From the moment she steps on stage to the moment the curtains close, Lucia Frangione embodies the horrifying presence that is Annie Wilkes.
Put on by Arts Club Theatre Company, the largest non-profit urban theatre company in Canada, , based on Stephen King害羞草研究所檚 1987 novel, haunted a near full audience at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre Jan. 30.
After putting the finishing touches on his new novel and ridding the world of his beloved character Misery Chastain, Paul Sheldon (Andrew McNee) 害羞草研究所� one of King害羞草研究所檚 many middle-aged, alcoholic writer protagonists 害羞草研究所� jets from his Colorado writer害羞草研究所檚 den to meet with his agent in New York City. What Sheldon doesn害羞草研究所檛 know is that a headline-worthy Rocky Mountain storm is brewing.
With an arm in a sling and broken from the waist down following a terrible accident, Sheldon is taken under the care of Wilkes, an ex-nurse and Mr. Man害羞草研究所檚 number one fan. This is where Arts Club害羞草研究所檚 story begins.
Wilkes害羞草研究所� friendly and nurturing demeanour takes a quick turn after she reads the dirty birdy害羞草研究所檚 manuscript, full of cockadoodie profanity, and Sheldon害羞草研究所檚 saviour quickly turns tormentor. Sheldon害羞草研究所檚 doomsday clock ticks rapidly as he works to rid himself of Wilkes害羞草研究所� care before it害羞草研究所檚 too late.
That害羞草研究所檚 the overall gist of Arts Club Theatre Company害羞草研究所檚 rendition of Misery. On the surface, it appears to be nothing more than mere entertainment meant to cause both heart-clenching panic and gut-wrenching laughter.
But, with a peppering of back story behind King害羞草研究所檚 motivations, the story takes on a new meaning.
Written by King after a near decade-long battle with cocaine addiction, and a several decade-long struggle with alcoholism, Misery delves much deeper than a mere horror story.
Wilkes is cocaine. Cocaine was King害羞草研究所檚 number one fan. And, King realized, his number one fan only sought to slowly kill him after writing one more novel, and then one more, and so on until he could no longer fight back.
That message is wrought throughout the pages of King害羞草研究所檚 novel. What Misery is, then, is a novel-length and fiction-fuelled character study. Sheldon, the beaten-down alcoholic writer, is a sketch of King.
While the play loses some of that dialogue found within the pages of the novel, it does hold true to the original portrait. In fact, Arts Club took King害羞草研究所檚 tale a step further.
The dark atmosphere is penetrated by bouts of comedy, often generating from McNee害羞草研究所檚 Sheldon, which cuts the tension on stage like a hot knife cuts butter.
Speaking of the stage, Lauchlin Johnston害羞草研究所檚 wondrous set acts as a fourth character in the play. Set almost entirely in Wilkes害羞草研究所� home, hidden cupboards open in the wall, unravelling each room in a seamless manor. Set changes happen in front of the audience, but instead of detracting from the performance, they add to it.
However, the true star of the show was Frangione.
Misery rose to international acclaim following the 1990 film adaptation starring Kathy Bates, who won four awards 害羞草研究所� including a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama 害羞草研究所� for her performance as Wilkes.
害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 watch it because I didn害羞草研究所檛 want to compare myself to Kathy Bates,害羞草研究所� Frangione said of the film. 害羞草研究所淲hen you play something iconic like this, it害羞草研究所檚 big shoes to fill.害羞草研究所�
Consider the shoes filled. Frangione, a Vancouver-based award-winning playwright who teaches her craft at Langara College, gives Bates a run for her money.
While the version that graced the Vernon stage may take some theatrical liberties from the novel, Misery is a horrifying psychological thriller made for the stage and put to purpose by Johnston害羞草研究所檚 set, McNee, Frangione and Arts Club Theatre Company.
entertainment@vernonmorningstar.com
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