Exit, Pursued by a Bear
By Lauren Gunderson
A dark revenge comedy
August 16 – September 8, 2024
Thursday-Saturday @ 8pm
Saturday-Sunday @ 2pm
Directed by Kira Blaskovich
After years of abuse, Nan is finally ready to teach her abusive husband Kyle a lesson. With some assistance by her longtime best friend Simon (acting as her emotional, and actual, cheerleader) and an optimistic stripper named Sweetheart, Nan wants to make Kyle understand what he’s done is wrong before taking her final revenge. They hatch a plan inspired by Shakespeare’s immortal stage direction in The Winter’s Tale: “Exit, pursued by a bear.” With a flair for theatrics, the group tapes a drunk Kyle to a chair and reenact scenes from the couple’s painful past. In the piece de resistance, they plan to cover the room in meat and honey so Kyle will be mauled by a bear.
Through this night of emotional trials and ridiculous theatrics, Nan and Kyle are both freed from their past in this dark and smart revenge comedy.
Subtitled as “A Revenge Comedy,” Gunderson delivers nothing less, as the fast paced action screams towards Kyle’s fate. As the laughs roll, Gunderson cleverly confronts the issue of domestic abuse but at the same time walks the fine line between painful tragedy and unseemly comedy by examining multiple perspectives of those involved, each flawed, contradictory, and human.
Exit, Pursued by a Bear is the first of three plays in the author’s “Shakespeare Cycle”, a series of contemporary comedies based on Shakespeare’s plays. Other plays in the series include Toil and Trouble and The Taming.
Cast Bios:
RAYMOND EVANS (Kyle/Simon u/s) began acting in kindergarten and has performed in well over 30 stage productions. His recent roles include the suave Manolo in The Odd Couple: Female Version (Lamplighters), the sometimes-zealous Reverend Hale in The Crucible (Lamplighters – Aubrey nominated), and the wide-eyed Leonard Vole in Witness for the Prosecution (PowPAC). Inspired by his favorite play, Children of a Lesser God, he learned ASL and deeply enjoys the richness and beauty of Deaf culture.
JILLIAN JONES (Sweetheart/Peaches/Superkyle) is delighted to be back at CPH this year! She is a graduate of San Diego State University where she received a B.A. in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Performance. Favorite acting credits include All Bark, No Bite (Coronado Playhouse); Fidelity (Scripps Ranch Theatre); You Will Get Used To It (Cygnet); Actually (San Diego State); Stupid F*cking Bird (Skull & Dagger Dramatic Society); Taming of the Shrew and Blood Wedding (Stagehouse Theatre). She would like to thank her cast mates and the entire creative team for creating a home away from home and a place to finally, professionally strip. Enjoy the show!
ISAI LUNA (Simon) is very excited to be back at Coronado Playhouse, he was last seen in Hay Fever as Sandy Tyrell. His favorite credits include Bombs Over Everything!, Ripcord, Bus Stop, The Taming of the Shrew, Sonnets for an Old Century, Lorca’s Blood Wedding, Stupid F*cking Bird, Dear Harvey and Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower. He would like to thank his friends and family for all the support.
ERIC PETERSON (Kyle) is somewhere in his 30’s. He has blue eyes, brown hair, (kind of), and a job that pays him in U.S. currency here in San Diego. Perhaps you’ve seen Eric somewhere in a show around town. Or perhaps you haven’t, either way, Eric is beyond excited to work with Coronado Playhouse again, and beside such an amazingly talented group of people! Please enjoy the show!
RUTH RUSSELL (Nan, Sweetheart u/s) is excited to be back at CPH with this lovely cast and crew. She was last seen at here in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Ruth studied acting at the University of St Thomas and has trained locally with Jacqueline Ritz, Justin Lang and Jo Anne Glover. Favorite roles: Lucy Westenra in Dracula (CPH), Myra Bruhl in Deathtrap (Lamplighters), Arlene Moss in Rose and Walsh (PLP, Aubrey Award winner), Abigail Williams in The Crucible, and Daisy Lawrence in Return Engagements (Scripps Ranch Theatre). tinyurl.com/RuthRussellActor and IG: @theruthrussell
KAITLYN SUMMERS (Nan) is very excited to be back at CPH and digging her claws into this show! Credits include: Erato in Xanadu, Nine, Jenny in Big Fish, Bebe in A Chorus Line (Coronado Playhouse); Malt Shop Memories (Vista’s Broadway Theatre); Magenta/Usherette in Rocky Horror, Sarah in Assassins, American Idiot, Hair, Little Becky in Urinetown, (OB Playhouse); Marta in Spring Awakening (OnStage Playhouse); The Deadly Singer Mystery (Playroom NYC). Lots of love and thanks to her amazing family and friends for all their support!
Production Bios:
KIRA BLASKOVICH (Director) is incredibly proud of everyone involved in this production. This show is her second directorial project at Coronado, having directed Ripcord last year. You might have seen her perform in Coronado’s Clue, The Old Man in the Old Moon, and Macbeth, all directed by the amazing Desha Crownover. Other favorite directing credits in San Diego include Witness for the Prosecution (PowPAC) and Anything Goes (STA). Kira has been in the performing arts for over 25 years working as an actor, director, playwright, musical director, choreographer, and teacher. Her award-winning acting and directing credits include over 65 shows, from Fringe Festivals to major regional theatres. Kira received her BFA in Dramatic Art from the University of California at Berkeley and her MFA from The American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco. Special thank you to Gaby, her incredible stage manager, and love to her family, always and forever – MTL.
GABRIELLA MENDOZA (Stage Manager) is excited to stage manage her first show for Coronado Playhouse. Past stage management credits include: Puffs at Fenix Theatre Collaborative (2022), Puffs at The Eastern (2019), and the annual Showcase at UCLA HOOLIGAN Theatre Company (2016). Performance credits at CPH include: Ensemble in Tuck Everlasting (2024), Muse Swing in Xanadu (2023), Ensemble in The SpongeBob Musical (2022), and Hot Box Girl in Guys and Dolls (2019).
FRANK SEED (Scenic Designer) is excited to create another world for Coronado Playhouse! He started his time here as the Scenic Designer for Xanadu last October while he was going into his senior year at university. He now has his degree in theatre from UCSD where he worked designing some new plays in the Wagner New Play Festival and the dance show Winter Works. Other Credits: The 39 Steps (New Village Arts) and Letters From Home (WOW Festival). He hopes you enjoy your trip to Dahlonega, Georgia!
JAMIE KRUMENACKER (Costume Designer) This show would be her first professional show. Currently in community college, she has always loved the performing arts. She has done many high school theater productions: This includes The Outsiders (ensemble), Testing Testing (ensemble), The Drowsy Chaperone (supporting), The Brother’s Grim, Spectacularthon (Narrator), Moana (supporting), Poison Pens (lead), and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (ensemble and assistant director). When starting out in college, she embraced more of the technical aspect of theater. Starting with: Freaky Friday (wig designer and run crew), Lost Girl (makeup designer and run crew), Our Town (Supporting and Costume construction).
KYLE WATERMAN (Lighting Design) is excited to be back at the light board after last designing lighting for CPH’s Macbeth in 2018, for which he received a Star Award. Previously this season, Kyle could be seen running lights for Nine, and performing in Tuck Everlasting, for which he also designed the set. A Michigan native, Kyle has designed, choreographed, stage managed, and performed for many theatre companies and schools across the country before landing in San Diego. Some favorite credits include Evil Dead: The Musical (Whole Art Theatre), The Addams Family (Theatre Memphis), All Shook Up (Kalamazoo Civic Theatre) and Jane Eyre (Farmers Alley Theatre).
STEVE MURDOCK (Sound/Video Design) Steve has designed, directed, or performed in over 100 productions to date. Steve’s last project for CPH was Ripcord. He recently directed productions of Death by Design, and Another Antigone. He most recently appeared as Terrence in Passing Conversations, and may currently be seen in Vantage Theater’s Best Laid Plans at the 10th Avenue Arts Center. Steve also performs recurring roles on audio dramas including Rex Rivetter, Private Eye, and October’s Children.
Press images by Ken Jacques
Ticket Pricing:
SINGLE TICKETS: $27 all performances.
$3 Active Military, Student & Senior Discounts. Group rates available for parties of 8 or more (pricing will automatically adjust when 8 or more adult tickets are purchased together. Group rates only apply to adult ticket pricing).
For more information contact the box office at (619) 435-4856 or email boxoffice@coronadoplayhouse.com.
Special Events:
There are no special events currently scheduled for this production.
Community Spotlight:
Community Theatre is made by, with and for the community in which it is performed. Coronado Playhouse is committed to pursuing community theatre in the truest sense of the words by giving back to the people of San Diego County and Coronado and using our public platform to help those in need.
Community partnership information will be posted here if available.
Exit, Pursued by a Bear in the news
“The dark humor is as thick as the Georgia accents.” – San Diego Jewish World
“…charming and fortifying…” – San Diego Jewish World
“Exit, Pursued by a Bear demonstrates that sometimes, through honest introspection we can create a new, more positive trajectory in our lives.” – San Diego Jewish World
“Bear is raw and hilarious.” – American Theatre Magazine
“If the Coen Brothers decided to set a feminist revenge tale in Atlanta and sprinkle it with Dixie Chicks pixie dust, it might look something like Exit, Pursued by a Bear, a raucous comedy of friendship, domestic abuse, and performance-as-catharsis.” – ArtsCritic Atlanta
“Funny-as-hell.” – TheatreJones.com
“Gunderson is one of the most creative and entertaining playwrights in America.” – Dallas Morning News
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