PlayMakers Rep's Rendition of Stephen King's Misery Is Perfect Friday the 13th Fare
This article was published in the Triangle Review on 14 October 2023.
It seems predestined that PlayMakers Repertory Company's opening-night performance of Misery, William Goldman's hair-raising 2012 stage adaptation of the 1987 psychological horror novel by Stephen King, would officially open on Friday the 13th. Goldman adapted Misery from the 1990 film for which Kathy Bates won an Academy Award® and a Golden Globe.
Unlike King's earlier novels that involve supernatural circumstances, Misery centers on the all-too-human relationship between two characters: romance novelist Paul Sheldon (played at PlayMakers by Karl Kenzler) and the woman who rescues him from deadly circumstances. After finishing what he considers his magnum opus -- a novel having nothing to do with Misery Chastain, the protagonist of his wildly popular historical fiction series -- Paul leaves his rural writing retreat in Colorado during a blizzard and is seriously injured in a car accident.
Lucky for him, a former nurse named Annie Wilkes (played by Julia Gibson) sees his car before it is covered in snow, pulls Paul out, and brings him to her secluded rural home, where she treats his injuries and gives him pain medication.
Soon, Paul realizes that his self-proclaimed "number-one fan" never intends to release him. Annie is mentally unstable, and prone to violent mood swings, forcing Paul to indulge in her childlike whims. The plot is obviously ripe for a horror film, with shocking jump cuts and suspenseful camera angles, but live theater?
McKay Coble's set is a three-dimensional, life-sized model of Annie's house: a foyer; bedroom; roomy kitchen with a real sink, oven, and refrigerator; and dining/family room with floor-to-ceiling shelves holding porcelain figurines, framed photographs, and other details emanating Annie's character. The set rotates between and during scenes, so everyone in attendance gets a full view as the two main characters reveal themselves to one another.
That the set is splendid should come as no surprise, given the history of scenic designer McKay Coble, who has worked on numerous PlayMakers (and other) productions, eight Broadway productions, and seven films, including Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Ghostbusters, Silkwood, and Places in the Heart.
Tao Wong's lighting is dappled, multicolored, and ominously beautiful in the twilight between scenes, and perfectly ambient during the characters' interactions, illuminating facial expressions with substantial effect. At several points, lightning flashes with such instantaneous visual force that it seems it might start raining right there in the theater.
Lighting designer Tao Wang's expertise spans Japan, South Africa, France, China, and the United States, including the "Kite Girl" segment in the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. He is expert in his use of task and accent lighting and creates a chiaroscuro in PlayMakers' production of Misery that rivals medieval paintings.
The third corner of this production's creative triangle, sound designer and composer Kate Marvin, is a New York-based sound designer, composer, and musician. Her talent for making music using "found sounds and everyday objects" is most evident in the audio-simulated crash and booming thunder that accompanies Tao Wong's lightning. The production would not be the same without her.
Julia Gibson portrays Annie similarly to Kathy Bates in the 1990 film version of Misery, which is to say convincingly -- and without the benefits of multiple film angles and takes. The way Gibson slips between Annie's childlike and Mommie Dearest personalities makes you wonder if she's not mentally disturbed in real life. (Gibson has performed in at least 18 PlayMakers Repertory Company shows as a company member, so fortunately the audience knows better.)
Karl Kenzler's New York theater, television and film career shines through his PlayMakers debut performance as author Paul Sheldon. At times modest in the glow of his fame, at others fearfully investigative in his desire to escape, Kenzler is a compelling imprisoned author. His uncomfortably realistic portrayal of the pain inflicted by Paul's severe injuries is, perhaps, his most powerful artistic tool. It doesn't hurt that, when revealed to the audience, Paul's broken legs are incredibly realistic -- thumbs up to costume designer Grier Coleman.
Director Jeffrey Meanza, who is also PlayMakers Rep's associate artistic director, should be proud of his accomplishment in PlayMakers' production of Misery. Not only are the set, lighting, sound, and costume design top notch; but the characters' inner feelings and thoughts are visible in a way that cannot be accomplished without effectively passionate direction. It's clear throughout the play that PlayMakers Rep's presentation of Misery is a team effort, and PlayMakers makes you a part of that team the minute you walk into the Paul Green Theatre. Adding this to the near-guaranteed thrill of Stephen King's scary storytelling, how can you miss it?
