hat do buckets of water, light saber duels, a giant pirate skull, lemons, a rubber chicken, and William Shakespeare have in common?  Willy’s Wily Wenches, of course! 

Willy’s Wily Wenches is an all female comedy group that specializes in Shakespearean farces.  They are a high energy group with something for everyone.  They pride themselves on the amount of audience participation their act encourages and are often rewarded for their comedic efforts with raucous laughter and applause from those lucky enough to see them perform.

Willy’s Wily Wenches formed in the spring of 2007 and had their first performance at the Rendependence Day Joust Tournament at the Four Winds Fairegrounds in East Texas within months.  Immediately after performing their first show it became apparent that Willy’s Wily Wenches was going to be one of the performers on the main stage during the 2008 season of the Four Winds Faire. 

This talented group of actresses have been delighting crowds ever since with their wonderful senses of humor and their unique ability to make Shakespeare easy to understand and entertaining! With over 20 years of combined theatre experience, it's no wonder that people come from miles around to see them perform.

William Shakespeare Thadeus Beauregarde Chicken III, or simply Boo Boo Chicken for short, is Willy's Wily Wenches unofficial official mascot.  His past remains a mystery as he is rather close-beaked on the subject.  His future with the group is assured, however.  He can often be seen making cameo appearances on stage with the group.  In fact, he's become such an integral part of Willy's Wily Wenches that the wenches can't imagine performing without him!

Cheri Hughes, or Minerva T. Bodise (MT for short!), is the most recent addition to Willy's Wily Wenches.  A natural born actress, she has taken to the stage like a wench takes to a handsome lad with a tankard of ale!  A mother and nature lover, her enthusiasm for the group is downright contagious.  Willy's Wily Wenches is proud and very blessed to have her as a member of the troupe.

Jennifer Chapman, the talented actress behind Anita Mann, has been involved in theatre since she was ten years old.  She performed in theatre throughout high school and is continuing to perform in theatre now that she is in college.  She was involved in the International Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2003.  She was most recently seen in a production of "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum" at the Tyler Civic Theatre Center in Tyler, TX.

Kim Schaeffer, also known as Ima Teese when performing with Willy’s Wily Wenches, graduated from the University of Texas at Tyler with a Bachelor's in Fine Arts in 2008.  She was involved with the Texas Renaissance Festival for three years before making the move to East Texas.  Like the other members of the group, she was involved for several years as a cast member at the Four Winds Faire before making the jump to Willy's Wily Wenches.

Shannon Arrant, the actress who plays Buxey Blaze and is director/ manager of the group, has been involved in theatre for roughly 10 years in various capacities both onstage and off.  From providing well over a hundred costumes for a production of “Bye Bye Birdie” at the Coronado Playhouse in San Diego, CA to starring as Lenny in a production of “Crimes of the Heart” at the Tyler Civic Theatre in Tyler, TX, she has done it all in theatre.  She spent several years on cast at the Four Winds Faire before founding Willy's Wily Wenches.  In addition to performing on stage, she has branched out into film, serving as an extra on Spider-Man, writing several screenplays, and working in various capacities on independent films.  In July of 2008, she was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease similar to Multiple Sclerosis known as Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP).  While occasionally her health keeps her from being onstage as much as she'd like, she's always very active behind the scenes.