When your nurse turns evil

In the Springs, FAC’s production of ‘Misery’ brings Stephen King’s classic to life

Clever stagecraft, bolstered by exquisite lighting, startling sound effects and sheer acting talent create a perfect evening of suspense in Misery on stage at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center through Oct. 29. Not to be missed, this modern horror classic is a sweet treat as the FAC’s seasonal opener.

Based on the novel by Stephen King, and directed by SaMi Chester, the story was popularized by the 1990 movie of the same name starring James Caan and Kathy Bates — who won the Academy’s best actress award for her portray of the movie’s villain. Adapted for the stage by playwright William Goldman, the staged production loses none of the horror and ups the suspense.

Successful New York romance novelist Paul Sheldon (Clark Scott Carmichael) is rescued from a snowy car crash in the remote Colorado mountains by his “#1 fan” Annie Wilkes, played with perfection by Casey Killoran. Sheldon and Wilkes grow into a toxic power struggle as Sheldon comes to realize his life depends on Wilkes’ nursing him back to health. But the kicker is that he must also churn out a custom manuscript of her most beloved characters with a different ending than Sheldon envisioned. Ego and madness converge into eerie entertainment.

These two seasoned Equity actors create magical symmetry. As the haughty novelist eager to recover and return to his big city life, Carmichael shifts from grateful patient to conniving escapee intent on fleeing his caregiver’s delusional machination. The audience relates to his disbelief that how can this be happening to me mentality as he slowly comes to grips with the gravity of his situation. As though a personification of novelist King himself, it is not lost on the audience that Sheldon is inspired by his circumstances.

As the former nurse and now recluse, Killoran displays classic narcissism in her portrayal of Annie. Quick to placate and flatter her captive, she turns on a dime when the supply that fuels a narcissist begins to wane. The powerplay between the two is stellar and its timing precise. Killoran excels at the believable erratic turns from nice to nasty.

Mike Janowitz plays the story’s interloper as Buster, the sherriff, poking around as to Sheldon’s mysterious disappearance in the blizzard. Another veteran Equity actor, Janowitz is stiff as he struts in his cowboy boots and hat with his casual questions, content to meander off and rid himself of the headliner case. This purposeful underplay, however, serves to enable the spotlight to shine on the real action.

Not to be upstaged by the actors, the production’s set, sound and lighting design are exceptional. Accolades to Christopher L. Sheley as Misery’s Scenic Designer, along with the FAC’s sound and lighting gurus Lawrence Schober and Holly Anne Rawls. The audience is transported around Annie’s secluded cabin with effortless scene shifts amid dramatic sounds and musical musings that complement the action perfectly. Rounding out the show’s tricks is its lighting: the passage of time from dawn to dusk helps the audience feel Sheldon’s agony as he bides his time toward physical recovery in the mental prowess he must muster to survive.

The play is performed sans intermission — bolstering the fright factor — but it has little drag as the creepy drama builds with unexpected twists. The best horror is that which holds you spellbound and demands your attention — and Misery certainly delivers on that score.