Revenge is a dish best served with honey

It’s Independence Day, and Nan Carter is about to throw one seriously wild party.

Her comedic take on revenge is what Lauren Gunderson’s “Exit, Pursued by a Bear,” is all about. The Warren Wilson Theatre production of the “Not Suitable for Children” 2015-16 season is directed by Candace Taylor and runs Oct. 8-11 on campus.

Nan is fed up with her life and the spirit-crushing abuse of her drunken husband, Kyle. After a chance encounter sparks an unlikely friendship with a Shakespearean actress turned stripper, Nan finds the strength to take charge of her future and leave Kyle, but not before teaching him a lesson he’ll never forget.

With the help of her best friend Simon, new friend Sweetheart, idol Jimmy Carter and the Bard’s most famous stage direction, Nan sets out to give Kyle exactly what he deserves. With biting humor, keen observations on romance vs. reality, and razor-witted affirmations of friendship and self-love, “Exit, Pursued by a Bear” turns an incisive light on the topic of spousal abuse.

Taylor, director and theater department chair, works with actors from the Warren Wilson community to bring Gunderson’s vibrant characters to the stage. Technical director Don Baker’s set design reflects the difficult circumstances that have brought Nan to her wits’ end.

Performances are open to all but not recommended for children under the age of 13.

Sweet, sweet revenge

What: Exit, Pursued by a Bear

Where: Kittredge Theatre at Warren Wilson College

When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8-10, 2:30 p.m. Oct. 11

Cost: $10 public

More: (828) 771-3040