She Kills Monsters
directed by Teresa Cruz
written by Qi Nguyen
scenic design: Ann Marie Gordon
lighting design: Patrick Anthony
costume design: Delena Bradley
sound design: Johann Solo
as part of the 24th year of Summer Youth Theater
The VORTEX, Austin, TX
July 2018
Summer Youth Theater is an annual program at the VORTEX (now in its 29th year) that provides a free, professional opportunity to high schoolers in Austin, TX. A perfect manifestation of empowering youths, She Kills Monsters is a fun, bold, and high-energy that stories that packs a punch. Chock-full of monsters and mayhem, this production asked every actor to come forward creatively and work together to hold all it’s moving parts: fight and dance choreography, puppets and costumes galore, and a heartfelt story about being there for the people you love.
This is my fourth year participating in the Summer Youth Theater program, my first time as director. This program celebrates the young people who participate in it. I have watched four different classes of youth artists fully commit to this professional-level program and grow in their potential and ability for creation, expression, and collaboration. I could not be more grateful for the passion and energy that each member of our present company has brought to their character and to this piece as a whole. She Kills Monsters shows the trials and tribulations that we face as young people trying to make sense of the world. Each student has found connections to their own lives in the play and brought a special love and joy to the work and to each other, filling the production with life. This story is silly, serious, moving, troubling, empowering, and we’ve had a heck of a lot of fun working on it. Thank you for joining us in this fun!
-Tess Cruz, 2018
