By LOIS KINDLE
MacBeth And Cheese will present an adaptation of Stephen King’s thriller Misery as its final production of the season at the Firehouse Cultural Center, Oct. 13-15 and Oct. 20-22. All Friday and Saturday shows will start at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday afternoon matinees at 3. The doors open 30 minutes earlier.
“This suspenseful thriller is just in time for Halloween,” said Beth Stein, Firehouse Cultural Center operations manager. “It’s sure to be another masterful show. Macbeth And Cheese never disappoints.”
The play’s director, Camille Hashem, who co-founded the community theater company in 2019 with his partner, Amy Windle, said the play is closely adapted to the 1990 movie Misery a psychological thriller starring James Caan and Cathy Bates.
“It’s a 100% suspenseful thriller, filled with elements of fear and shock,” Hashem said. “Our production includes more special effects than any we’ve ever had in one of our shows. We’ve really tried to stay faithful to Stephen King’s vision.”
“We’re one of the first community theater groups in the area to produce Misery, he continued. “We’ve been looking for the past four years for something to present before Halloween, and we’re thrilled our opening date is Friday, Oct. 13.”
Misery is about romance novelist Paul Sheldon, who is seriously injured in a car accident and rescued by Annie Wilkes, a deranged fan and former nurse. Wilkes takes Sheldon to her home under the guise of treating him but ends up making him an abused prisoner and forcing him to write the novel she wants written.
The character Paul Sheldon is being played by Darryl Parish, of Parrish, a nine-time community theater award winner. Anna Hoyt is portraying the sadistic Annie Wilkes in her first starring role since moving to Florida.
“She gives a performance that will chill the audience,” Hasham said. “She’s absolutely amazing.”
And Delarian Augustus is appearing as Sheriff Buster, the Silver County law enforcement official desperately searching for Sheldon.
Misery will run about 90 minutes with a short intermission, so audiences can expect to be out in under two hours. Because of its suspenseful plot and unsettling sequence of events, the play is not suitable for young children.
“There are some disturbing scenes that will definitely scare you,” Hashem said. “If we’ve done this right, the audience will leave with a whole bunch of different feelings.”
Tickets for the show are available online at www.firehouseculturalcenter.org or by calling 813-645-7651. The cost is $23 for Firehouse Cultural Center members and $30 for nonmembers. Groups of 10 people or more receive member pricing. All seating is reserved, and refreshments will be available.
Proceeds are split between the two nonprofit organizations who’ve partnered to bring community theater to South Shore.
The majority of shows for MacBeth And Cheese’s August production of Murder on the Nile at the Firehouse Cultural Center were sold out, said Stein. So it’s important to RSVP quickly to ensure you get tickets for the date/show you’re interested in attending.
The Firehouse Cultural Center is at 101 First St. NE, Ruskin.
