“Misery” loves company & audiences at Buck Creek

By GLENN DOBBS
A Seat on the Aisle

In the pantheon of Stephen King novels – and he has written an eye-popping 77 and still counting – Misery stands near the top. Published in 1987, it is ranked by Esquire magazine as his sixth-greatest of all time. Neil McRobert writes, “It’s King’s cleverest novel by far, and it looms above every other word he has written on the pleasure and pain of the creative life.”

Many of King’s stories have been made into movies but few translated to the screen quite as successfully as Misery. The 1990 film directed by Rob Reiner and written by William Goldman was a hit and made a star out of Kathy Bates, who took home the Academy Award for best actress.

The film was reimagined as a stage play first by Simon Moore and later by the film’s screen writer William Goldman. Unlike most films, the story lends itself to the theater in that the bulk of the action takes place in a small home. The isolation of the simple house allows you to focus on the characters more intimately.

The genius of Stephen King’s scary stories lies in his use of seemingly benign things and showing how truly frightening they can be. Things as banal as a garbage disposal, a scarecrow, a large dog, or a circus clown with a red balloon can transform into the stuff of nightmares.

Such is the case with the plot of Misery. There are no supernatural beings or mythical monsters here. A celebrated romance author is gravely injured in a car crash along an isolated snowy road and is rescued by a kind middle-aged woman who happens to be a nurse. What follows is a tale of horror that lingers long after the tale ends.

Lisa Banning steps into the titular role of Annie Wilkes. She attacks the part with the required energy and verve. When she changes from a sweet spinster to volatile sadist the result is startling. And that of course is the desired goal. This is a very difficult role for any actor and Ms. Banning embraces the challenge with relish.

Her patient – or victim – is the author Paul Sheldon. Mark Meyer accepts the task with the ferocity of a trapped animal. He is fighting for his survival against a larger than life foe. When Annie brutalizes him, we feel his suffering but are helpless to offer aid. She is “his biggest fan.” Such love is deadly and Mr. Meyer shows us his pain every step of the way.

The cast is rounded out by Aaron Beal who plays Sheriff Buster. Mr. Beal brings a genuine authenticity to his role and is a welcome relief from the relentlessly oppressive atmosphere during his brief scenes.

Conveying menace and terror on a stage is a tall order for any actor. Movies have the advantage of intense soundtracks, elaborate lighting, and forced perspectives to make the audience look in the direction the filmmaker desires. A stage play has a much more difficult task. Without such devices, the weight of keeping the sense of foreboding falls directly on the shoulders of the actor. Audiences often don’t know how to react to such scenes and will titter and shift uncomfortably to help them deal with tension. It is not easy.

Director Jeremy Tuterow has staged the show in an efficient 90 minutes. Any longer would be too much to bear. The special effects, including the famous “hobbling” scene are well conceived and effective. If I have one quibble it lies with the overly frequent blackouts. Dramatic tension builds only to be released too soon with the blackouts and the audience has to start all over again. I am not sure if this problem lies in the staging or it is how the script was written, but, for me, the frequency of them was often off-putting.

The set, designed by Susanne Bush, had a wonderful combination of Seventies-era kitsch mixed with cat lady vibe. I liked the use of the two rooms with the front door to keep the action moving. The lighting design as conceived by Ben Jones effectively brings a cold moody atmosphere to the story.

The cast enjoyed a full and responsive matinee audience on a stormy Indiana afternoon at the venerable Buck Creek Theatre. It is easy to see the loyalty and love Buck Creek has earned after delivering over 50 years of great theater here in Indianapolis. It was my first time here and I plan to come back.

Bottom line: An effective thriller well executed by the actors and production team. Worth the trip to see for yourself.

Editor’s note: Three more performances are scheduled: Friday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 6 at 2:30 p.m. Get tickets at BuckCreekPlayers.com.

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