Citadel Theatre finds new and surprising ways to bring Stephen King’s ‘Misery’ to the stage Sept. 10 to Oct. 12
It’s been said that novels are more similar to films and more adaptable to film than they are to stage plays, largely because filmmakers enjoy greater flexibility in establishing varied settings than theater makers, who must work on a single stage. One might find evidence of this from novelist Stephen King, who has had more than 50 of his works adapted for the big screen.
Yet among King’s many novels, “Misery” stands out as uniquely suited for live theater. The narrative centers on a romance novelist who, after a car accident, is rescued and then held captive by an ardent fan. Most of the story unfolds within a bedroom, where the writer is forced to rewrite the ending of his latest novel to appease his captor. This confined setting mirrors the physical limitations of the theater, allowing the audience to share in the protagonist’s sense of claustrophobia and tension.
Screenwriter William Goldman, celebrated for his Academy Award-winning work on “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “All the President’s Men,” as well as for adapting “The Princess Bride” for the screen, recognized the dramatic potential of “Misery” as a stage play. He adapted his own screenplay for live theater, bringing King’s story to Broadway in 2015 with Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf in the leading roles.
Citadel Theatre in Lake Forest will present Goldman’s adaptation of “Misery” from Sept. 10 through Oct. 12, offering audiences the opportunity to experience the psychological intensity and suspense of King’s tale in an intimate theatrical setting. Chicago theater and film director Scott Westerman is directing the Citadel production, which will star Citadel’s founders Scott and Ellen Phelps as the novelist Paul Sheldon and Sheldon’s “number one fan” Annie Wilkes. Jonathan Cortez completes the cast as the sheriff, Buster.
Bringing the action and tension of “Misery” to the stage is not without its challenges, however. While most action occurs in the bedroom, key scenes take place in the kitchen, dining room, and on the porch. Westerman explains that the Broadway production used a rotating turntable set to transition between these settings. However, Citadel Theatre's smaller space requires a more creative approach, blending live theater with film and video projections, as seen in Westerman’s previous Citadel productions like “The Christians” and “The Mousetrap.”
“Some of the most suspenseful moments in the play involve the characters moving from room to room as Paul tries to find ways to escape, or as Buster is investigating what’s going on in the house. The story action moving from outside to inside the house will be shown through a combination in the live action on stage and on film, which the audience will see in a surprising place on one of the props. The action will be shown in a seamless way that will allow the tension to build.”
“Shooting film sequences at the same time as we’re preparing a stage presentation has required us to work in a different way from the usual process,” Westerman said. “Costumes and props have had to (be) designed earlier. And though theater is a highly collaborative art form, the degree of collaboration and cooperation we’re doing here is next level. For example, the props designer has had to work with the violence designer and the sound designer to create a sledgehammer that will look and sound heavy and threatening yet be safe for the actors when used on stage.”
“It’s a challenge for us, but the audience should have no idea how hard it has been to put it together. There are so many little technical elements that hopefully the audience is not going to be aware of. If we can pull it off right it will look easy, and they won't think about that stuff. It'll just be like ‘Whoa!’ They’ll just enjoy all the thrills that Stephen King created in the novel, but with the added elements of seeing it all happen right in front of them in Citadel’s intimate space.”
The technical achievements of the production, of course, would be nothing if not in service of the performances, and “Misery” will be one of the few times Citadel founders Scott and Ellen Phelps, who met when they were both performing at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, have appeared together on stage. Most recently, they played a married couple in “The Christians,” which Westerman directed in 2023. Though Scott Phelps as Pastor Paul had the larger role, Westerman notes that Ellen’s role as the Pastor’s wife was pivotal, and their scene together was the most nuanced and dramatic scene of the play. Earlier this year, Westerman directed Ellen in a key role in “A Jukebox for the Algonquin” and described her performance as a “tour de force.” So, while Westerman has worked extensively with both halves of this married couple, “Misery” will be the first time he has directed them in a show where the two are playing the bulk of the play together.
“I see how they communicate with each other in their marriage and in running the company, and then it spills onto a rehearsal,” Westerman said. “Are they directing each other? Is there tension? It’s the sort of thing that you don't normally see between two actors. But having worked with each individually, as well as together, I can meet them where they are. I communicate differently with Ellen than I do with Scott, and vice versa.”
While the novel and the film version of “Misery” may be familiar to many audience members, Westerman is confident that production, with its blend of film and live action, and the performances by Scott and Ellen Phelps, will be a new and astonishing experience for all.
“It’s about surprising ways to accomplish the storytelling, rather than just a surprising story,” he said. “I want the audience members at least three or four times, to ask themselves, ‘how did they do that?’”
“Misery” will be performed Sept. 10 to Oct. 12. Citadel Theatre is in residence in the West Campus of the Lake Forest School District at 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. Further information and ticketing is available on the company’s website, citadeltheatre.org.