THEATER REVIEW: Indie ‘Misery’ full of potential, if not pace
By Heather Parish
Independently produced theater tends to wax and wane in Fresno, and with far less regularity than the phases of the moon. So when anyone has the energy and drive to gather the space, money, and gang and say, “Hey, kids, let’s put on a show!” I take an interest.
Diego J. Sosa, a theater arts student at Fresno State, did just that by dropping a one-weekend-only production of “Misery,” the William Goldman-adapted Stephen King classic, into a theater scene crowded with Shakespeare and musicals. Sponsored by Austin Bennett, Bullard High School (which provided the theater space for the July 17-19 run), and a bevy of theater boosters, Sosa and his team have pulled together a sturdy show with good bones and a lot of potential.
A Welcome Dose of Indie Theater
Independent theater offers both freedom and challenges. On the one hand, a producer is free to choose material for their own reasons, rather than to satisfy season ticket holders or a board of directors. They can work outside of the constraints of institutional policies and within the creative limits provided by resources and talent. On the other hand, those resources can be scarce, audiences have to be rebuilt with each show, and every decision comes with trade-offs. It isn’t for the faint of heart, and the best of us can find it tiring after a decade or so! (See bio below.)
I believe, though, that independent theater speaks to the health and vitality of a theater ecosystem. It makes room for divergent storytelling for a variety of tastes, provides opportunities for those who may find them scarce, and offers space for experimentation and learning through failure. Young artists can build experience, established artists get to try something new, and audiences benefit from the variety.
I’m heartened by Sosa’s proactivity in offering “Misery” on his own bat and hope that more students and free agents follow suit.
A Solid Team Effort
As for this production of “Misery,” it offers solid teamwork under Sosa’s clear leadership. The psychological thriller features two bucket-list-worthy acting roles in Paul (Joseph Portela), a sardonic historical romance novelist who is taken in by Annie (Kelsie Oba-Spence), his “number one fan,” after he drives off a hill in a blizzard and injures himself.
STORY CONTINUES AFTER SPONSORED CONTENT
The cast and majority of the production team are college students and “alums” from university productions and programs such as Children’s Musical Theaterworks, California Arts Academy, and various high school theater departments. They put their student experiences to good use here, designing a straightforward two-room box set (Steven Kairuz), moody lighting design (Natacha Mack), evocative and clever sound design (Jorge Romero Vaca), and serviceable costumes (Chloe Mae Tabor). A number of supporting crew help complete a pleasing overall aesthetic.
Strong Ideas, Uneven Execution
Sosa’s staging of the action is sufficient, moving the characters in the claustrophobic confines of the set. The direction is at its strongest when moving Oba-Spence in and out of her reveries, and in the elegance of bringing Portela closer to the audience in the back half of the play. Sosa clearly knows how to put each character in the most sympathetic pose. Some staging choices are a tad clunky, taking too long to shift, and aren’t worth the payoff of the scene that follows. But for the most part, the play is well-staged.
Pacing Slows the Thrill
Tempo in general is a weakness in the direction and acting. Goldman’s script should run 90 to 100 minutes, but this production is a solid two hours with no intermission. The cast speaks and moves as if they have all the time in the world, each scene unfolding at the same leisurely pace. Both Oba-Spence and Portela are likeable in the roles and deliver their actions with clarity. What they lack is direction on how each character desperately needs to move along with what they want, but something forces them to pump the breaks.
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Oba-Spence has a lovely, ethereal voice, but her Annie rarely speaks with menace outside of her tantrums. Portela can do both sharp retort and vulnerable whine, but never puts the two together to form a complex challenge. The psychological tension could be enhanced with variety in speed, volume, and pitch in delivery, contrasted with movement and gestures, which would raise the stakes of each scene. Sosa might level up the scenework by focusing on the compelling question for each character: “Will she or won’t she. . .?” “Can he or could he. . . ?” and “What’s getting in the way?” The actors have the tools they need to grow into the roles, but they also need guidance on how to employ them.
Younger Cast, Mixed Results
Finally, I applaud Sosa for exploring “Misery” through younger characters. This is the sort of experimentation that indie theater is intended for: creating space for new ways to illuminate the story, and succeeding or failing in the process. In this case, I don’t think the approach worked. Textually, there is clear evidence that both Paul and Annie are in their early 40s to 50s in 1987. But more than that, Annie’s obsessiveness, isolation, and disrupted maturity indicate a long-standing issue with mental illness. And Paul’s jaded reactivity reads more like that of a “50-year-old man who dates models half his age.” The kind of nuanced, insinuating, cat-and-mouse subtext employed in “Misery” really takes off when played by people who have been there (and back again).
But I’m happy to consider the notion of how fame and fandom affect anyone at any age. Sosa does us all a favor by presenting the question for our consideration through a quality dramatic offering accessible to everyone.
I hope he will return next summer with another indie outing.
