Beginning this Friday, ice-cold horror hits the stage at Albuquerque Little Theater (224 San Pasquale Ave. SW) like a sledgehammer, but the performances may give audiences a new perspective on a classic Stephen King tale. Written by William Goldman and directed by Lando Ruiz, ALT’s stage adaptation of Misery runs from April 25 until May 11 and stars Stephanie Jones as “Nurse Annie” Wilkes in one of the most important roles in modern horror.
For those unfamiliar with King’s story, Misery begins when romance novelist Paul Sheldon wrecks his car in a snowstorm and is “rescued” by his number one fan Annie Wilkes. He quickly discovers Wilkes is no ordinary superfan and finds himself writing for his life in her home, an icy prison where no one can hear his screams. In true King fashion, there are plenty of frights and some delightful violence to boot. Because of the violence and strong language, ALT’s show is recommended for patrons 14 and older – but that’s usually part of what draws fans to the story in the first place.
However, ALT’s production of Misery isn’t the same version you may have first encountered in paperback or seen on the big screen. Theater maniacs should be familiar with the famous 2015 stage adaptation starring Laurie Metcalf and Bruce Willis. Many critics say the play, driven by Metcalf’s portrayal of nurse Annie Wilkes, is more faithful to King’s original material than the 1990 film starring James Caan and Kathy Bates. Although ALT’s production has plenty of the iconic violence that has solidified Misery’s space in pop culture, Jones says the play is more of an examination of a misunderstood woman than a caricature of a psychopath.
“My goal is to humanize her, and she might trigger all kinds of responses in people because they might have known somebody who reminded them of this person — super controlling, unpredictable and not always in the normal bandwidth of human responses. She’s developmentally different, if you will. And there’s a lot of compassion for her.”
Jones is an experienced actress and SAG member who’s been in the game for a long time. She’s also spent a good chunk of her life in New Mexico and currently calls Albuquerque home. She’s no stranger to subverting the trope of the “nurturing caretaker,” and her portrayal of Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is one of many theater roles in her resume. Jones says the wonderful thing about acting is you can have different lives and explore different facets of your personality without having to actually live through the experiences.
“When the play closes, I don’t have to be like Annie Wilkes anymore,” Jones says. “What’s so fabulous about being an actor is the ability to portray and get into the skin of all kinds of different human beings, and to understand the complexity and diversity and amazing beauty of these fascinating people. I’m not only these mean, badass women, but when a role like that comes up, I certainly will go out for it.”
On the small screen, Jones is known as LA casting director Linda Livingston-Black in the web series Good Job, Thanks!, a role that was written for her. She’s a Jill-of-all-trades who has many roles off-stage as well: certified hypnotherapist, writer, producer, therapeutic horseback riding instructor, bartender, gardener, all-around adventurer and astrologer. Being a star was in Jones’ stars, so to speak. She says at age 18 she learned she would be an actor during an astrology chart reading, and audiences at ALT this weekend will want to thank that astrologer for her advice.
Jones says ALT’s Misery explores the reasons behind Nurse Annie’s obsession with Paul, and audiences may even grow to like her by the end of the performance. Annie lives in a fantasy world with her favorite character, Paul Sheldon’s heroine Misery Chastain, and Paul is the one who becomes fictional. Jones argues he “almost isn’t a real person to her” in a lot of ways. Seeing the story told through the antagonist’s eyes should prove to be a deliciously gory experience, and Jones has the chops to add a bit of soul to the character.
“In the play, you understand a little bit more about her, and there’s this isolation and this loneliness, and, god, she just loves this guy. Her love turns into a fanatical thing that she can’t control. She doesn’t have the same responses as all the rest of us ‘normal’ people. It’s hard to understand how you can sort of torture somebody and rob them of their liberty and everything else as an act of love. In this play, love hurts.”
Misery
April 25 – May 11
Albuquerque Little Theater
224 San Pasquale Ave. SW
$35 Adults