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Milwaukee Chamber Theatre - 'Misery'
Jonathan Wainwright and Kelly Doherty in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's 'Misery'
If you’re looking for some horror this holiday season, look no further than the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s Misery. Adapted from the Stephen King novel, Misery is the story of one fan’s obsession and how it goes too far when she rescues her favorite author from a car wreck. Haunting, gory and obsessive, the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s execution is every bit as frightening as any classic horror buff could hope for. Theatergoers would be hard pressed to find anything like Misery in Milwaukee this year.
The opening of the show sets the ominous tone, with immersive and startling sound bites. The stage is set to look like the inside of a rundown shack, with nothing inherently creepy. However, one can’t help but feel a sinister undertone to the decor. In the bed is an unconscious man, hooked up to medical equipment, and tended to by Annie, an unassuming farm girl and collector of Paul Sheldon novels, her favorite author. She is his self-proclaimed number one fan. When he wakes up, the unconscious man is revealed to be Sheldon himself. Her demeanor when he wakes is sweet, if not a little creepy, but it does not warrant Sheldon’s concern, yet. The longer he is forced to stay with her, the more he realizes that leaving is not a choice. When it is revealed that Annie’s favorite character from Sheldon’s books is not to survive his newest novel, things take a turn for the worst. The duo become engaged in a constant, manipulative battle for the upper hand, during which Paul Sheldon attempts to use any means to escape.
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The show is twisted, dark and disturbing, with standout performances from both Kelly Doherty and Jonathan Wainwright. The pair’s chemistry makes this stage production of Stephen King’s novel as spine-chilling as it was intended. The devolution of their collective sanities plays an essential part to their interactions, and Doherty and Wainwright pull off this dynamic expertly.
The Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s production of Misery is a terrifying take on the classic psychological thriller. Whether new to the story, or an old fan of the tale, Misery delivers on the promise of a shocking, fascinating story that is sure to leave the audience in awe of the raw talent and pondering the meaning of obsession, unreciprocated love, and the extremes of a creative process.
Misery runs at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway, Nov. 18-Dec. 18. For tickets and more information, visit milwaukeechambertheatre.org/misery.
