“She’s been very fun to play, which may sound weird,” said Rebecca Seabaugh, who plays the notoriously unhinged superfan, Annie Wilkes.

“For me as an actor, it’s fun to play all this range of emotion,” Seabaugh added. “She goes from the highest, ecstatic joy to the deepest despair.”

Based on the Stephen King novel — and adapted by William Goldman for the screen and stage — Misery comes to Scene One Theatre in September. While the screen and stage play draw heavily from source material, Director Tracy Wegman described the novel’s plot points as considerably different.

“The book is definitely horror, whereas the movie is more of a thriller,” she said. “The stage play and the movie are very similar. The play takes place in (about) 25 scenes, but I think fans of the movie will see the things in the play they want to see.”

Tom Renner plays writer Paul Sheldon, the source of Annie’s obsession, with Jon-Michael Rutter as Sheriff Buster. The majority of scenes are between Renner and Seabaugh; she described her co-star as “the most excellent scene partner,” especially as Annie’s behaviors reach a terrifying peak.

“The cracks in her mental stability become more and more obvious,” Seabaugh said. “She starts off very nice and light, and you just see a glimpse of something (sinister) — and as the show progresses, you see more and more. She even admits to Paul, in one scene, that she doesn’t always know what’s right.”

When choosing their season lineup, Wegman and other Scene One committee members knew Misery would usher in the autumn months.

“At (this) time of year … September, October — people look for this type of show — something suspenseful with a Halloween essence,” Wegman said.

A macabre deep-dive into the consequences of fame, Wegman and Seabaugh are eager to share their version of Misery with central Missouri.

“There is violence, but our goal is to thrill the audience, not to horrify them,” Wegman said. “All three (in this play) are wonderful actors — I can’t say it enough.”