Shakespearean guerrillas take on the zoo of Chapman

Collage by Easton Clark, Editor of Photography

On any given day at Chapman University, students rush to class. Headphones in ears, coffee in hands and backpacks over shoulders. Then suddenly, a voice rises above the noise. Conversations pause. Heads turn. The student body looks on as the Guerrilla Shakespeare club begins another unconventional theatrical performance, transforming a normal afternoon into something magical.

In redefining what a stage can be, Guerrilla Shakespeare tests the boundary between passerby and performer, where sidewalks become scenes and students become ensemble.

“Our stage is just our whole campus,” said the treasurer, junior theatre theater major Julia Wells. “(Shakespeare’s) whole thing is for the masses. We try to keep our shows free and donation-based. We do it outside, bringing it to the public in as many ways as we possibly can.”

Productions take place in various locations across campus, often moving between multiple spots during a single performance. 

Publicist and junior theatre major Ava Rudesill said performances outside pose a unique set of challenges for actors. Between unexpected weather changes and guests entering the stage, performers must remain flexible and follow the wind where it takes them. 

“In theater, you have to be really vulnerable, and there's an audience — but performing outside, you truly have to have no shame, and you have to be willing to do everything that you would normally do in the safety of some walls (but) outside,” said Rudesil. “I think it gets rid of a lot of stage fright.”

Along with building confidence, co-president and senior theatre major Victoria Hess said performing outside enforces adaptability to unconventional circumstances. 

“Being okay with the distractions of people around you and getting over the embarrassment of being outside and performing with random people walking by, but things happen,” Hess said. 

Unexpected campus events can require the performers to think on their feet and problem-solve mid-show. 

“We’re all running around with earphones in to talk to each other, because we're often across campus, and just trying to communicate that there were people at events (on campus) and that we couldn't move the show where we wanted it to be,” said outreach manager and senior theatre performance major, Charlotte Burchetta.

Even with the unpredictability, members embrace the chaos as part of the fun. 

“We get to storm the Chapman campus, and we were yelling and screaming and running up this hill, and it was so much fun, and it encapsulates a lot of what we do … you can't have shame when you're running around screaming as a large horde,” Rudesill said. 

Community is a major draw for the club. Guerrilla Shakespeare becomes more than just a performance opportunity; it becomes a haven for the performers where they can explore characters, and above that, their own individual creative voice.

“What brought me in the first place was the people — and what keeps me coming back — is the people…It's just a big group of nerds who just have so much fun together,” Wells said. 

And this connection extends beyond the performances. For some, being part of the community began shaping their college experience from the start. 

“I remember making so many friends, and it helped me get really acquainted with the department and the people in the department, which left me with lasting friendships that I still have,” Burchetta said. 

The club invokes a sense of community in the audience as well.

“During the show, we want (the audience) to have a good time. We want them to feel connected to the story or to the characters, or to learn something new,” Burchetta said. “As long as everyone takes away something and is entertained and enjoys themselves, that's our goal.” 

Taking part in campus culture demands constant motion. Yet Guerrilla Shakespeare offers something rare: a reason to stop. From lectures to homework and deadlines, it creates moments where art interrupts routine. It gives students a reason to pause, to laugh and, for some, a place to belong.