Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Directed by Halena Kays from an adaptation by William Goldman, American Blues Theater’s 90–minute production of “Misery” is suffused with the same sense of suffocating, sinister tension that fuels King’s book (and subsequent Kathy Bates-James Caan movie) until it explodes in a bloodbath denouement fueled by artistic integrity and survival instinct."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...The performances, which include Cisco Lopez as Buster, gradually grow on you, and the anticipation of the horror of an obsessed, psychotic fan is tingling. If you love scary, psychological thrillers, American Blues Theater's Misery is right up your alley."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Back in 1990, there was a thriller film that won Kathy Bates an Oscar. The film was "Misery" written by William Goldman and based on Stephen King's book of the same name. For the most part, these types of thrillers are hard to convert to a stage play as the special effects are quite difficult to bring to life, "Live", but somehow director Helena Kays has the knack for doing just that, and after her previous success at American Blues Theatre, is back and has taken "Misery" to a whole new level."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...This is an absolutely superb production. As the suspense builds and the horror increases, theatergoers will find themselves chewing their fingernails and perched on the edge of their seats. Everyone will wonder if and how the severely injured author will survive and, hopefully, escape Annie Wilkes' rural prison. Paul Sheldon's "Number One Fan" turns out to also be his number one enemy. When the audience returns home from this production, the images of horror may continue to linger and give rise to a few bad dreams for some sleepless nights."
Third Coast Review - Somewhat Recommended
"...Misery might be the Stephen King novel best suited for a theatrical adaptation. Not only because its single-bedroom setting makes it decidedly stage-sized, but also because its two main characters are so idiosyncratic and grounded the tale belongs in the literary canon more than most of King's supernatural work. Suffice it to say, I thought a Misery play was a good idea and was eager to see it."
Chicago Culture Authority - Highly Recommended
"...I rarely find myself squirming in my seat at the theater, but it happened more than once during the opening of Misery at American Blues Theater Friday night, most memorably when unhinged nurse Annie Wilkes drove a sledgehammer into the ankles of her favorite novelist, Paul Sheldon. The sickening crunch of splintering bones-twice!-sent shivers down my spine even on the drive home."
