What happens when fixation borders on insanity? An obsessed fan kidnaps her favorite author and forces him to do things you would not believe.

~Review and Photos by Dana Nöllsch~

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The Story of Misery

Annie Wilkes is unsatisfied with her life and finds escape in the series of books written by the author Paul Sheldon entitled Misery. Wilkes “discovers” Sheldon’s car has slid off the road during a bad storm. He is badly hurt and in need of medical care. This is when Wilkes comes up with a plan for their future together. 

Wilkes takes advantage of the author’s diminished capacity, finding herself in control. Wilkes discovers that she can now satisfy her desires, even at the expense of her favorite author. She pulls no punches, exploiting her newfound power over Sheldon.

Based on a novel by Stephen King, Misery has many twists and turns. The power struggle between Wilkes and Sheldon finds a conclusion bathed in blood and death. But even with tragedy, there is a silver lining. 

Photos of the first cast

Photos of the second cast

The Performances

The first cast

GLM’s production of Misery has two casts. We saw Cast One, which consists of Stacey Johnson, playing Annie Wilkes, Dave Richards, playing Paul Sheldon, and Jayton Newberry as Sheriff Buster.

Johnson and Richards are outstanding in their roles and play brilliantly off of each other. You can feel the desperation and the fight for control between Annie Wilkes and Paul Sheldon as Johnson and Richard bring the battle for power to the stage. It is great to see these two on stage with such powerful roles.

Jayton Newbury plays Sheriff Buster. Jayton is excellent at playing the part of the sheriff chasing the mystery of the missing author.

The second cast

We saw the second cast perform one week after seeing the first cast’s performance. There were only minor differences in how the actors played their roles, but those differences changed the story’s energy ever so slightly.

In the second cast, Sandra Brunell Neace plays Annie Wilkes, and Kevin McCray plays Paul Sheldon. There is an outstanding energy between Neace and McCray, which makes for an animated and spirited dynamic between the characters.

Stacey Johnson plays Annie Wilkes with a contemplative, crazy feel, whereas Sandra Brunell Neace plays the role with more emotionally crazy energy. Both are deliciously fun to watch.

In the performance that we saw, Jayton Newbury played Sheriff Buster.

You can’t go wrong with either cast, and you may even want to see both?

Be sure to check out both cast’s photos.

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The Set

The set has details you would not expect, and nothing is overlooked, thanks to the crew that created Annie Wilkes’s house. From the pictures and memorabilia we see on the shelves right down to the front door entrance, the stage is ready to bring the audience into the obsessed Wilkes fantasy world.

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The Bottom Line

Misery is a great story that will draw you in with the twists and turns leading up to the violent ending. But the true standout is the excellent acting and directing.

We have come to expect a lot from Good Luck Macbeth, and with Misery, they certainly deliver.

Misery is a violent play with some foul language and may not be suitable for some.

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Misery

By William Goldman

Based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel

Directed by: Bill Ware

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Performance Dates

October 6,7,12,13,14,19,20,21,26,27,28 @ 7:30pm

October 8, 15, 22 @ 2pm

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Good Luck Macbeth

124 Taylor St. Reno
​775-322-3716

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