Review: MISERY Hobbles Along at Dirt Dogs

MISERY is an example of the best of Stephen King's books, and the film adaptation stands as one of the most faithful to its source material. The narrative lends itself to a play since it can be contained with two characters and a single set for most of the running time. It relies on character performance more than King's supernatural tales, so no need for vampires, sewer clowns, rabid dogs or killer cars. It was a Broadway show featuring Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf back in 2015, and the rights have recently been released regionally for local theater companies. That Dirt Dogs would choose it for their "season of love" makes perfect sense. As a company they have made a name for themselves by creating plays fueled by testosterone laden energy and provocative rough language. There is an intensity and violence that suggests MISERY would be a perfect project for them, and indeed this production proves that assumption mostly correct.

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Most audiences will be all too familiar with the premise of a gothic romance novelist crashing his car in Colorado only to awaken in the care of his "number one fan." Writer Paul Sheldon becomes the unwitting prisoner of an ex-nurse struggling with bipolar disorder and extreme depression named Annie Wilkes. At first what seems like a stroke of good luck in a snow storm turns into a nightmare of violence and mentally unstable games where the author finds himself fighting for his art and his life as Annie forces him to write a new book with her vision. The action takes place in 1987, so no easy cell phone solutions here. The injured author has to take on a woman determined to trap him forever.

The play MISERY is by the original movie screenwriter William Goldman, and it does not stray far from the film that starred Kathy Bates and James Caan. Broadway reviews suggested the action was too far from the audience, so the claustrophobia of the film could not be captured. Director Curtis Barber has placed this production of MISERY in one of the smallest of the MATCH complex auditoriums, so that the audience will be feet away at any given moment. Mark Lewis trims his set to simply a bedroom, a front door, and a hallway we never truly see in full. Jon Harvey's incredible sound design kicks in at key points to create storms, and an eerie sense of tension at all the right moments. John Baker creates an ominous light grid that pinpoints objects with precision adding to the play a cinematic sense of thrills. Technically this MISERY is a joy to see come to life, and it's a handsome show that rivals the best of Houston theater.

In the Artistic Director's notes there is mention two cast members had to drop from MISERY early on in the rehearsal process - Lyndsay Sweeney and Kevin Daugherty. One can only imagine how powerful those two would be, and the show is dedicated to them. In a deft move Dirt Dog's replaced these two with the company's Artistic and Executive Director - Malinda L. Beckham and Trevor Cone. In real life, the two leads are married. So you have two veteran actors who already have a deep connection stepping into the roles. Jeffrey Merriman also does a fine job with the small sheriff role that gets a spectacular part in the climax.

Trevor's Paul Sheldon is a thankless part who has to spend 95% of the show either in a bed or in a wheelchair. Trevor grunts, groans, and moans in pain throughout the runtime. He is a convincing victim of both injuries and Annie. He plays the elitist smarmy parts of Paul quite well, and everything is intact from what you have witnessed before. What he brings in new is an almost romantic interest and appreciation of Annie. There are times the author expresses admiration for his captor, and these ring more than machinations of a man trying to save himself. It adds a new layer to Sheldon, and it's neat to see. It becomes a delightfully eerie nuance for Paul Sheldon to have him just a little turned on by Annie.

Malinda's Annie Wilkes is far more reserved than her screen predecessor or book version. She seems to seethe rather than boil over, and this is a mousy more frail version of the character. She's quieter and far more calculated rather than just prone to outburst. Malinda has mastered the art of the "door scare" where she creates a moment simply by standing in a frame with a frightening blank look on her countenance. You can feel her wheels turning onto a more devilish path. Her seemingly fragile surface throughout did make it a wonder Annie could heft a man like Paul around in the snow, but it does up the creep factor and distances her from Kathy Bates. And this approach makes it easier to feel like Paul might see some attraction to Annie. The two have a chemistry few actors could manage to pull off in this vehicle where most would simply play cat and mouse. This is almost Annie Wilkes by way of the Bronte sisters, and that actually makes some sense given that the character is obsessed with romance novels.

The actors are adept in their roles, but there are times when MISERY feels more camp than thriller. The violence is paced much slower than the film, and that is probably to ensure neither participant is actually hurt onstage. But with the set in a three quarter thrust configuration with audiences feet away on three sides, the fights look far too choreographed and not as effective as they could be. We never get the sense of danger other mediums convey, and that means some of the more contrived dialogue comes off unintentionally funny. It could be a problem inherent in the script. Goldman seems to have changed very few of the exchanges from the film, and that prevents any of this from feeling fresh or new. I often wondered what purpose this stage version was created for? Why couldn't MISERY do more of a deep dive into these two rather than have them do the same dance we know?

In the end MISERY is just fun to sit back and watch, a spooky story around a campfire that we know. Like any Stephen King tale, it has an ick factor that also entertains. The Dirt Dogs production is technically as good as it can get with incredible lighting and sound design. You couldn't ask for more cinematic appeal. The two leads add an element of real attraction to each other that makes MISERY even more disturbing on some levels. The book and the movie are far more rough with the violence, and that sometimes makes this stage adaptation feel campy or operatic. But would Paul Sheldon's Misery Chastain have it any other way? A little Gothic romance never hurt anyone... but then again "too much of anything can kill you." And here at Dirt Dogs, it is far too much love that can do it.

MISERY runs at the MATCH complex through March 18th. It is split into two acts with an approximate run time of two hours. Parking around the MATCH includes street and garage options. Be aware that prices may be higher for paid parking due to Rodeo season.

Photo provided by Gary Griffin.

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