From left to right: Robert Holmer ’28 as Kyle Carter, Quinn Setchko ’27 as Simon Beaufort, Katie Castillo ’26 as Nan Carter and Shannon Speaker ’29 as Sweetheart during Santa Clara University’s production of“Exit, Pursued by a Bear.” **(Christian Pizzirani; Courtesy of SCU Presents)**

In Santa Clara University’s production of“Exit, Pursued by a Bear,” revenge is not quiet. For the main character, Nan Carter, it involves duct tape, honey, raw meat and of course, a bear.

Originally written by Lauren Gunderson, the dark comedy follows Nan, a woman who decides to teach her abusive husband, Kyle, a lesson. With the help of her longtime best friend Simon and aspiring actress Sweetheart, Nan tapes Kyle to a chair and forces him to watch reenactments of their painful past.

For the University’s production, directed by JanLee Marshall, the story’s mix of comedy and violence creates a performance that is both uncomfortable and exciting. The audience sits with the pain Nan has faced in her marriage while also laughing at the absurdity unfolding onstage.

“It’s a funny play about a not-so-funny topic of domestic violence,” said Marshall. Although the play is only about 80 minutes long and features just four actors, it carries a great deal of weight.

“Sure, you can call it a little play, but to me, it’s very big in what it is holding,” said Marshall. “It is a pretty heavy lift in terms of what is asked of the actors.”

With a small cast and emotionally intense material, the production required trust, focus and vulnerability from the actors.

“It was really collaborative,” said Katie Castillo ’26, who played the leading role of Nan Carter. “It was a very small cast, so we really got to know each other.”

Castillo said the cast had to be emotionally open with one another because of the intensity of the subject matter.

“It took a lot of emotional vulnerability with one another,” said Castillo. “We all had to be on our A-game all the time.”

For Castillo, playing Nan meant portraying someone who is not only seeking revenge, but also trying to rediscover herself after years of survival.

From left to right: Robert Holmer and Katie Castillo. **(Christian Pizzirani; Courtesy of SCU Presents)**

“Nan is rediscovering who she is,” said Castillo. “She was surviving for a long time, but she’s finally living.”

Nan’s journey is not simple. Throughout the play, she is funny and determined, but also hurt, scared and unsure of her own strength.

“She doesn’t even fully realize herself in her own power and doesn’t know who she is yet,” said Castillo. “It’s all about becoming and reclaiming her own agency in her life.”

Castillo also explained how Marshall’s direction helped shape the transformation of her character. As rehearsals progressed, Marshall encouraged Castillo to let go of herself and fully step into Nan’s world.

“JanLee would constantly tell me to ‘Nanify,’ to lose my Katie and just become more Nan,” said Castillo.

The production also became meaningful in Castillo’s own life. As a graduating senior, this was her final bow at Santa Clara University’s Department of Theatre and Dance.

“It’s been so incredible, but it’s also bittersweet,” said Castillo. “I feel this insane, intense amount of gratitude in my heart, and I say every day, I’m so lucky to be here at Santa Clara.”

For Castillo, the production served as a reminder of what theater can do. Even with its humor and absurdity, the play uses storytelling to make audiences think about survival, support and personal agency.

“This production really has helped me see the power that storytelling has,” said Castillo.

That power came from the cast’s ability to keep the show moving without losing sight of its emotional center.

For Marshall, the challenge was not only helping the actors handle the emotional weight of the show but also ensuring the production maintained its momentum. With four actors onstage for almost the entire 80 minutes, the cast had little time to step away and take a breath.

“I think the biggest sort of hurdle was getting everything down and building that stamina for the actors to be able to get through it,” said Marshall.

Marshall said the play remains relevant for college students, especially as many navigate serious relationships. Beneath the comedy, “Exit, Pursued by a Bear” asks audiences to recognize the warning signs of abuse and the importance of support systems.

“It demonstrates the power of friendship and the power that anyone should be able to feel empowered to leave a situation that is dangerous and violent,” said Marshall.

From left to right: Shannon Speaker, Katie Castillo and Quinn Setchko. **(Christian Pizzirani; Courtesy of SCU Presents)**

By the end of the production, the duct tape, honey, raw meat and bear are more than absurd comedic details. They become part of Nan’s way of reclaiming her story.

For the University’s production, comedy does not soften the seriousness of domestic violence. Instead, it gives the audience a way to sit with the discomfort, laugh at the chaos and watch Nan move from surviving to living.