Having worked in the book industry for nearly a decade back in my early post-college days, I had the great fortune of not only meeting Stephen King when my local bookstore (remember those?) hosted the celebrated author during a signing. I also saw him and fellow authors Amy Tan, Mitch Albom, Dave Barry, Matt Groening, Scott Turow and others perform their unique music talents under the band name Rock Bottom Remainders during that same time. Plus, who doesn’t love a good Stephen King story, so when I heard Playhouse 615 was presenting the Tennessee premiere of William Goldman’s stage adaptation of Misery, based on King’s 1987 bestseller that then became a hugely successful 1990 film, I was intrigued to say the least. Having opened earlier this month, the show wraps its run this weekend with performances Friday and Saturday evenings June 17 and 18 at 7:30p.m. and a final matinee at 2:30p.m. on Sunday, June 19.
I dare say if you’ve not read Misery, chances are you may have seen the movie. Full disclosure: while I absolutely devoured the book when it was release in ’87, I somehow never saw Kathy Bates’ Oscar-winning turn as Annie Wilkes opposite James Caan’s Paul Sheldon. I also had sort of forgotten that the stage version even existed, even though the 2015 Broadway run starred Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf. The latter of which received a Tony nomination for her performance.
Considering it has been thirty something years since I read the source material, when my friends and I attended a Playhouse 615’s Sunday matinee, I pretty much entered the theatre not knowing what to expect. I gotta admit, I was pleasantly surprised. Playhouse 615, located in a tiny strip of shops at 11920 Lebanon Road in Mt Juliet, TN, is a hidden jewel among the area’s theatre community. From its nondescript exterior, you’d never even know it’s theatre space, and once inside, you just have to marvel that artist director, Joel Meriwether and company are able to achieve what they do in this intimate space.
That’s the thing though, the intimacy of venue is absolutely perfect for this particular work, for all of the action of Misery takes place within the confines of a small farmhouse nestled in the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. As in the book and the film that preceded this adaptation, the story centers ‘round a famous writer, Paul Sheldon who’s known to retreat to Silver Creek, Colorado whenever he’s working on his next novel. Among those who know Sheldon’s penchant for getting away from it all to concentrate on his writing, is his self-professed biggest fan, the seemingly unassuming owner of said farmhouse. The set-up of how these two meet happens before the curtain rises, when Paul’s vehicle careens off the road and crashes near Annie’s farm. As the action begins Paul (played by Harry Marsh) is heard writhing and moaning in pain as he wakes in a strange bed. I’m just gonna say it, when I saw the show, at first I thought the painful cries a tad overdone, but luckily as the action continued, the wailing subsided, but I digress. We soon learn that Annie (played by Ann Street-Kavanagh) happened upon Paul, managed to get him out of the wreckage and brought him to her farmhouse to recover.
We also soon learn the reason she didn’t seek medical attention is that the roads are blocked from a snowstorm and the phone lines dead…or are they? Now, unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past three decades, you likely know a little more of the plot. Turns out Annie may or may not be completely obsessed with Paul, to the point of psychotic episodes as he regains his strength and begins to question their extended solitude.
Marsh’s Paul Sheldon is entertaining to watch, a looming presence of a man, confined and captive. But it’s Street-Cavanagh’s Annie that makes the show a truly sinisterly thrill-ride. She manages to find a perfect off-balance between meek, good-natured, christian woman literally and figuratively becoming the good samaritan to helpless Paul to vindictive, abusive captor. One note of concern, whenever Annie is headed into a fit of rage, Mitchell Miller, who’s credited in the show’s playbill as ‘lighting execution’ chooses to flash a strobe erratically. When this first occurred during the performance I attended, I initially thought there was some technical glitch and the lights were malfunctioning. This effect might be better served to begin when Annie starts to rage and the strobe continue throughout her fit, ending when she seemingly returns to her more calm self. Just an observation.
Speaking of technical aspects of the show, kudos to Meriwether, who also serves as the show’s ‘sound execution’….I guess that makes him ‘sound executioner’, befitting the gruesomeness of the piece. Throughout the show I noted time and time again the perfect accompanying interstitial music, from haunting versions of such known tunes as Amazing Grace, Every Breath You Take, I Will Always Love You, Hurt and more, plus a little Liberace for good measure (there’s motion of Lee in the script). These musical interludes quickly became another character for me.
In popular culture, there’s a term called ‘Easter eggs’. It refers to the inclusion of images, sight gags, jokes or other references that fans might recognize. King frequently includes Easter eggs in his work and Misery is no exception. It may contain the ultimate Easter egg. I mean, let’s face it, Paul Sheldon IS basically a fictionalized version of Stephen King, what with retreating to write, being the author of multiple bestsellers and all. So to further wink towards King, Meriwether and the show’s prop and set departments have peppered the set with winks to the author and his other works. At one point, when the local sherif (Joe Russell) pays a visit, he sips coffee from a mug emblazoned with a graphic from IT, King’s ’86 horror classic that in recent years has become a hugely successful film franchise. There’s also a floor runner in the hallway, the pattern of which will conjure images of creepy twins for anyone who’s seen King’s 1980 masterpiece, The Shining, for it’s the same pattern as the hallways of the Overlook Hotel. Even the religious iconography throughout Annie’s farmhouse is a nod to King’s Carrie. Heck, I may be reaching, but you could even say there’s a bonus nod to Carrie coupled with Firestarter when things between Annie and Paul get a little…shall we say…heated. These little extras, while perhaps unnoticed by some casual audience members, were indeed appreciated by this King fan.
Street-Kavanagh and Marsh also deserve praise for the physicality of the show. From Marsh’s Sheldon attempts to escape while bound to a wheelchair to the height of the action when Street-Kavanagh renders Sheldon immobile by way of the now-classic mallet and woodblock scene, these two performers approach the physical aspects of their respective roles with gusto and visceral emotion. With only two performances left, if you’re looking for something to do this weekend, check out Playhouse 615’s Misery. Tickets are $18 and may be purchased online CLICK HERE or at the door. For details on upcoming shows at Playhouse 615, check out their website or find them on Facebook.
As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, find us at JHPEntertainment on Facebook, JHPEntertainment on Instagram and JHPEntertainment on Twitter.
Got an event or show we should know about, drop us a line at the Contact tab. Till then, #GoSeeTheShow!