It was a popular board game that got him over his fear of the stage. Now, he’s the brains behind bringing that same game to the stage at Theatre Off the Square in Weatherford.
The theatrical company has twice this year held Dungeon & Dragons game nights on its stage. It’s the role playing tabletop game created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson that first hit the market in 1974 and — as evidenced by this — is still popular today.
“I have loved D&D since 1981. It’s what got me into acting in the first place,” Gillies said. “It was very scary for young me, and the fear of rejection was strong. However, while playing D&D I could flex those acting muscles, and you were surrounded by your friends who supported you, and played off of you creating a whole world,” he said. “I could be the heroic Paladin or thief who would pick your pocket, but heroically give his life to save his brother.
“As The DM (Dungeon Master), or game master, you have to play several different roles. One minute you’re the overbearing mother, the next you’re an ancient evil bent on world domination.
“As I worked through all this my fear went away and I tried out. I hope people watching feel the same way. I know that our first show was just like that. The whole audience was instantly on the players’ side, and you felt all the positive energy.”
Bringing it to TOTS
D&D’s continued popularity can be partly credited to YouTube. This last year, an Off-Broadway show called “Dungeons and Dragons The Twenty Sided Tavern” opened. Gillies said he watched what was released from it online and thought “Why can’t we do that?”
And so they did.
“We have talented actors who also love D&D. I contacted Jacqueline (Justice, TOTS president) and proposed the idea. She loved it,” Gillies said. “Jessie (James), our tech Guru and D&D enthusiast, joined in and we were on our way.
“We weren’t sure how well it would go, but after 25 people from all over the Metroplex showed up for our first audition, we thought we might have something.”
Gillies said the D&D game was chosen for its popularity, well-known name and it has an open license that allows for such a performance.
“Hasbro, the parent company, tried to close that recently, and found the hard way that it wasn’t a wise business decision,” Gillies said. “The fifth edition also lends itself to live shows. Easy to follow rules and strong role playing.”
Each evening’s session lasted a couple hours, just enough to keep them wanting more, Gillies said.
In between shows
Justice said having game night when there is no show is a great way to bring people into the theater, including some who might have never been there before.
“I think it challenges us by trying something new. We never want to stagnate as a theatre, so thinking outside of the box when it comes to the kinds of performances we produce is really good for us, creatively,” she said. “Part of our mission as a theatre is to show the public what theatre can be. Dungeons & Dragons works so well when the people who play it embrace theatricality, especially when it comes to ideas like characterization and improvisational skills.
“A good game of D&D in front of a live audience is theatre, even if it looks a little different than what people expect.”
TOTS board member Clara Moltz said she had never experienced Dungeons & Dragons outside of knowing her teens enjoy the game. But she said seeing the previous live game in April was exciting and easier to follow than she could have imagined.
“I have compared it to a choose-your-own-adventure story come to life when telling others about it,” she said. “In comparison to traditional theatre, there was a different level of audience interaction that really created a sense that everyone was part of the game. We were cheering for players, taking in the sting of a low roll of the dice, and holding our breath anticipating the next part of the story.”
Waiting for next time
As for upcoming games, Justice said they have to work around the TOTS performance and rehearsal schedule. She said they are currently looking at Nov. 11 for the next game night.
“Our schedule is super packed between now and then. We’ll also be opening up auditions for new players and possibly a new dungeon master for that one,” she said. “To fit this in, we generally try to find a Saturday when one of our plays is in rehearsal and the director of that particular play is okay with us using the stage,”
Gillies stressed to anyone interested and/or curious, you don’t even have to have ever played the game to participate.
“Don’t be intimidated because you don’t know D&D,” he said. “Enjoy the jokes, the characters, and the raw storytelling on display.
“D&D is open to everyone. All you need is an imagination.”
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