Back in the Saddle Again: The Dial M Debrief

If you've read any of my last few posts you already know that directing Crimes of the Heart was an intensely emotional experience for me.  I always invest a lot of myself into productions, but the depth of the script as well as the fondess and pride I felt for the actors involved took me to a new level.  Afterwards, I needed a break from directing and decided to get back on stage, doing a few local productions back to back.  I left those with new perspectives both as an actor and director. 

After a few months' break I began the process of choosing Valley Theatre's fall play.  CotH was a female-driven drama, so I wanted to go in a different direction. After reading several scripts, I finally landed on Frederick Knott's Dial "M" for Murder (made famous by the Hitchcock-directed film of the same name).  Dial M required a simple set, had a relatively small cast and is in a genre that I've always loved.  (Thanks, Peter Falk, Angela Lansbury and Dick van Dyke!)  The male-heavy cast was daunting, but we took a gamble, and it paid off.  We held open auditions and had a great turnout.  On the downside, this meant that I had to pass on several very talented actors. 

Casting was difficult, but we hammered it out and landed with a group of actors that were mostly new faces.  Of the eight-member cast, I'd only worked with Ben Layman more than once.  This presented a new challenge.  Particularly on the heels of CotH, I was used to having a certain shorthand with actors.  I could say things like "You're coming across a little bleh.  I need you to be more WhizBang!" and they'd be like "I understand completely."  And they did.  This was back to basics, and it was fun... most of the time.

One of the unique challenges presented by Dial M was the fact that there is no mystery.  You watch the events unfold.  You know who the villian is.  You understand the motive and crime.  The suspense lies in the question: Will he get away with it?  In that way it's very much like the classic series TV Columbo.  The script essentialy turns the whodunit formula on its head.  This means that the actors under my direction had to convey a sense of urgency and suspense without the tools usually associated with this kind of story.  That's what hooked me.  While there is an element of casual fun directing easygoing shows (I'm looking at you, Father of the Bride), for me to really feel engaged as a director I need something to play with. 

Dial M  provided multiple opportunities for me to roll up my sleeves and tinker.  The scene with Swann (Dan Buckley) and Tony (Ben Layman), for example, had so much going on under the surface.  The guys really got into it, and we were able to map the changes and really emphasize the undertones of the scene.  The struggle between Swann and Margot (Sarah Badger) was intense.  Both actors really went for it, and the end result was uncomfortable, difficult to watch and completely perfect.  Then the noose-tightening third act with the underestimated Inspector Hubbard (Aaron Arber) laying the trap alongside Max (Clayton Danner) really pulled the audience in.  The brilliance of the show lies in the fact that you want Tony to get caught, but at the same time you secretly hope he manages to escape.

All in all, Dial M was a success, ending with a sold-out crowd.  For me personally, it was a satisfying experience.  I enjoyed working with the cast.  It is always rewarding to watch actors steadily sharpen their performance over a rehearsal period and, in the case of those I've worked with before, to see them come into Dial M as stronger actors than they were the last time we were together.  Ending a production is always bittersweet.  It's nice to see my house again, but I miss the challenge of putting a show together.  I suppose that's why I've already started reading scripts again.