Full cast and crew set for Pittsburgh premiere of “Dial M for Murder” adaptation at Pittsburgh Public Theater
Cast directed by the Tony-nominated Céline Rosenthal in queer take on Hitchcock classic
Aug. 13, 2024 | Pittsburgh Public Theater this fall launches its 50th anniversary season with suspense and surprise in the thriller that inspired the Hitchcock classic, “Dial M for Murder”, a “fresh and alive” (Houston Chronicle) adaptation “to die for” (The Stages of MN) that makes its regional premiere Sept. 11–29 at the O’Reilly Theater in Downtown. Tony nominee Céline Rosenthal directs the new adaptation from the Old Globe’s Jeffrey Hatcher, and today The Public announced the full cast and creative team from Pittsburgh and beyond.
“Hatcher’s funny, muscular adaptation marries Hitchcock’s genius with director Céline Rosenthal’s talent for elegant storytelling,” Pittsburgh Public Theater Artistic Director Marya Sea Kaminski said. “At The Public we excel at staging smart, relevant productions of iconic stories, and this gorgeous production of ‘Dial M for Murder’ will be no exception.”
“Dial M for Murder,” for audiences lucky enough to be encountering the thrilling murder mystery for the first time, tells the 1950s London story of Margot Wendice (Brooke Turner) and her husband Tony (Josh Innerst), who, upon discovering his wealthy wife’s torrid affair with a handsome American mystery writer, entwines his old college pal Lesgate (Michael Patrick Trimm) in a plot to have her murdered and acquire her sizable inheritance. Tony, a retired tennis pro in the original, sees his plan go awry and consequences close in as he frantically attempts to evade the story’s plot – and Inspector Hubbard (Ken Bolden).
Hatcher’s adaptation swaps Tony’s tennis career for a life as a failed-writer-turned-literary publishing agent, and Margot’s love interest for Maxine Hadley (Shannon Williams), a successful mystery writer professionally represented by Tony’s publishing house – adding layers to the animosity Tony has for his wife’s lover and danger to the consequences of Margot and Maxine’s queer trysts. Carolyn Jerz joins the cast as production understudy.
“The modernized story of Margot saving herself strikes me every time,” Turner said. “That update changes the entire story, from one of a man's folly to one of a woman's strength, and that is a story I want to tell.”
Critics raved over Rosenthal’s recent direction of the adaptation at Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, and Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production features members of the same stunning creative team, including Set Designer Antonio Ferron, Costume Designer Tracy Dorman, and Fight Director Mark Rose. Pittsburgh talent, including The Public’s Resident Artist Jose Perez IV as intimacy director, Annmarie Duggan of the crowd favorite “A Tell-Tale Heart” as lighting designer, Kathy Mathews as hair and wig designer, and Nancy McNulty McGeever as dialect coach, joins this staging to play to the strengths of the O’Reilly Theater’s thrust stage. The Public also brings other national talent to Pittsburgh with this production, including the San Diego-based sound designer Stewart Blackwood, who teaches at Carnegie Mellon University and is a prolific award-winning audiobook narrator and will bring dark mystery to the sounds of “Dial M for Murder.”
"The design is definitely harkening back to the film and the glamour of it all, but it feels like noir,” Pittsburgh Public Theater Casting and Literary Director Brian Pope said. “It really sets the stage for what we learn these characters are capable of.”
The show’s director is a queer theater leader of their own and an active member of the Ring of Keys, an LGBTQ+ musical theater network that focuses its work on creative and networking opportunities for artists who self-identify as queer women, transgender, and gender-nonconforming artists. Rosenthal’s career as a Tony Award-nominated producer followed other work as an educator and New York City paramedic – influences Rosenthal discussed with Pittsburgh Public Theater Artistic Director Marya Sea Kaminski and Managing Director Shaunda McDill in a recent podcast episode.
“Uncovering queer history is a personal passion of mine, and especially given that we lost an entire generation of elders in the late '80s and '90s through the AIDS epidemic, there's so much history that just hasn't been passed down to us as younger queers,” Rosenthal said. “We need to preserve it, to do that research and to look back at what lesbian culture was like in the 1950s, to remember that and recall that. It’s really exciting to able to sprinkle it in this production and present it on stage.”
Tickets to “Dial M for Murder” are on sale now at PPT.org/Dial or by calling the Box Office at 412.316.1600 and start at $37. The Public also offers numerous ways to engage more deeply with the theater and enhance your theatergoing experience, available during select performances all season long.
Join Pittsburgh Public Theater Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 5:30 p.m., for the recurring Wine Wednesday series. Be among the first to see each production at the first preview performance and add an exclusive wine tasting in partnership with Dreadnaught Wines for just $15 to your ticket purchase.
The Public brings more libations centerstage Friday, Sept. 13, at 6 p.m., for Theater on Tap, The Public’s co-curated beer and spirits tasting series with Barrel & Flow’s Day Bracey, bringing the best of Black and local-owned drinks right to the O’Reilly Theater with a just $15 ticket add-on. Want to dive deeper into the show with the folks who make the art possible? Spend your afternoon with the cast of Dial M for Murder after the matinee performance on Saturday, Sept. 21, for our Cast Q+A series.
Pittsburgh Public Theater this season will reduce barriers for parents and families in partnership with Jovie childcare services by offering a secure and engaging environment for children of all ages with Sitter Sundays. Sitter Sundays is offered during the second Sunday matinee of each production and is limited to six children per show. Jovie's trusted professionals will be available from 12:30 – 5 p.m. on show days, allowing parents time to squeeze in a pre-show date or stroll around the Cultural District. Sitter Sundays is made possible by the generous support of the McKinney Charitable Foundation.
To find more details and register for just $20 per child, visit PPT.org/Sitter. Reservations must be made at least one week in advance.
Pittsburgh Public Theater is committed to its performances being accessible for all audiences, and offers an ASL interpretation series, a Live Audio Description series, closed captioning at most performances, Braille and large-print programs, and more. For more information about The Public’s accessibility initiatives, visit PPT.org/Accessibility. The Public also offers student tickets for $17.50 using the promo code HOTTIX at checkout (valid with ID at box office) and a limited number of free tickets in a first-come first-served Theater for All model.
This year’s Theater for All program is The Public’s second offering this transformational ticketing initiative and is generously supported by the Audrey Hillman Fisher Foundation. For more information about Theater for All and to learn how to reserve your tickets, visit PPT.org/TFA or follow Pittsburgh Public Theater on social media.
About the show
DIAL M FOR MURDER
*Pittsburgh premiere
Sept. 11–29, 2024
Directed by Céline Rosenthal
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher
From the original by Frederick Knott
SUSPENSE, SCANDAL, AND SCAMS LIKELY
Before Rear Window and Psycho, master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock brought Dial M for Murder to the silver screen and altered the landscape of the thriller genre. On a dark and rainy night, Tony’s jealousy over his wife Margot’s illicit affair takes a sinister turn. As Tony, Margot, her lover, and a figure from his past weave an intricate web of deception, the tension rises, and the consequences of suspicion and desire become deadly. The call is coming from inside The O'Reilly in this new version of the classic murder mystery, where secrets, lies, and the thirst for revenge collide.
Cast
Ken Bolden*–Inspector Hubbard
Ken Bolden is thankful to return to The Public where he has happily worked in productions like: A Few Good Men as Commander Stone, A Raisin in the Sun as Karl Lindner, The Diary of Anne Frank as Mr. Kraler (his cat Bert also co-starred in the production!), The Odd Couple as Vinnie, The Comedy of Errors as Angelo, Born Yesterday as Assistant Hotel Manager, and Amadeus as Valet. He has also performed extensively with PICT, Quantum Theatre, City Theatre Company, and Off-the Wall. Proud member of AEA and graduate of LAMDA.
Josh Innerst*–Tony Wendice
Josh frequently works at theater companies across the country including Cleveland Play House, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Rep, and many others, with several years as a resident company member at the American Shakespeare Center. Favorite roles include Hamlet in Hamlet, Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest, Touchstone in As You Like It, and Mr. Marks in Intimate Apparel. Josh is also an Earphones Award-winning audiobook narrator and voice artist. joshinnerst.com
Michael Patrick Trimm*–Lesgate
Michael is dually based out of Pittsburgh and New York. Off-Broadway credits include: Public Theater (Julius Caesar) and New Wave Theater Collective (The New Sincerity). Regional theater credits include: Pittsburgh Public Theater (A Few Good Men, American Son, The Merchant of Venice), City Theatre Company (Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley), PICT (As You Like It, A Christmas Carol), Kitchen Theatre Company (Hand to God), Hangar Theatre (Little Women), Oldcastle Theater (Sheepdog), Kinetic Theater (The Illustrious Invalid), Ithica Shakespeare Company (A Midsummer Night’s Dream).
Brooke Turner*–Margot Wendice
Brooke is an actor and intimacy director originally from Ohio. MFA in classical acting from The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, BFA in classical acting from Baldwin Wallace University. Recent credits: Dial M for Murder, Inherit the Wind, Midsummer Tour (Asolo Repertory Theatre); Richard III (Idaho Shakespeare Festival); Pride and Prejudice, Misery (Great Lakes Theater). Thanks to my loved ones!
Shannon Arielle Williams–Maxine
Shannon is thrilled to be on stage with The Public for the first time. BFA in acting, Point Park University. She made her debut with barebones productions in Is God Is, and more recently performed with City Theatre Company in their annual Young Playwright’s Festival. Shannon is grateful for opportunities to grow as a performer and sends her love to family and friends. @shant.nn
Carolyn Jerz–Production Understudy, Margot Wendice
Carolyn Jerz is a senior musical theater and dance choreography double major at Seton Hill University. She is ecstatic to be working on her first Pittsburgh Public Theater production after having grown up attending these shows and participating in the annual Shakespeare Contest (with three wins). Other Pittsburgh credits include PICT, Front Porch Theatricals, Prime Stage Theatre, Big Storm, and Bit Sized Productions.
Crew
Céline Rosenthal*–Director
Céline Rosenthal is a Tony®-nominated producer, "Key" member of The Ring Of Keys, and New Georges Affiliate Artist. They have spent seven seasons as associate artistic director at Asolo Repertory Theatre, where they directed Dial M For Murder, Grand Horizons, Camelot, The Lifespan of a Fact, Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, and served as AD to Frank Galati on Knoxville. Celine has developed new work with NYMF, MTF, The Kidoons, Tamasha, and N.Q.T., as well as creating The Ground Floor, Asolo Rep’s premiere new work series. Other Recent Projects: In The Next Room, Angel Street, A Doll’s House, Spike Heels (Studio Theatre); Trayf (New Rep); Drowning in Cairo (N.Q.T); the award-winning short film “Wildflower”.
Carlos E. Martínez–Assistant Director
Carlos Martínez is a Dominican-born director, designer, and translator. He is the founding artistic director of Punto Zeta Productions and has directed the Spanish-language productions of Metamorphoses, Art, Noises Off, and Spelling Bee. Recently, he directed Lonely Planet at Carnegie Mellon University and was assistant director for Somewhere Over the Border at City Theatre Company. Carlos is a John Wells Directing Fellow at CMU.
Emily Paige Ballou*–Stage Manager
Emily is a proud AEA stage manager based in New York! Recently, as stage manager: The Hello Girls (Prospect Theater Company); Hannah Senesh (NYTF); The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley (Arizona Theatre Company); As ASM: A Walk With Mr. Heifetz (Primary Stages); Public Servant (Theater Breaking Through Barriers); La Cage aux Folles (Barrington Stage Company). Many thanks to Céline, Kelly, and Pittsburgh Public Theater!
Kelly Haywood*–Assistant stage manager
Past Pittsburgh Public Theater productions: Steel Magnolias, A Tell-Tale Heart, Noises Off, An Iliad, Dragon Lady, Little Shop of Horrors, Barefoot in the Park, A Raisin in the Sun, and The Importance of Being Earnest. Kelly has also done several productions with Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh Opera and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.
Tracy Dorman–Costume Designer
Tracy Dorman has designed productions at regional theater and opera companies around the country, including at Asolo Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Play House, Geva Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Kansas City Rep, Gulfshore Playhouse, Maltz-Jupiter, Virginia Opera, Kentucky Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre, and Glimmerglass. Please visit www.tracydorman.com for a more extensive listing of production credits.
Jaime Ericson–Assistant Costume Designer
Jaime Ericson is a Pittsburgh-based costume designer and technician. They hold a bachelor of arts in technical theater and design from George Mason University. Recent credits include the 2022–2024 Young Playwrights Festivals (City Theatre Company), Witness for the Prosecution (Prime Stage Theatre), Native Gardens (City Theatre Company), What the Constitution Means to Me (City Theatre Company).
Mark Rose*–Fight Choreographer
Mark is a New York-based fight choreographer, stuntman, actor, and certified teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors. This is his first show with The Public. Select credits: Dial M for Murder, Crazy for You, Cabaret, Camelot, Into the Breeches!, Lifespan of a Fact, Rhinoceros (Asolo Rep.); Sweeney Todd, The Good John Proctor, Fences, Becky Nurse of Salem, A Tale of Two Cities, Sueño (Trinity Rep). mark-rose.com
José Pérez IV–Intimacy Director
José Pérez IV is the Resident Fight & Intimacy Director of Pittsburgh Public Theater. Select credits at The Public: The Coffin Maker, A Christmas Story: The Play, Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For, A Midsummer Night’s Dream In Harlem, Robin Hood. Regional/national credits: POTUS (upcoming, City Theatre Company), A Moon for the Misbegotten (Quantum Theatre), Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy (Actors Theatre of Louisville), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (Cleveland Play House), Breakfalls (Vermont Stages). MFA Performance Pedagogy, University of Pittsburgh; BFA Drama, New York University.
Nancy McNulty McGeever*–Dialect Coach
Nancy McNulty McGeever is an award-winning actor, director, teacher, and dialect coach. Nancy’s dialect work has been heard on the Pittsburgh stages of Front Porch Theatricals, Pittsburgh Public Theater, City Theatre Company, barebones productions, Kinetic Theatre, Pitt Stages, and COPA at Point Park University. Director of theater arts at Shady Side Academy Junior School. MFA, The New School. Lifetime member of The Actors Studio.
Kathy Lynne Mathews–Hair Designer
Kathy Lynne Mathews is a native Pittsburgher where she has been a hairstylist for nearly 30 years. Kathy is a member of IATSE Local 3 and has had many opportunities to work on plays and musicals. The Importance of Being Earnest (Pittsburgh Public Theater) is particularly special to her because it was her first time as Hair Designer for a production.
*Designates AEA affiliation