"For a little over 90 minutes, Paul and Laura are going to be putting on an acting masterclass while playing a little game of cat and mouse," says Farmers Alley Theater Executive Director Rob Weiner. The Kalamazoo theater opens its production of Misery — Stephen King's thriller adapted for the stage by William Goldman — on Thursday, Mar 5.
Weiner joined actors Paul Stroili and Laura Jordan with Cara Lieurance to discuss the production, which runs through March 15 across ten scheduled performances. Shows have already sold out, and Saturday matinees have been added to meet demand.
The story centers on novelist Paul Sheldon — played by Stroili — who is rescued from a snowy car accident by his self-proclaimed number one fan, Annie Wilkes, played by Jordan. Directed by Kathy Mulay, the show features a rotating turntable set, original fire and makeup effects, and fight choreography, up close and personal on the Farmers Alley Theatre stage.
Jordan, a Michigan native making her professional debut in the state, pushes back on labeling Annie a straightforward villain. "Villain feels very black and white," she says. "There's so much that's so lovely and small — circumstances and solitude and the way her mind works just twists it in these weird directions."
Stroili, who also wrote the hit original play Jukebox for the Algonquin produced at Farmers Alley last season, describes the production as unexpectedly funny alongside its thrills. "It's not just dark," he says. "Paul Sheldon is the conduit for the audience experiencing Annie — it's Annie's world, we're all just parts of it."
Weiner encourages anyone on the fence to act quickly. Tickets are available at farmersalleytheater.com or by calling the box office at 269-343-2727.
The interview was summarized by Claude AI and edited by the author.
