She Kills Monsters
by Qui Nguyen
TheatreMSU
April 2025
Starkville, MS
Director: Jesse Wade
Stage Manager: Kensi Frasure
Scenic Design: Jesse Wade
Lighting Design: Greg Thorn
Costume Design: Melanie Harris
Sound Design: Kat Trinque
Assistant Sound Design: Zavibien Welch
Puppet Design: Kiki Efantis
Choreography: Caroline Donnelly
Wig Design: Mariama Hawkins
Makeup Design: Kat Reynolds
Design Concept
She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen is a high-energy, fantasy-driven play, about Agnes who Is grieving her younger sister Tilly. Set between the Dungeons & Dragons world and reality, the sound design will emphasize the contrast between the real world and the fantasy realm, integrating immersive fantasy soundscapes with 90s era music and emotionally driven cues that underscore the relationships, growth, and conflict within the story.
The music in the fantasy world will be inspired by traditional orchestral and mystical sounds, with soaring strings and bold brass to evoke a sense of adventure. I’m exploring Creative Commons tracks to enhance these otherworldly moments. In contrast, the real-world music will be rooted in the 90s, reflecting the era the characters grew up in. One key scene will feature a 90s hip-hop track during a dance battle, marking a pivotal moment for Agnes as she connects with Tilly’s world. This song bridges the two realms, adding energy and highlighting Agnes’ personal growth. All sound effects will serve the purpose of furthering the story, or Informing the audience of given circumstances. Some will be made by me from scratch, while others will be pulled from the creative commons and edited.
After my initial read of the play, I was excited about the idea of doing some voice work for certain characters. My first thought was to add reverb to Chuck's battle announcements, giving them an epic, larger-than-life feel. However, after meeting with the director, he encouraged me to think about incorporating voice work for other characters as well. As a result, I’m planning to mic Chuck and Tilly at specific moments, like when Tilly transforms into Tiamat. This will allow me to experiment with effects and create a more dynamic sound for those transformations. I may also explore this approach for other characters, using microphones and the board to shape their voices and enhance key moments in the performance. This will add depth and variability to the characters, allowing me to creatively manipulate voices and further emphasize the juxtaposition of the game world and reality.
Paperwork
Audio Samples
The reality shift cue was designed to signal Agnes’s transition from the real world into the Dungeons & Dragons realm, creating the sensation of passing through a magical portal. To achieve this, I layered digitalized wind sounds with a modified version of the “fairy dust” effect from earlier, processed to have a shimmering, video game–like quality. Edited in Reaper, the combination of these elements produces a swirling, otherworldly texture that clearly communicates the shift in reality while maintaining the playful, fantastical tone of the game world.
The original orchestral composition “Agnes vs. Tiamat” was created to underscore the climactic battle between Agnes Evans and the five-headed dragon, Tiamat, in the fantasy realm of She Kills Monsters.
The final underscore was composed to accompany the narrator’s closing monologue, serving as a reflective and uplifting resolution to She Kills Monsters. Gentle strings, warm harmonies, and subtle orchestral textures support the emotional weight of Agnes’s journey, highlighting her growth and the connection she has forged with her sister Tilly. The music swells subtly to underscore moments of triumph and understanding without overshadowing the narration, creating a sense of closure and emotional release.
Cue 260 captures the moment Farrah the fairy is struck by Tilly’s magic missile. I combined a ceramic rattle filled with glass beads—producing a sparkling “fairy dust” texture—with a bubble-popping sound sourced from Creative Commons. Both elements were edited and layered in Reaper to create a brief, shimmering burst, emphasizing the suddenness of Farrah’s death with a comical undertone. The result is a sound that communicates both the whimsy of Farrah’s character.
“Let Us Kicketh Some Ass” was composed to accompany the first montage-style battle in She Kills Monsters, where each member of the main party battles various monsters. The piece highlights the individuality and strengths of each character, with specific instruments assigned to carry motifs representing their personalities and abilities. The music balances fantasy-style battle with storytelling, reinforcing the camaraderie of the group while immersing the audience in the dynamic, fantastical world of the game.
The succubi cheerleaders’ demonic screech was created by recording the actors portraying Evil Tina and Evil Gabby screaming, then editing and layering their voices in Reaper to produce an otherworldly wail. Pitch-shifting and distortion were applied to transform the human screams into a piercing sound capable of overwhelming the other characters. This screech serves both as an audio signature for the succubi and as a narrative tool, temporarily incapacitating the heroes and emphasizing the threatening energy of these antagonists within the fantasy world.
The sound effect for the gelatinous cube was created by recording the squishing of ketchup and processing it in Reaper to emphasize its viscous, slimy texture. Through EQ, subtle layering, and timing adjustments, the sound conveys the cube’s gelatinous, amorphous nature as it envelops or moves over objects.
