(Photo by Timothy Huls)
Reviewed by Katy Kragel
RD Studio
Through October 11
PJ King (Photo by Timothy Huls)
William Shakespeare. Jimmy Carter. And bears? Oh my!
Inspired by the classical drama of William Shakespeare, Nan Carter (Corinne Shor) — a Jimmy Carter enthusiast – duct tapes her abusive husband to a chair with the help of Sweetheart
(Jessica Lea Risco), an aspiring actor and current stripper. They re-enact moments from the abusive relationship in an effort to make Kyle Carter (PJ King) see the error of his ways. Eventually joined by her gay best friend, Simon (Russell Kohlmann), the three perform together right before they plan to surround Kyle with raw meat and wait for the bears to come for him…
Exit, Pursued by a Bear by Lauren Gunderson — the title is a direct line from Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale — is just about as chaotic as it sounds. As absurd as you can get, this dark comedy at times feels like a prolonged SNL sketch. The setting, in rural Georgia, on the Fourth of July, underscores the combination of these endearing and entertaining but caricature-heavy characters with an out-there plot. These characters fit every stereotype in the book, complete with thick Southern accents.
Staged by the artist collective All New People, this particular production is a team effort led by producer Timothy Huls and director Danielle Swanson. The detailed set and costume design immediately drop us into the unique world of this play. Red, white, and blue paper streamers on the ceiling, a framed photo of Jimmy Carter, a Georgia Bulldogs flag on the wall — the setting feels like a character all its own, and a rather Southern one at that.
While the ridiculous circumstances are the heart of this show, some of the more important moments come from the nuanced, complicated interactions between the different characters. The over-the-top comedic moments are entertaining, but ultimately, this is a show about domestic violence. In certain scenes, especially between Nan and Kyle, that reality sinks in, and it is impactful, but it could’ve been more present throughout the entire show.
As Kyle Carter, PJ King delivers an impeccable performance, achieving a beautiful balance between satirical caricature and nuanced reality.
As in any comedy, momentum plays a big part in moving the story along and keeping the audience engaged. While the actors do a phenomenal job in this regard, their onstage movement is limited to a single plane. This limitation weighs down the pace and energy of the show. For a true rollercoaster of a story, the staging should complement the material.
RD Studio, 5508 Cahuenga Blvd. Sat. and Sun., 7:30 pm, September 20-October 11 https://tinyurl.com/yc4bzd4f Runtime: eighty minutes with no intermission.
