Going dark
When it comes to revenge comedy there is dark, and there is duct taping a domestic abuser husband to a recliner to be eaten by bears dark.
If you couldn’t guess by the title, “Exit, Pursued By a Bear,” by Lauren Gunderson falls solidly into the second category. It is being performed by the cast of The Yucca Club located on Main Street in Medford and opened last weekend to a large crowd of enthusiastic fans of local, live theater. The show is scheduled to have a three-weekend run in Medford with shows scheduled for April 3, 5, 10 and 12.
Last Saturday night, my family and I braved the sloppy weather and took in the show. We have been to past performances at the Yucca Club and look forward to attending many more performances there in the future. The show did not disappoint nor did it shy away from presenting the very real cycle of abuse and reconciliation and abuse until the victim of the abuse is able to escape the situation and find a new start. Hopefully real-life victims of abuse can get help through agencies like Stepping Stones and with the help of law enforcement and the courts and not have to resort to elaborate bearassisted solutions.
The setting of “Exit, Pursued By a Bear” is at a small one-bedroom home in the North Georgia Mountains where Nan Carter, played by Mel Heier, lives with her husband Kyle Carter, played by Jon Kapfhamer. The living room of that home is where almost all the action of the play takes place and where the audience witnesses Nan getting abused by Kyle and the elaborate and flairfilled revenge plot hatched by Nan with the help of her stripper friend Sweetheart (who goes by the stage name Peaches), played by Häven Epstein, her literal cheerleader best friend Simon Beufort, played by Doug Gasek and an extensive collection of quotations from President Jimmy Carter.
The play is directed by Jessica Scott with Rich Wirz, Jessica Scott, Joe Scott, Jill Fortin, Mike Beebe, and Caden Miller among the people who worked their magic before and during the show to make it a success.
The small cast brings a lot of talent and energy to the show. Given the intimate closeness of the Yucca Club’s theater space, the audience is immersed into the show with the feel of sharing the same space as the actors.
As with all live theater, especially those dealing with topics such as domestic abuse and revenge, “Exit, Pursued By a Bear” is not for everyone. The play includes adult language.
In her director’s notes, Jessica Scott wrote, “The first time I read this play, I was struck by its raw emotion. As a director, who has endured domestic violence, I wanted to highlight the moment a victim says “No More” because that is the exact moment we take our power back from our abuser. Nan does just that as she renders Kyle helpless . . . but with flair.”
I have a great deal of respect for anyone involved with local live theater, and have special respect for those who are willing to take on the edgier roles in productions like those at the Yucca Club. It is one thing to stand up in front of anonymous strangers and perform, it is an entirely different level to stand up in front of family and friends in your community and bring characters to life.
The Yucca Club performances aren’t the only theater goings on in town. On April 9, the Medford Theater Department opens the doors on Hadestown, a modern musical retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Unlike typical high school musical theater, Hadestown is still going strong on Broadway and on nationwide tours.
I got a sneak peek of the performance when taking pictures for this week’s paper and am excited about seeing it when it opens next week.
This area has an abundance of talented singers, dancers and performers. It is refreshing to see that the arts are very much alive and are part of the local community.
Brian Wilson is News Editor at The Star News. Contact Brian at BrianWilson@centralwinews.com.
