By Rachele Stoops
Misery, Community Players in Beatrice, Friday February 9, 2024
I’ve never seen the movie Misery (or read the book) – I know, I know! But I’ve picked up enough
from popular culture to think I had a pretty good idea of what was going to happen.
I did not.
Community Players’ production of Misery delivers surprises with the force of a sledgehammer,
featuring a cast of three and a simple but effective set design..
The first surprise: theatre in the round!! In this style, the audience is seated on all sides of the
stage. This means no physical walls in the interior set, but flooring with a raised edge to tell the
audience where the doors are. The show’s director and sound engineer, artistic director Tyler
Rinne, inserted a clever effect for the doors, enhanced by the cast’s practiced gestures. This
was an especially impressive attention to detail.
The second surprise: Misery is a person!! Okay, not a real person, but a character in author
Paul Sheldon’s best selling novels. Paul, played by Community Players veteran Pat Marlatt, is
caught in a snowstorm in Colorado, and wakes up from a disastrous car accident to find himself
immobile in the home of Annie Wilkes, his “number one fan”.
(Side question: who names a child Misery??)
Marlatt as Paul is absolutely brilliant. It’s a difficult role, both physically and emotionally, and
Marlatt sells it completely. Even though I knew he wasn’t actually injured, his pained wails felt
absolutely genuine, and I had to literally cover my eyes a few times.
Angy Essam’s Annie seems harmless, even as she assures Paul that her nursing experience is
more than sufficient to treat his badly damaged legs and dislocated shoulder.
Annie has almost a childlike wonder when it comes to Paul, but her moods are mercurial, and
as time passes, it’s more and more difficult to believe her motives for saving Paul were pure.
Her simplistic logic quickly becomes terrifying, and Essam is completely believable.
(Speaking of, do we know FOR SURE that Paul’s accident wasn’t nudged along by Annie in her
car? Or have I been listening to too many true crime podcasts?)
Community Players newcomer Danny Toland represents the law as Sheriff Buster, who is
mostly convinced by Annie’s innocent tone, until he isn’t.
There were a few opening night bugs; with just two main cast members, there are bound to be a
few missed lines.
The audience appreciatively applauded after every scene. A couple of times the clapping
seemed to interrupt or cut off a scene, which was disappointing.
The scene changes, especially difficult with a theatre in the round, were smooth and efficient. I
also loved the music and radio choices.
This play is definitely for a mature audience, and there is no intermission, so plan ahead.
Misery is people, and misery is the right word for what Paul Sheldon endures. I can’t help but
think Annie Wilkes was caught in her own dark and miserable life, with nothing to brighten it
except Paul Sheldon’s books.
In stories, we get a peek into someone else’s life. All Annie found was Misery.
If you go: Misery is playing at Beatrice’s Community Players February 10 – 11 and 16 – 18 at
7:30pm, and February 12 and 19 at 2:00pm. Tickets available at
beatricecommunityplayers.com/tickets.
Rachele Stoops is an English teacher and theatre director at Lincoln’s Standing Bear High
School. She loves karaoke and baking, and should not be trusted with power tools. Rachele is
lucky to have an incredible circle of family and friends, and she is personally responsible for
bringing back overalls.
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