As an actor, Susan Sanford finds joy in mixing it up, performing in everything from musicals to dramas.
“I always try to try new experiences, something that people wouldn’t associate with me,” says Sanford, who spent the summer playing Violet in Virginia Rep’s 9 to 5 The Musical. “I like to think of myself as someone who can switch back and forth.”
Starting on August 31, Sanford will bring her acting talents to the stage in Virginia Rep’s production of Stephen King’s Misery, playing Annie Wilkes.
Known as the the king of horror, King’s plots lean toward the dark side and Misery is no exception.
Adapted from the book of the same name, Misery tells the tale of famed novelist Paul Sheldon who is rescued from a car crash that leaves him unable to walk. He has been taken to the home of Annie Wilkes, who is obsessed with Sheldon’s novels that spotlight Misery, Wilkes’ favorite character. When she discovers Sheldon plans to kill Misery in his latest novel, Wilkes goes into a fit of rage.
Sanford had already read the book and seen the movie Misery — Kathy Bates won an Oscar for her performance as Annie Wilkes, — years ago but wanted to reread the book after she landed her part in the play.
“I thought that both were excellent,” she says of the book and film. “The book is fantastic. It’s a lot darker than the movie or the play.”
She’s looking forward to taking on the role of Annie. “She is a woman who lives in her own world; in the fantasy world she has created,” Sanford says. “Annie doesn’t treat Paul Sheldon nicely. She has an ordered way of how things should happen. If they don’t happen in the way she thinks they should, she lashes out.”
The role is challenging vocally because of the number of times Sanford has to raise hr voice, she adds. “It’s extremely demanding. I have to be mindful of how I use my voice on stage.”
She also has to hit all of the emotional levels that Annie goes through during the play and make it a “through line of the character,” she says.
When she’s playing a character, Sanford tries to think about every word and emotion from the character’s point of view. “Annie doesn’t consider herself a villain. I have to make her understandable and sympathetic for the audience,” she says.
The best part of the process is hearing the audience’s reaction after weeks of rehearsals where scenes are met with silence instead of thunderous clapping. “Once you get the audience’s reaction, it’s like the final character joins the cast,” Sanford says.
She hopes to bring honesty and truthfulness to her role. She wants the audience to find her portrayal exciting and entertaining. “It’s scary at times but also heartbreaking,” she says. “At times Annie is a well-rounded character with a lot of layers.”
When she’s not on stage, Sanford teachers theater to middle school students at The Steward School and public speaking to seniors.
Now that rehearsals are coming to an end and opening night is in sight, Sanford says she’s simply “looking forward to opening night.”
Misery runs from August 31 through September 29 at Virginia Rep’s November Theatre, 114 West Broad Street. For showtimes and tickets, visit VirginiaRep.org.
