Way back in 2016, a local San Diego publication asked actor Maggie Carney to name her five dream, or bucket list, roles.
No. 1 was Annie Wilkes in “Misery,” William Goldman’s stage adaptation of Stephen King’s 1987 novel about an injured writer who’s taken in by a zealous fan who turns him into her tortured prisoner.
“Now here I am,” said Carney, who’s playing Annie opposite Francis Gercke in Backyard Renaissance Theatre Co.’s production of “Misery,” directed by MJ Seiber. “It’s terrifying, I have to say.”
Terrifying is perfect for a role made famous by Kathy Bates, who starred in Rob Reiner’s film version of “Misery” in 1990 with James Caan.
“Kathy Bates is so iconic,” said Carney. “I have to toss that aside because that’ll take me down a road I don’t want to go – compare and despair. What the role requires of me, Maggie, as an actress and as a person, is what matters.”
What begins as a rescue from an auto crash for novelist Paul Sheldon (Gercke) becomes a nightmare when the initially doting Annie discovers that he has plans to kill off her favorite character from his popular book series.
“Having her hero, this guy who wrote these books, be there really blows her mind,” explained Carney. “Then it devolves.”
That’s putting it tamely. Let’s just say a sledgehammer will enter the picture.
Annie Wilkes, Carney said, “is a very athletic role. It’s very emotional and physical. The sheer amount of words that she says and thoughts that I have as an actor have to connect and be sewn together.”
Playing the part has given Carney the opportunity to delve into Annie’s psychology and possibly to understand her motives.
“I did some research,” she said, “and my armchair diagnosis is that she does have borderline personality disorder. I believe that it developed as a child. Something happened to her that was a traumatic experience. Not sure what it was, but she decided that there’s an order to things. God is in charge. Follow the order and you’ll be safe. It’s all about her wanting to feel safe.”
Not so safe for Paul Sheldon. Carney says she and co-star, Gercke, are navigating the onstage mayhem well.
“We’re very aware of each other’s bodies in space and making eye ,” she said, “but the play takes over, the character takes over. You’re in it for the ride.”
For years a popular character actor in San Diego theaters, Carney relocated to Los Angeles seven years ago. (She did return last year to perform in Backyard Renaissance’s production of “August: Osage County.”) She and her husband, Joe, now live in Burbank.
Carney also has steady work. She’s a recurring character named Rita on the long-running daytime drama “Days Of Our Lives,” which airs on Peacock.
“(Rita) is the executive assistant to the DiMera family,” said Carney. “We have no idea how old she is. Has she made a deal with the devil? She’s very wily, knows where all the bodies are buried. And she has a taser in her purse.”
Carney calls the soap gig “my joy, my delight. When I first saw (‘Days’ star) Deidre Hall I went ‘Oh my God. Pinch me.’ It’s so much fun and it’s so much like theater. The only thing is that if you mess up you get to do another take.
“I had no idea I would like it as much as I do. There’s security in knowing where you’re going for the day. There’s something normal about it, and an actor’s life is never normal.”
Neither is Annie Wilkes in “Misery,” her current break from her day job (or “Days” job if you will). When the Backyard Renaissance engagement is through, Carney will return to Rita, taser and all.
‘MISERY’
When: Opens 7:30 p.m. Saturday and runs through Dec. 7. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays
Where: Tenth Avenue Arts Center, 930 Tenth Ave., downtown
Tickets: $18-$40
Phone: 760-975-7189
Online: backyardrenaissance.com
