing duelist while also learning her lines. The role鈥檚 emotional demands were every bit as intense as the physical ones.
鈥淢egan did some pretty in-depth character work with me on Agnes at the start of the process,鈥� Moniz said. 鈥淲e discussed how Agnes is a 鈥榗hecklist person.鈥� She has everything all planned out, and then Tilly’s death sends her spinning.鈥�
Despite the heartbreaking premise, the show has laughs and tears in equal measure. Tripaldi demanded a lot from her cast to sell those tonal shifts from comedy to drama. She also leaned heavily on her production crew to breathe life into the monsters of the show鈥檚 title.
The papier-m芒ch茅 dragons were still missing their lower jaws with three days to go between dress rehearsaland opening night. The deadline was clearly on the minds of the artisans in the shop as they furiously hammered, stitched and painted in a race against the clock.
鈥淚t was really important to me to have the authentic elements be a part of the show,鈥� Tripaldi said. 鈥淭o make it as big as the imagination could possibly take it, that was the goal. And I think we鈥檝e made it happen.鈥�
Such an ambitious production sends a message that the Theatre Department is back in full force at its home in Russell Hall. All shows were suspended last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year鈥檚 season began with a traveling production of 鈥淭he Marvelous Meep Island Adventure鈥� which was only performed at outdoor venues. The widespread availability of vaccines allowed Russell Hall to once again open its doors.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the welcome home I wasn鈥檛 expecting, that I really did have a place here,鈥� Tripaldi said. 鈥淣ow I really get to give back what I鈥檝e learned, not only in the department but in the world.鈥�
Along with the joy of returning to Russell Hall comes the responsibility of following COVID safety guidelines. Seating is limited to allow extra distance between patrons, all of whom are required to wear masks. They must also show proof of either vaccination or a negative test result.
Once the house lights go down, Tripaldi and her cast give the audience permission to take a break from the pandemic for two hours of entertainment and maybe a little soul searching.
鈥淚 hope that people get to have a chat with their younger self and let them know that they weren鈥檛 alone and it is okay to play,鈥� Tripaldi said.
鈥淪he Kills Monsters鈥� opened on Friday, November 12. Its run continues with performances each day from Wednesday, November 17 to Sunday, November 21.