Everyman Theatre Brings Thrills and Chills this Winter with a Holiday Murder Mystery

Baltimore Premiere of Jeffrey Hatcher’s Adaptation of Dial M for Murder

November 3, 2023

Baltimore, Md. – Everyman Theatre is proud to announce the Baltimore premiere of Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of the Frederick Knott classic murder mystery, Dial M for Murder, onstage December 3-31. This classic thriller, which served as inspiration for Hitchcock’s iconic film, presents a twisted tale of a former writer, Tony Wendice, who concocts a plan to murder his wealthy wife, Margot. With the help of a sharp-witted detective, Margot fights to clear her name and reveal the truth about her husband’s deadly scheme.

Jeffrey Hatcher’s script layers clever dialogue and unexpected plot twists with a contemporary exploration of greed, power, and manipulation. With its high-stakes storyline, Dial M for Murder will keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

Hitchcock’s film, from Knott’s original play, has Tony living off his wife Margot’s family fortune. Upon discovering Margot’s affair with Mark, an American thriller novelist, Tony hatches an elaborate plan to murder her for her money. This new adaptation’s reimagining introduces a twist to the tale, with Mark’s character becoming Maxine, and Tony being depicted as a failed writer who works as Maxine’s book publicist. Throughout the play, Hatcher expertly weaves Maxine’s insights on the art of thriller-writing and the gradual buildup of suspense, adding a unique narrative element to this gripping new play.


In an interview with Everyman Theatre Resident Dramaturg, Robyn Quick, adapter Jeffrey Hatcher said. “By changing the gender of one of the characters, we found that it immediately upped the stakes for Margot, the play’s heroine, and made the secrets she’s keeping much more dangerous, especially in the context of 1950s upper-class London.”

Everyman’s production of Dial M for Murder will feature a full cast of its Resident Company of Actors including Megan Anderson (A Doll’s House) as Maxine Hadley, Danny Gavigan (Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery) as Lesgate, Beth Hylton (The Sound Inside) as Margot Wendice, Tony Nam (Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery) as Tony Wendice, and Bruce Randolph Nelson (Harvey) as Inspector Hubbard.

The production will be directed by Everyman Founding Artistic Director, Vincent M. Lancisi. Alongside Lancisi, the creative team is composed of many Everyman Resident Artists including Daniel Ettinger (Set Design), David Burdick (Costume Design), Harold F Burgess II (Lighting Design), Gary Logan (Dialects), Lewis Shaw (Fights and Intimacy) and returning to Everyman is Megumi Katayama (Sound Design & Original Music). Megumi’s sound design was previously featured in Everyman’s production of Dinner and Cake and The Skin of Our Teeth. Malory Hartman joins as Assistant Lighting Designer, and Resident Artist & Production Manager, Cat Wallis will serve as Stage Manager for this production.

“It’s a thrilling time for Everyman. We will present our third production of an adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher following the Turn of the Screw (2008) and Wait Until Dark (2016),” states Director and Everyman Founder Vincent M. Lancisi. “This play is brimming with top notch actors from Everyman’s Resident Company. The familial bonds, history, and trust in each other on and off stage allows them to jump deeply into meaningful relationships onstage, creating the highest caliber of work.”

There are 32 scheduled performances available to the public, starting with a special Pay-What- You Choose Performance on Sunday, December 3. Weekday and weekend performances through Sunday, December 31, with additional specially scheduled performances around the holidays. Tickets start at $29, with accessible Pay-What-You-Choose seats available for every performance.

Special Opportunities

  • Sunday, December 3 Pay-What-You-Choose: This final dress rehearsal will be open to the public the Sunday before preview performances begin. General Admission seating is on a first-come-first serve basis. Click here for more information.
  • Sunday, December 3 – TNT (Theatre Night for Teens): A social event for high-school aged students who want to see a play and meet other teens interested in theatre. Students in grades 9-12 are invited to join us for dinner, inside access to the show, pre- and post-show discussions with production artists. All TNT events are $20. More details here.
  • Sunday, December 17 – Childcare Matinees: The Everyman Theatre Education and Community Engagement staff will provide childcare for children ages 3 – 12 during the show. Pricing starts at only $25 per child. Take a moment to relax and enjoy a show knowing your child is safe and having a wonderful time with an Everyman Theatre Teaching Artist! Learn more about Everyman’s
    childcare matinee service here.
  • Midweek Matinees- Wednesday, December 13: Curtain is 12 p.m., and just in time for the holidays, Everyman is offering additional weekday matinee performances. Wednesday, December 20, and December 27 with a 1p.m. curtain.
  • Thursday, December 21– Cast Conversation: Often a popular event, on this date patrons are invited to stay after the performance and meet the cast during a 30-minute facilitated discussion.


Box Office Information
Everyman Theatre box office hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Saturdays 12-4 p.m.
Visit everymantheatre.org or call 410.752.2208 for more information.


ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Jeffrey Hatcher (Adapter) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He is a member and alum of Playwrights’ Center, the Dramatists Guild, the Writers Guild, and the New Dramatists. [BROADWAY]: Never Gonna Dance (Book). [OFF-BROADWAY]: Three Viewings and A Picasso at Manhattan Theatre Club; Scotland Road and The Turn of the Screw at Primary Stages; Tuesdays with Morrie (with Mitch Albom) at The Minetta Lane; Murder By Poe, The Turn of the Screw and The Spy at The Acting Company; Neddy at American Place; and Fellow Travelers at Manhattan Punchline [OTHER PLAYS/THEATERS]: Compleat Female Stage Beauty, Mrs. Mannerly, Murderers, Mercy of a Storm, Smash, Armadale, Korczak’s Children, To Fool the Eye, The Falls, A Piece of the Rope, All the Way with LBJ, The Government Inspector, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and others at The Guthrie, Old Globe, Yale Rep, The Geffen, Seattle Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, South Coast Rep, Arizona Theater Company, San Jose Rep, The Empty Space, Indiana Rep, Children’s Theater Company, History Theater, Madison Rep, Intiman, Illusion, Denver Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Rep, Repertory Theater of St. Louis, Actors Theater of Louisville, Philadelphia Theater Company, Asolo, City Theater, Studio Arena and dozens more in the U.S. and abroad.

Frederick Knott
Frederick Knott (playwright) was born on August 28, 1916, in China to an English missionary family. Knott earned a law degree from Cambridge University after attending Oundle School and served in the British Army from 1939 to 1946, achieving the rank of major. Knott only wrote three plays during his lifetime, yet his spine-tingling thrillers ran successfully on Broadway in the 1950s and 1960s and have been standards in regional theatre and touring productions throughout the world. His most famous script, Dial M For Murder, saw success on British television in the early 1950s. It then hit the London stage to rave reviews. In 1952 the
play opened on Broadway, and in 1954 was adapted by Knott into a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Grace Kelly and Ray Milland. His second most popular play, Wait Until Dark ran for 374 performances on Broadway in 1966 and earned actor Lee Remick a Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of a blind woman terrorized by thugs. In 1967 the play was made into a popular film of the same name starring Alan Arkin and Audrey Hepburn. It was revived on Broadway in 1998 in a production starring Marisa Tomei and Quentin Tarantino. His third play, Write Me A Murder, opened on Broadway in 1961 and ran for twenty-five weeks. Fredrick Knott passed away in 2002. (sourced from Dramatists Play Service)

ABOUT EVERYMAN THEATRE
Dial M for Murder is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. This production is sponsored by Gallagher, Evelius & Jones, LLP, and The Lord Baltimore Hotel. Everyman Theatre is a professional Equity theatre company celebrating the actor, with a Resident Company of artists from the Baltimore/DC area. Everyman Theatre is conveniently located in the heart of Baltimore City in the historic Bromo Arts and Entertainment District, near the corner of Fayette and Eutaw and steps away from the historic Lexington Market. Founded in 1990 by Vincent M. Lancisi, the theatre’s mission is to provide
transformative experiences through professional theatre that are welcoming, relevant, and affordable to everyone. With the values of people, community, and excellence at the core of its programming and operations, Everyman is dedicated to meaningful connections between artists and audiences both onstage and off, while creating opportunities to sustain artists that are local to the Baltimore/Washington D. C. area. Lancisi partners with Managing Director Marissa LaRose in leading the organization in diverse, equitable, and inclusive storytelling, which is vital to living up to the name, Everyman Theatre.

The 2023/2024 Lead Corporate Partner for Everyman Theatre is Gallagher, Evelius & Jones, LLP. Everyman Theatre is supported in part by grants from Mayor Brandon M. Scott, Baltimore City, and The Mayor’s Office of Recovery, The Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org), The Citizens of Baltimore County, The Shubert Foundation, and the Paul M. Angell Foundation.

Everyman Theatre stands in solidarity with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and AAPI (Americans and Pacific Islanders) communities and is committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive atmosphere at every level of our organization.