A group of Union College students stand in a circle, making eye contact, shouting “you” and throwing beach balls to each other across the stage of Rector Little Theatre. As Dr. Jayme Kilburn tosses yet another ball into the ring, the students laugh and work together to keep up. Games like this get the troupe ready to collaborate and experiment during play rehearsals.

On April 14 – 16, Union will stage its first theater production in a year, Qui Nguyen’s “She Kills Monsters.” Set in both the real-world of 1990s Athens, Ohio and the fantasy world of Dungeons & Dragons, this high-energy show uses humor, imagination, and adventure to grapple with serious topics like grief, sexual identity, and finding true friendship.

Kilburn, Associate Professor of Theatre at Union, directs both the play and the theater program overall. For her, putting on this show is about the experience it creates for the actors, crew, and audience. Students from different backgrounds and majors come together to “create this magic world,” she says.

Kilburn just started at Union in January and completed her doctoral degree from Cornell in March. She wasn’t planning to produce a play right away, but when she heard how much students, especially graduating seniors, wanted to put on a show this semester, she went all in.

Students chose the play, and Kilburn committed to an intense rehearsal schedule as well as all the other work needed to get the theater ready. She also recruited Ryan Sergent-Payne as her assistant director.

Sergent-Payne graduated from Union in 2018 and now serves as the school’s Title III Lead Navigator/Engagement Specialist. “That’s a really fancy way of saying that I’m an academic advisor,” she explains.

Recently voted Employee of the Month, Sergent-Payne’s goal is to help students grow and succeed during their time at Union and beyond. She’s especially excited to see one of her advisees, Leslie County native Kassidy Koogler, take a leading role in this play. Prior to “She Kills Monsters,” Koogler’s only other acting experience was Union’s Appalachian Folktales performance at Flat Lick Elementary last year.

“I've known her since her very first day on campus,” Sergent-Payne says of Koogler. “I've really seen her come out of her box a lot while she's been here, but not quite this much. I'm really excited to see her on stage, because I think it's going to be a big coming up for her.”

Newcomers like Koogler play alongside theater veterans like award-winning senior Nijah Smith. Smith’s performance in “A Time for Change,” written by fellow Union senior Jay Falls, earned him recognition from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region IV last year. Junior DeAaron Robinson took home a Kennedy Center award in Applied Design & Technology for his work in Falls’ play, as well. Koogler’s co-star and fellow sophomore Jazmine Pennington, was voted “MVP Freshmen” by her peers last year and says theater helped her get out of her comfort zone and find confidence.

“I enjoy the community I’m surrounded by,” Koogler says. “Our theater members are from all different sports, clubs, and places. It’s nice to come together as one.”

Sergent-Payne echoes that sentiment: “It doesn't matter where you are outside of the theater, when you come in, you're a part of this community.”

Union’s Theatre Program includes classes, a minor, stage productions, field trips, and visiting artists. Students, faculty, staff, and community members are welcome to get involved with the program’s plays and musicals, regardless of their major or past experience.

Like Union’s other faculty and staff, Kilburn helps students balance many commitments to get the individualized education Union is known for. Junior Malik McCalpine, for instance, is the President of the Black Student Union, plays on the football team, and serves on the Social Justice Council. Kilburn works with his schedule so that he still has time to act in “She Kills Monsters,” and he offers up his talents to choreograph the fight scenes, as well.

Kilburn’s passion for process-over-product, collaboration, and inclusion shapes how she is developing the program. For this fantastical show, she’s bringing cast, crew, and the broader community together to solve problems like, “How are we going to have a fairy explode? How are we going to have a missile come through the theater?”

“It’s about getting to know other people, seeing people flourish in their roles, having fun with making the characters,” she says. “You make better theatre that way.”

Audiences will have three opportunities to see Union’s production of “She Kills Monsters”: Friday, April 14 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 15 at 2 p.m.; and Sunday, April 16 at 5 p.m. Everyone is welcome to come see the show for free or by donation at the door. Seating is limited, however.

To guarantee a seat, guests should purchase tickets ahead. Students pay $5, and all others pay $10 to reserve a seat. Ticket sales and donations support theatre upgrades and related expenses for the program.

Sergent-Payne says people should come see Union’s production of “She Kills Monsters” because “it's a really funny show.” She also wants people to come out because “our students have put a whole lot of work into this, and they're really proud of it.”

Please note that the show includes adult themes and language, and parental discretion is advised.

To reserve tickets, go to www.unionky.edu/skm or contact Dr. Jayme Kilburn at jkilburn@unionky.edu.