This review is dedicated to the late Keith Mervine, one of the founders of New Direction Community Theater. He passed away in 2022. Not only is he missed as a leader of our local theatre community, but is also immensely missed by all of the lives that he strived to personally help at every possible juncture. May his memory continue to be remembered and honored in perpetuity.
ST. LEONARD, Md. – Live theatre in its most visceral, stomach-turning form is not an accolade that many community theatre companies are able to boast more than once. Back in 2021, New Direction Community Theater (NDCT) first dipped their toes into this endeavor with their emotionally heavy rendition of The Effects of Gamma Radiation on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, and later dove right into the deep end with their 2022 production of Extremities that left its audience conflicted as to whether or not they wanted to throttle the villain onstage or run out of the theater due to its shocking nature. In honor of their late founder, Keith Mervine, they have chosen to immerse themselves in this subgenre of theatre once more with their latest production of Misery.
Based on the 1987 Stephen King penned novel of the same name, Misery first had its Broadway premiere in 2015 with household names Laurie Metcalf and Bruce Willis leading the cast. The book was also adapted to film in an Academy Award-winning 1990 movie. The play tells the story of fictitious romance author Paul Sheldon who gets into a car accident and is seemingly saved by his “number one fan” Annie Wilkes from certain death. The catch: Wilkes is a mentally unhinged woman with a side of controlling stalker tendencies. What transpires over the course of the play’s two acts contains the capacity to leave any audience member clenching their bodies in horror by the end.
As is customary with all NDCT productions, both direction and set design are helmed by the same individual. Didi Olney serves as both with a meticulous hand that produces a fully premeditated, visually balanced set that considers every element of the narrative before the lights even begin to dim. Between the period accurate technology judiciously spread throughout the two rooms of the house and the noticeably bare blue walls that serve as a haunting reminder of whose house this is, Olney has not missed a single opportunity to engage the audience immediately. Her decision to pull the dresser in the bedroom right to the edge of the set seemingly lets everyone know that they are here to witness what will transpire.
While Olney’s set design acts as an amuse bouche for the real meat of her directorial work, her tight, methodical blocking is what truly thrusts the story into startling clarity and creates a sense of perpetual immediacy. The proximity of the story’s action to the seating arrangements of the theater leaves little room for one to hide during the more unsettling sequences of the show. I sat in the second row and still found myself bracing throughout. While Olney does take a brief moment here and there to lean into a relieving blink of humor, she immediately doubles back down into the squirming intensity that this production calls for. Her creative choice that I found to be the most jarring was her strategic use of pregnant pauses during pivotal moments. As I have noted in the past, I welcome any future productions that she helms.
The two leads of this production, Cara Brzozowski as Annie Wilkes and Blaine Becker as Paul Sheldon, bring some absolutely beautifully acted sequences to this production. Of particular note was the final showdown scene between the two and the mallet sequence. Their onstage chemistry is truly cohesive and plays impeccably well in this play’s most pivotal moments.
However, Becker is the actor that I found myself irrevocably captivated by during his entire performance. His eyes tell such an individual story all on their own that they practically deserve their own credit in the playbill. The sheer amount that he is able to emote with only his eyes is perplexing in the best of ways. Becker’s physicality whilst in pain is both ridiculously accurate and absurdly unsettling to behold. Throughout I had to remind myself that he wasn’t actually in agony. I have previously seen him in two other NDCT productions, but he truly excelled in this one. Getting to see an actor really hone their craft is always a privilege to witness during its progression.
Look, this is not a show for those with a frail demeanor or for any children. However, this is a show that is not to be missed by anyone who enjoys the visceral quality that only productions like this can evoke when watched live and in person. It’s bound to leave you breathless with its intensity and haunting themes while reminding you what it feels like to be alive. Get ready for a heart pounding evening (or afternoon) that you will not soon forget.
Approximate run time is 2 hours and 40 minutes with one fifteen-minute intermission.
This show contains strong language, depictions of physical assault, and other explicit material. Not suitable for children.
Misery will be playing at the Long Beach Community Center at 5845 Calvert Blvd St. Leonard, MD 20685 through April 2nd, 2023. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit their website here.