Misery
Promotional poster for the 2012 play
BookWilliam Goldman
BasisMisery
by Stephen King
PremiereNovember 24, 2012: Bucks County Playhouse
Productions

Misery is a play written by William Goldman. It is based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Stephen King, which was adapted into a 1990 film, the script for which was written by Goldman.

Roles and principal casts

Cast

Character Bucks County Playhouse
(2012) 		Broadhurst Theatre
(2015–16) 		Kwadrat Theatre
(2017)
Annie Wilkes Johanna Day Laurie Metcalf Ewa Wencel
Paul Sheldon Daniel Gerroll Bruce Willis Piotr Polk
Sheriff Buster James DeMarse Leon Addison Brown Marcin Pietowski

Productions

All three versions of the play were written by William Goldman (who also wrote the 1990 film's screenplay), while Will Frears directed the U.S. versions and Robert Gliński directed the 2017 Polish adaptation.[1][2][3]

Bucks County Playhouse (2012)

The play, in association with Castle Rock Entertainment,[4] premiered at the Bucks County Playhouse on November 24, 2012, for 11 performances, and closed on December 8, 2012.[5] The play starred Daniel Gerroll as Paul Sheldon, Johanna Day as Annie Wilkes, and James DeMarse as Sheriff Buster.[6]

Broadhurst Theatre (2015–16)

A new version of the production officially opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on October 22, 2015 and closed on February 16, 2016.[7] This version starred Bruce Willis as Sheldon, Laurie Metcalf as Wilkes, and Leon Addison Brown as Buster.[8] The show ran for 102 performances, grossing $12,518,415 in ticket sales.[9][10][11]

Kwadrat Theatre (2017)

The play was re-adapted in the Polish language, starring Ewa Wencel as Wilkes, Piotr Polk as Sheldon, and Marcin Pietowski as Buster, and premiered at the Kwadrat Theatre in Warsaw on January 9, 2017.[3]

Reception

For Metcalf's performance as Wilkes, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.[12] Willis' performance was generally panned by critics, who called it "vacant" and "inert".[13][14] Some new sources have criticized Willis for using an ear piece on the play.[15]

References

  1. ^ Cerasaro, Pat (26 November 2012). "Exclusive InDepth InterView: William Goldman & Will Frears Discuss MISERY Onstage – Is Broadway Next?". Broadway World. Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  2. ^ Syme, Rachel (October 22, 2015). "Stephen King's 'Misery' Heads to the Stage". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Misery – Teatr Kwadrat". 7 December 2016.
  4. ^ "Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Castle Rock Entertainment & Playhouse Productions to Present World Premiere of "Misery" this Holiday Season". Warner Bros. September 20, 2012. Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  5. ^ Jones, Kenneth (20 September 2012). "William Goldman Adapts Stephen King's Misery for the Stage; Bucks County Playhouse Will Premiere Thriller". Playbill. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  6. ^ Otten, Ted (November 23, 2012). "Bucks County Playhouse presents stage version of Stephen King's 'Misery'". NJ.com. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  7. ^ Barton, Steve (March 4, 2015). "Bruce Willis Headed to the Stage for Stephen King's Misery". Dread Central.
  8. ^ Gioia, Michael; Viagas, Robert (March 4, 2015). "Bruce Willis Will Make Broadway Debut in Misery, Based on Stephen King Novel". Playbill.
  9. ^ "Misery". Playbill. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  10. ^ Grosses Broadway NYC
  11. ^ Misery Broadway Production
  12. ^ Viagas, Robert. "'Hamilton' Tops Tony Awards With 11 Wins". Playbill. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  13. ^ "Bruce Willis in Misery on Broadway – what the critics said". The Guardian. November 16, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  14. ^ Brantley, Ben (November 15, 2015). "Review: In 'Misery,' With Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf, the Ghost of Productions Past". The New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  15. ^ Soloski, Alexis (November 11, 2015). "When a star doesn't know the script, send for the earpiece". The Guardian. Retrieved January 5, 2023.

External links

Works by William Goldman
Adaptations of works by Stephen King
Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures
Categories