Photo by Ralph Durham Photography

The small yet powerful cast carries out the story of a famous author who is being held captive by his "Number One Fan," an eccentric woman named Annie Wilkes played with just the right amount of wavering between sweetness and insanity by Ellen Phelps. The writer, Paul Sheldon, played by Ellen's real-life husband Scott Phelps, evolves from a cloudy accident victim to a conniving, desperate hostage who will do anything to maneuver his release from her clutches. And, just when you think the story is taking a turn for the predictable, it keeps you on the edge of your seat with shifts, high and low energy, and an effective lighting design to take you through the passage of time. Kudos to Jodi Williams for that design.

One particular effective combination of direction and staging comes from the use of a television to show gameshows and sitcoms from decades ago as well as behind-the-scenes activity by the actors to flesh out the careful tale.

While the title and previous knowledge of the book/movie may draw you to the theater, it is the artful direction and acting that will keep you glued to your seat, peering through your hands over your eyes at certain moments to watch the misery unfold on stage. Many novels don't translate well to stage, but this one is done with talent and clever direction and writing to assure that there is careful anticipation. Not to be missed.

Misery runs through October 12, 2025, at Citadel Theatre, 300 S Waukegan Road, Lake Forest IL. Tickets start at $45.00. For tickets and information, please visit www.citadeltheatre.org or call the Box Office at 847-735-8554 Ext. 1.