Geena Quintos (Maxine Hadley), Teresa Zimmermann (Margot Wendice), and Brandon Hearnsberger (Tony Wendice) in the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park/Alley Theatre co-production of DIAL M FOR MURDER. Photo from Alley Theatre by Lynn Lane Photography.
CINCINNATI (Aug. 15, 2024) – A fresh adaptation of the plot-twisting, iconic thriller DIAL M FOR MURDER will kick off the 2024-2025 season at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in Moe and Jack’s Place – The Rouse Theatre. The production runs Aug. 17- Sept. 15 and is co-produced with Houston’s Alley Theatre. Opening night is Aug. 22.
The setting is midcentury London, a year after Margot ended her affair with her lover, Maxine, and life has returned to life as usual with her husband, Tony — or so she thinks. Tony, in fact, knows about the affair and spins an intricate web of suspicion and deception. When his plan goes terribly awry, it sets in motion a series of deadly, unexpected twists threatening everyone involved. Best known for the 1954 film by Alfred Hitchcock, this masterful murder mystery receives a clever and fast-paced new treatment for the stage just in time for the seventieth anniversary of the film’s release.
Frederick Knott originally wrote DIAL M FOR MURDER for the stage, but he struggled to find a theater willing to produce it. Instead, the BBC produced the story for its popular television program Sunday Night Theatre, which led to managers vying for the stage rights. The onstage production debuted in 1952 and two years later Alfred Hitchcock converted the story into an instant classic. Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation pays homage to Hitchcock’s stylish, midcentury setting while updating the characters and relationships to create a dramatic new layer of tension.
“A thriller requires the building of tension and the very specific playing out of information,” explained Director Tatiana Pandiani. “What’s too much; what’s too little; what do we want to reveal? A lot of what makes the show, ‘the show’ are the things that the characters leave on set. As Tony is plotting this murder, how much access do we give the audience, how much of him do we give to the audience? It’s [in] the staging and acting.”
The lighting and sound design also give the play a filmic effect. Pandiani said of her work with lighting designer Yuki Nakase Link, “Yuki and I did talk a lot about Hitchcock’s lighting in all of his films. That was something we pulled from the aesthetic. Really leaning into that. There’s a lot of intentional shadow; there’s a lot of shadowy areas and actors that move through the light into the shadow. There is a lot of what’s called high contrast lighting. That’s an aesthetic choice that of course is a very Hitchcock thing that we pulled from. Dial M the film, but also his entire body of work.”
CAST (in speaking order)
Margo Wendice – Teresa Zimmerman*
Maxine Hadley – Gina Quintos*
Tony Wendice – Brandon Hearnsberger*
Lesgate – Justin McCombs*
Inspector Hubbard – Barry Mulholland*
PRODUCTION
Adaptor – Jeffrey Hatcher
Playwright – Frederick Knott
Director – Tatiana Pandiani
Set Designer – Marcelo Martínez García
Costume Designer – Rodrigo Muñoz
Lighting Designer – Yuki Nakase Link
Original Music/Sound Designer – Mikaal Sulaiman
Stage Manager – Andrea L. Shell*
Assistant Manager/Stage Manager – Shelby Scaffidi*
Assistant Manager – Carolyn Fast*
Dialect Coach – Molly Wetzel
Fight Director/Intimacy Specialist – Adam Noble
Assistant Lighting Designer – Lucas Inman
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
TICKETS
Tickets begin at $35.00. Prices vary based on seating location and performance day. Preview performances take place at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 17, 20 and 21. Opening night is Aug. 22.
Regular performances will take place on Tuesday-Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. A weekday matinee will be offered Sept. 4 at 1 p.m.
To purchase tickets or for more information, call the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana at 800-582-3208) or visit www.cincyplay.com. Patrons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech disabled: dial 711 to connect to the Box Office via Ohio Relay Services.
EVENTS
Preview Performances:
Be among the first to see the show before opening night and save! Preview performance tickets are discounted.
Sat., Aug 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Tue., Aug 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Aug 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night:
Share the excitement of Thursday opening nights.
Thu., Aug 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Pay What You Can
Performances:
Film Screenings:
As part of the 70th anniversary celebration of the landmark 1954 film, the Esquire, Mariemont and Kenwood theatres will present Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Dial M for Murder at the same time the Playhouse stages a fresh new stage adaptation of Frederick Knott’s play that was the source of the film.
The film will be introduced by Hitchcock Scholar and Film Professor Joe Horine and followed by a Q&A with him and a member of the Playhouse’s artistic team to discuss the stage-to-film-to-stage adaptation.
Esquire Theatre: Mon., Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Mariemont Theatre: Wed., Aug 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Kenwood Theatre: Mon., Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10.25 or $12 depending on location.
Art Talks
(Formerly Meet the Artists), stay after select performances for a behind-the-scenes discussion with members of the artistic team.
Sun., Aug 25 at 2 p.m.
Thu., Aug 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Pay What You Can
Pay What You Can performances are an additional way we try to make live theatre accessible to those who otherwise might not be able to attend our shows. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 513-421-3888 or in person beginning at noon, the day of the performance only. Tickets are subject to availability.
Wed., Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Sept. 4 at 1 p.m. (Tickets available for purchase at 11 a.m.)
PRIDE NIGHT
Join us for an evening of suspense with a twist to celebrate PRIDE at Dial M for Murder!
Fri, Sept. 6
6 p.m. | Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres prior to the 7:30 p.m. performance of Dial M for Murder
Post-show champagne toast
$50 per person for the pre- and post-show events. Tickets and parking to the performance are not included in the cost of the pre-show and post-show activities and must be purchased separately. Exclusive benefits available for $250 host donation. Join us for PRIDE night!
ADVISORY
DIAL M FOR MURDER is recommended for ages 13 and up. This new adaptation of the iconic thriller contains depictions of violence and murder (it’s right there in the title), discussion of a past extramarital affair and domestic violence, a kiss between two women, and edge-of-your seat suspense.
TRAFFIC ADVISORY: CONSTRUCTION ON EDEN PARK DRIVE
The City of Cincinnati has begun a months-long project to stabilize the slope and repair the sidewalk on Art Museum Drive leading up from Eden Park Drive. With this work, there are currently some road closures on the approach to the Playhouse from Eden Park Drive that will last into December. Please refer to this online map for information on the closures and alternate routes and add extra time for your arrival to the Playhouse. Thanks for your patience and understanding. Please call the Box Office at (513) 421-3888 with any questions.
SPONSORS
Production Sponsor is U.S. Bank. Honorary Producer is the Lemmerman Family. Artist sponsors are 19/19 Investment Council, Frost Brown Todd Attorneys, Geiler and Playhouse PRIDE. Additional support from the Greater Cincinnati Foundation. Moe and Jack’s Place — The Rouse Theatre Season is presented by Schueler Group. Season Design Sponsor is Kerry Automotive.
The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of almost 40,000 contributors to the ArtsWave Community campaign. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation.
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