Photo by Ryan C. Loyd, Rylo Media Design
Sinister and cinematic music . . . an uncomfortable cottage in the middle of a snowy Colorado wood . . . lights that flicker in sync to sounds of heavy storms that crash and clamor during long winter nights . . . and . . . cruelty.
That’s the setting . . . and the ambiance . . . of Misery, a drama based on Stephen King’s book that is now playing at SLO REP’s small but mighty theatre in downtown San Luis Obispo. To put it bluntly, this show is miserable, but not at all in the sense of being inadequate (the creative team goes above and beyond), rather in the sense of causing extreme discomfort. This show is not for the faint of heart.
The miseries that one person can impose upon another—physical and emotional—are on full display in this William Goldman adaptation of King’s book. The cruelty—whether expressed verbally, or expressed physically using materials at hand (soap, fire, paper)—is palpable and believable. Director Lawrence Lesher and his three cast members, Mark Klassen, Timothy J. Cox, and Alice Kelly Bahlke, are all to be commended that this is so, as are their creative collaborators who bring the setting and scenes to ominous life: Dave Linfield’s scenic design, Kevin Harris’ sound and lighting, Suzy Newman’s prop design, and Sonya Jackson’s costuming. Together with stage manager Gigi Bjork-Nelson they have organized a live production that comes off with perfect timing and perfect pitch.
If you think perfection in ghastliness is a thing to aim for with Halloween just around the corner, then Misery is your cup of tea. If you are positive that one more display of human unkindness—real or just-really-well-acted—will push you over the edge (a feeling no doubt enhanced by this fall’s election campaign), you might want to exchange your ticket to Misery for a ticket to the next show on SLO REP’s calendar.
It’s a good bet that “miserable” will not appear anywhere in print in reference to A Christmas Story.