DIAL "M"
FOR MURDER
ADAPTED BY JEFFREY HATCHER
FROM THE ORIGINAL BY FREDERICK KNOTT
DIRECTED BY IXCHEL LÓPEZ-DURANT
AUDITION DATES:
SATURDAY, NOV. 15 STARTING AT 2P AND SUNDAY, NOV. 16 STARTING AT 11A
AUDITIONS WILL BE HELD AT MVT AND CONSIST OF READINGS FROM THE SCRIPT. PLEASE SIGN UP FOR A 15 MINUTE SLOT.
*CALLBACKS WILL BE HELD BY INVITATION MONDAY, NOV. 17, FROM 6:30 - 8:30 AT MVT. REHEARSALS BEGIN WEDNESDAY, NOV. 19, AT ‘IOLANI SCHOOL.
MVT STRIVES TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL ARTISTS AND WELCOMES PERFORMERS OF ALL GENDERS, COLORS, BODY TYPES, AND ABILITIES. MVT DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE BASED ON RACE, ETHNICITY, GENDER, GENDER IDENTITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AGE, DISABILITY, RELIGION, OR BODY TYPE.
ABOUT THE SHOW:
THIS PRODUCTION OF DIAL M FOR MURDER BY FREDERICK KNOTT, NEWLY ADAPTED BY JEFFREY HATCHER, WILL BE STAGED IN THE ROUND. THE INTIMATE SETTING ALLOWS THE AUDIENCE TO FEEL FULLY IMMERSED IN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TENSION OF THE PLAY. HATCHER’S VERSION REIMAGINES THE STORY FOR TODAY’S AUDIENCES WHILE KEEPING THE STYLISH 1950S LONDON SETTING INTACT. MOST NOTABLY, THE CHARACTER OF MAX HAS BECOME MAXINE, MARGOT WENDICE’S LOVER, RAISING THE STAKES OF SECRECY AND DESIRE WITHIN THE SOCIAL CLIMATE OF THE TIME. TONY WENDICE IS NO LONGER A RETIRED TENNIS PLAYER, BUT INSTEAD A STRUGGLING WRITER TURNED PUBLISHER, ADDING COMPLEXITY TO HIS JEALOUSY AND MOTIVES. I AM PARTICULARLY LOOKING FOR ACTORS WITH STRONG VOCAL PRESENCE TO CARRY THE DIALOGUE-DRIVEN SUSPENSE, PRECISE ATTENTION TO DETAIL, AND THE ABILITY TO BALANCE NUANCE WITH HEIGHTENED TENSION AND POWER DYNAMICS.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWNS
(ALL ROLES ARE OPEN)
PLEASE NOTE: YOU ARE WELCOME TO TRY AN ACCENT AT THE AUDITIONS (JUST DO YOUR BEST!), BUT IT IS NOT REQUIRED UNTIL WE GET INTO REHEARSALS AND CAN DIVE INTO THE DIFFERENT DIALECTS OF LONDON.
MARGOT WENDICE (CAN PLAY 30S-40S, FEMALE-IDENTIFYING):
ENGLISH. TONY’S WIFE. ELEGANT AND CHARISMATIC, YET CONFLICTED. SHE CARRIES THE FEAR AND EMOTIONAL COST OF HER AFFAIR WITH MAXINE, HER TRUE LOVE, WHILE ALSO REVEALING STRENGTH AND RESOURCEFULNESS.
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MAXINE HADLEY (CAN PLAY 30S-40S, FEMALE-IDENTIFYING):
AMERICAN. A CRIME WRITER AND MARGOT’S LOVER. PASSIONATE, ARTICULATE, AND INTELLIGENT, WITH STRONG MORAL CONVICTION. HER RELATIONSHIP WITH MARGOT AND HER DESIRE TO CLEAR HER NAME ADDS EMOTIONAL DEPTH AND SOCIAL TENSION.
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TONY WENDICE (CAN PLAY 30S-40S, MALE-IDENTIFYING):
ENGLISH. A FAILED WRITER WHO NOW WORKS AS A PUBLISHER. INTELLIGENT, CHARMING, AND CALCULATING, BUT ALSO MANIPULATIVE AND DEEPLY INSECURE.
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LESGATE (CAN PLAY 30S-40S, MALE-IDENTIFYING):
ENGLISH. AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE OF TONY’S, NOW A SMALL-TIME CRIMINAL. OPPORTUNISTIC AND MORALLY COMPROMISED, YET CAPABLE OF CHARM.
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INSPECTOR HUBBARD (CAN PLAY 40S-50S, MALE-IDENTIFYING):
ENGLISH. A WITTY AND PERSISTENT DETECTIVE WHO APPEARS UNASSUMING BUT HAS A SHARP EYE FOR DETAIL. RELENTLESS IN HIS PURSUIT OF TRUTH.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:
IXCHEL LÓPEZ-DURANT IS A DIRECTOR, WRITER, PRODUCER, AND ACTOR BASED IN HONOLULU. ONSTAGE DIRECTING CREDITS INCLUDE: THE JUNGLE BOOK, ROCK OF AGES, MEAN GIRLS, OUR MISS BROOKS, FANCY NANCY, THE HAWAI’I COMEDY FESTIVAL ORIGINAL MUSICALS, AND HADESTOWN. LAST SEASON AT MVT, SHE ASSISTANT DIRECTED LEND ME A SOPRANO UNDER ROB DUVAL, AND IS ECSTATIC TO RETURN TO DIRECT DIAL M FOR MURDER, AS SHE GREW UP WATCHING AND READING ANY PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER SHE COULD GET HER HANDS ON!
THE FOUNDER OF OLOMANA FILM PRODUCTIONS, IXCHEL RECENTLY WON THE HAWAI’I FILMMAKER COLLECTIVE’S PITCH GRANT TO HELP FUND HER UPCOMING FILM, CHARACTER BREAKDOWN, WHICH SHE WROTE AND DIRECTED. FILM PRODUCTION CREDITS INCLUDE: LOVE’S LAST LEI (WRITER/DIRECTOR), FLOWERS (WRITER/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER), BOOK IN TIME (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER), AND BOBALAND (LYRICIST, WINNER OF THE 2022 HFC AUDIENCE FAVORITE AWARD).
FAVORITE ACTING CREDITS INCLUDE: THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (“MAGENTA”, MVT), A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (“LUCY”, DHT), IN THE HEIGHTS (“DANIELA”, LCC), DAMN YANKEES (“LOLA”, CONEJO PLAYERS THEATRE, THOUSAND OAKS, CA), AND LETI REYES IN THE FINAL SEASON OF MAGNUM, P.I., WHERE SHE WAS DIRECTED BY JAY HERNANDEZ. THIS SPRING, SHE WILL BE DIRECTING ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME, THE JUKEBOX MUSICAL FEATURING THE MUSIC OF BRITNEY SPEARS, AT THE HAWAI’I SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, WHERE SHE RUNS THE THEATRE PROGRAM. SHE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT UPLIFTING HAWAII’S CREATIVES AND BUILDING OUR ALREADY THRIVING STORYTELLING SCENE!