When Marissa Stewart reflects on watching movies Dial M for Murder At the Geva Theater Center in Rochester, New York, she remembers “the buzz in the theater” after the play ended. She recalls the audience working together to sort out exactly what happened, discussing the series of events and decisions that led the story of intrigue and murder to this particular ending.
Now, Stewart hopes to evoke the same buzz when she plays Margot Wendis in the movie, not as a member of the audience but as a star on stage. Dial M for Murder At the Dallas Theater Center. “I just want people to walk away with a sense of connection to each other,” says Stewart.
Produced in partnership with Geva Theater Center, Dial M for Murder is an updated version of the classic thriller best known as the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film starring Ray Milland and Grace Kelly. Jeffrey Hatcher's adaptation premiered in his 2021 year and features an updated story with several parts from the iconic film.
Director Rachel Alderman has called Hatcher's 1950s-set adaptation a “love letter to the genre,” updating the story, modernizing the female characters, and creating more dynamic and complex relationships.
“Everyone has a little more agency. Everyone can be a murderer. Everyone can be a lover, and in all its complexity, it's full of thrills and laughter and sexiness.” It really makes for a great adaptation,” says Alderman.
In Hatcher's interpretation, Tony Wendis, a retired tennis player in the original story, is transformed into a struggling author who becomes the publicist for his wife Margot's books. When Tony learns that Margot has been having an affair with crime novelist Maxine Hadley, the original male characters Mark and Max Halliday are replaced by female characters, and Tony begins a dangerous and sinister plot. Start.
Stewart felt relevant in the script changes that transform Margot Wendis from a passive character to someone who “definitely takes responsibility” and quickly processes the events around her. “She has her own agency and she doesn't keep waiting for other people to come to her rescue,” Stewart says, adding that she credits her character's resilience. He added that he found it appealing.
Stewart will be joined by Awesta Zarif in the role of Margot following the first performance in Rochester from January 16th to February 11th.
Although she was not playing Margot at the time, Stewart joined the cast to learn what Alderman calls “the traffic patterns of the show,” including various blocking and prop work. “Having the opportunity to spend time in Rochester was really helpful, not only from a technical standpoint, but also to get a feel for the other actors and get to know them,” Stewart says.
Stewart and co-star Danny Gardner, who plays Tony Wendis in both runs of the show, researched more about the piece's '50s noir style in their respective preparations. Gardner learned about Frederick Knott, who wrote the original stage play. Dial M for Murderinspired by Alfred Hitchcock films.
“The style of the movie is really great,” Gardner says. “I tried to infuse that[into my acting]but it's always a double-edged sword of taking what you can while also bringing yourself to the role and the piece.”
Stewart watched noir films to familiarize himself with the show's style, and found it helpful to understand the “rhythm and rhyme” that was naturally built into the dialogue of certain scenes. She found that the script naturally incorporated the tension of a noir work without creating elements such as dramatic pauses herself.
Gardner said the audience is a “huge part” of the show, describing how the actors on stage feel when the audience is listening intently on the edge of their seats. He says the script laid the foundation for the thrilling aspects of the show, allowing the actors to create a “push and pull” by how much they changed their performances depending on the audience.
Additionally, Gardner says that the audience helped him appreciate the film's humor more. Dial M for Murder, elicits laughter by revealing unexpected lines. Stewart describes the show's humor as “intellectual frankness and frankness” as well as “situational humor” that comes from viewers having the opportunity to know the show's secrets before the characters do. .
“Jeffrey Hatcher is wickedly funny and the writing is very witty,” Alderman said, noting how the writing allowed the cast to embrace the show's levity.
Whether it's through laughter or intrigue, the goal of connecting with audiences and having them participate in unraveling the mysteries at hand is the driving force behind productions at Dallas Theater Center. Dial M for Murder.
“When you're sitting in the audience, you can hear the people you're in the theater with telling each other, as if they're competing to see who gets it before the person next to them. It's really fun.” “It's a real feast,” Alderman said. So that today's viewers have the opportunity to escape into this story and bond through that community experience.
Dial M for Murder Playing at the Wiley Theater until April 28th. You can purchase tickets here.
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