Spencer Theatre Company

10/11/2026

Bows for the second night of our run of “Misery”. Don’t miss these performances by our extraordinary cast! One show left this weekend, and three next weekend, October 16-18, at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. Tickets available at hcfta.org or 217-523-2787.

10/10/2026

Opening weekend is underway for Spencer Theatre Company’s production of “Misery” directed by John Sivak! Two performances left this weekend through October 11, and three next weekend, October 16-18, at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. Tickets available at hcfta.org or 217-523-2787.

10/09/2026

OPENING TONIGHT!

William Goldman’s stage adaptation of Stephen King’s MISERY, presented by Spencer Theatre Company and directed by John Sivak, is being presented in the Peggy Ryder Theatre at the Hoogland Center for the Arts October 9-11 and 16-18. Friday and Saturday performances start at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees begin at 3 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 217-523-2787 or visiting https://www.hcfta.org/tickets.

Be sure to read Courtney Wick's Illinois Times review here:

https://www.illinoistimes.com/arts-culture/in-the-mood-for-the-macabre/

Arriving just in time for the spooky season, Spencer Theatre Company’s production of Misery, directed by John Sivak, delivers a taut, 105-minute psychological thriller without an intermission. It is adapted for the stage by William Goldman, who also penned the screenplay for the award-winning film...

10/09/2026

Director John Sivak and actor Justin Moser, who portrays Annie Wilkes, joined NPR Illinois 91.9 UIS Community Voices co-host Melissa Snider to talk about Spencer Theatre Company's production of MISERY. Based on the novel by Stephen King and written by William Goldman, MISERY runs October 9-11 and 16-18 at the Hoogland Center for the Arts.

Click below to hear the full interview.

Misery

10/07/2026

Wishing a very happy birthday to our MISERY director, John Sivak. Thank you for always bringing such positive energy and creativity to our productions. We are honored to share this special day with you during tech week!!!

10/06/2026

You DO NOT want to miss the Spencer Theatre Company production of MISERY, opening this Friday at the Hoogland Center for the Arts with performance dates October 9-11 and 16-18. Get your tickets now through the Hoogland box office, via their website, or by calling 217-523-2787.

10/04/2026

MISERY is a psychological thriller written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter William Goldman, based on Stephen King's 1987 bestselling novel. It premiered on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on October 22, 2015, starring Bruce Willis as Paul Sheldon and Laurie Metcalf as Annie Wilkes. Laurie Metcalf earned a Tony Award nomination for her performance.

Spencer Theatre Company brings MISERY to the Hoogland Center for the Arts on October 9-11 and 16-18. Directed by John Sivak and featuring Justine Moser, Jakob Hankins, and Jim Dahlquist, the performance is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.

NOTE: MISERY is a suspenseful production designed for mature audiences. It features psychological terror, graphic violence, strong adult language, strobe lights, and realistic gunshots.

Tickets are on sale now through the Hoogland Box Office at 217-523-2787.

10/02/2026

Meet the cast and characters of William Goldman’s stage adaptation of Stephen King’s MISERY, presented by Spencer Theatre Company:

Jakob Hankins as Paul Sheldon, a famous romance and thriller novelist who wakes up severely injured from a car crash and finds himself trapped in the remote home of an obsessive fan.

Justine Moser as Annie Wilkes, Paul’s self-proclaimed "number-one fan," a former nurse with a deeply unstable, violent psyche who holds Paul captive and forces him to rewrite his latest book.

Jim Dahlquist as Buster, a local sheriff who investigates Paul Sheldon's mysterious disappearance.

Tickets are on sale now at the Hoogland Center for the Arts box office or by calling (217) 523-2787.

10/02/2026

Meet the Cast of MISERY
Justine Moser as Annie Wilkes

Justine is thrilled to make her Spencer Theatre debut with this incredible adaptation of a novel by one of her favorite authors. A lifelong Stephen King fan, she’d say she’s his number one fan, but... that makes her feel a bit oogie. Originally from South Dakota, Justine has been performing since childhood and studied Theatre and English in college before earning a master’s degree in Educational Theatre from NYU. She currently serves as the Education Programs Coordinator for the UIS Performing Arts Center and is a member of Capitol City Improv.

William Goldman’s stage adaptation of Stephen King’s MISERY, presented by Spencer Theatre Company and directed by John Sivak, will be performed at the Hoogland Center for the Arts on October 9-11 and 16-18.

For details and ticket information, visit:
https://www.spencertheatrecompany.com/misery/ or call the Hoogland Box Office at 217-523-2787

10/01/2026

Meet the Cast of MISERY
Jakob Hankins as Paul Sheldon

Jakob is extremely excited to embody yet another role that has leg mobility problems. He is a Cross Cat Special Education Teacher at Fairview Elementary School. Jakob has a Bachelor’s in Secondary Social Science Education from ISU and a Bachelor’s in Acting (minor in Theatrical Combat) from AMDA (LA). You may have seen him on stage recently at the Muni in "Hunchback of Notre Dame" (Clopin), "Shrek" (Farquaad), at STC in "Bye Bye Birdie" (Conrad), "Sound Of Music" (Franz), and with the Hoogland in "Beautiful" (Barry Mann).

William Goldman’s stage adaptation of Stephen King’s MISERY, presented by Spencer Theatre Company and directed by John Sivak, will be performed at the Hoogland Center for the Arts on October 9-11 and 16-18.

For details and ticket information, visit:
https://www.spencertheatrecompany.com/misery/ or call the Hoogland Box Office at 217-523-2787