Review: MISERY at Wichita Community Theatre

William Goldman’s stage adaptation of his screenplay Misery opened Thursday night at the Wichita Community Theatre located at 2nd and Fountain and runs through October 26th. Go online to www.wichitact.org to purchase tickets or take your chances at the door. Seating is limited. You will not want to miss this excellent production.

King’s novel was first published in 1987 and took fourth place on the 1987 bestseller list. It was later adapted into a film directed by Rob Reiner in 1990 with Kathy Bates’ Academy Award winning performance as Annie Wilkes. Goldman’s theatrical version opened on Broadway in 2015 with Laurie Metcalf as Annie and Bruce Willis as Paul. The play’s episodic nature puts emphasis on the performances and WCT’s production has three great ones.

Director Bryan Welsby’s casting selection is spot on. First, Chris Carlson, in the small but pivotal role of Buster, brings a gravitas to the Colorado sheriff. His stride, posture and demeanor provide a solid realness to Buster. He was very believable and spot on. Second, Nick Pope has the arduous task of creating a believable character who has been critically injured in an automobile crash while flat on his back in bed a great deal of the time. Pope has the uncanny knack of expressing pain and emotion without being able to gesture or move about. Paul Sheldon was real from the moment we met him. There are no histrionics, just perfectly controlled energy facially and finally when he can actually move. He never leaves the stage, so he must be “on” all the time. He never disappoints. Finally, Welsby chose Angela Forrest to play Annie Wilkes. Bate’s performance is so embebbed in our collective psyche that I was initially worried that this might be too big a task to attempt. Forrest is perfect. She has created a character that is entirely her own. Her Annie is nuanced and malleable. At once the ever present nurse and Paul’s greatest fan, she can turn on a dime and create all of the multi-faceted aspects of the character. I liked her Annie and had great empathy for her; yet, she scared me to death. This is a phenomenal performance. Welsby has created something special along with his actors and his crew.

Next up for WCT is Almost Maine by John Cariani and directed by Abri Geist. The show will run December 4th through the 14th.