The Elmwood Playhouse in Nyack opened its holiday-season production on Friday, November 13: Dial M for Murder, Frederick Knott's stage thriller about a husband, a wife, a London flat and a telephone call timed to the minute. The community theater on Park Street bills this staging as a noir update of the play, with a twist of its own, and it runs on weekends through Saturday, December 5.

Melinda Pinto directs a cast of five: Kevin Barber, Derek Tarson, Gavin Reign, Marissa Gore and Anna Iris. Knott's play premiered in 1952 and became the source for Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film, and its plot turns on a carefully arranged evening that does not go the way its planner intends. The Elmwood has not published the details of its twist, and the playhouse's own prologue videos hint at a change: in the teaser for the finale episode, a character named Maxine is on her way to London.

A prologue you can watch before you go

Ahead of opening night, the playhouse released a short prologue series on its website that leads directly into the first scene of the play. Episode 2 and the finale are both posted on the Elmwood's watch page, which also links to tickets. The finale teaser sets up the evening the play begins with: Maxine is arriving in London, Tony has plans for the night, and someone is at the door.

Opening night came with a gallery reception before the curtain, showing work by members of the Nyack Art Collective, with wine, soft drinks and light bites from Scott & Joe, the gourmet shop in Nyack.

Performance dates

Evening shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and matinees are Sundays at 2 p.m. The dates on the playhouse calendar this month are:

  • Saturday, November 14, at 8 p.m.
  • Sunday, November 15, at 2 p.m.
  • Friday, November 20, and Saturday, November 21, at 8 p.m.
  • Sunday, November 22, at 2 p.m.
  • Friday, November 27, at 8 p.m., the night after Thanksgiving

The run continues on weekends into December and closes Saturday, December 5. A captioned performance is scheduled for Thursday, December 3, at 8 p.m., for theatergoers who are deaf or hard of hearing or who simply prefer to follow the dialogue on screen.

Tickets

Tickets are $32, or $29 for seniors, young people under 22, veterans and service members. They are sold online at elmwoodplayhouse.com and through the box office at 845-353-1313. Online sales close about an hour before curtain, and the playhouse sells remaining seats at the door, though it recommends buying ahead.

What comes next at the Elmwood

The playhouse is already working on its winter season. Come From Away, the musical about the planes diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, after September 11, is scheduled for January 8 to February 6. Auditions for a Romeo and Juliet workshop, directed by Rob Eigenbrod, take place November 18, 19 and 21, with callbacks on the main stage on November 23.

Getting there

The Elmwood Playhouse is at 10 Park Street in Nyack, a few blocks from Main Street and Broadway, in Rockland County. From Westchester, the Hudson Link buses cross the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge from the Tarrytown Metro-North station into Nyack. Drivers from the bridge take Exit 11 off the Thruway.

Dial M for Murder: through Saturday, December 5. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., captioned performance Thursday, December 3, at 8 p.m. Elmwood Playhouse, 10 Park Street, Nyack. $32, or $29 reduced. Box office 845-353-1313.

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