Fans of Stephen King and psychological thrillers have a new reason to head to Argenta this fall.
Argenta Contemporary Theatre will present “Misery,” William Goldman’s stage adaptation of Stephen King’s bestselling novel, Oct. 14-Nov. 1 in North Little Rock.
The intimate psychological thriller centers on the volatile relationship between its two main characters, blending horror, dark comedy and suspense.
At the center of the story is celebrated novelist Paul Sheldon, who is left injured and alone after a devastating car accident. He is rescued by Annie Wilkes, a former nurse who introduces herself as his “number one fan.”
But Annie’s admiration quickly takes a darker turn when she discovers that Paul has killed off her favorite character. Determined to make him rewrite the story, she holds the injured author captive in her home, setting the stage for an increasingly dangerous battle of wills.
The production brings together four Arkansas artists with careers that extend well beyond the state: Brandon Paul Eells as director, Mary Twedt as Annie Wilkes, Coburn Goss as Paul Sheldon and Jason Scott Morgan as Buster.
“For this production, we wanted to assemble a core team of exceptional Arkansas artists—not simply because they are from here, but because their work demonstrates the extraordinary level of artistry being created from Arkansas and carried into the national field,” says Jeremy Williams, executive director of Argenta Contemporary Theatre. “Mary, Coburn, Jason, and Brandon have each built very different careers, but they share something important: deep roots in this community, significant work beyond Arkansas, and a continued commitment to bringing that experience back home.”
Twedt is a veteran Arkansas actor and longtime host of KUAR’s “Arkansas Cooks,” while Goss, a North Little Rock native and ACT’s artistic director, has spent nearly three decades working in theater, film and television. Morgan is an Arkansas-based actor whose credits include multiple ACT productions, as well as NBC’s “Chicago P.D.” and Apple TV’s “Cape Fear.”
Director Brandon Paul Eells is a Little Rock native and nationally recognized voice actor best known for voicing Drax the Destroyer in several Marvel video games. His Arkansas theater career includes work with the original Arkansas Shakespeare Festival and The Public Theatre in Little Rock.
Together, the four artists represent the wide range of Arkansas talent while bringing that experience back to the local stage.
“Misery” runs through Nov. 1, with preview performances held Oct. 14-15 and opening night on Oct. 16.
For tickets and more information, visit ACT’s website.
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