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As summer comes to an end and the fall breeze fills the air, the Morristown Theatre Guild prepares to show its production of “Dial M for Murder.”

The production will open on September 29 at Rose Center in Prater Hall. With opening night on the horizon, the team has been working since July to prepare for the show.

Director Jeff Spencer discussed how preparations for this show began and how it differs from past shows.

“We started with auditions at the end of July and had a really good turnout,” Spencer said. “We rehearsed the first few weeks in Rose Center and as a cost cutting measure we set up in our garage.

“As many know we are without a permanent location so we utilize Rose Center as a practice space, but instead of having to pay the center every time we have practice we are using our garage which saves the Theatre Guild money.

“Not having a permanent home causes us to not have our set prepared until the week before Tech Week. What that looks like is the Sunday before the Friday opening night we go into Prater Hall and build the set. If you’re fortunate you get 3 days with cast on stage with props and costumes before the show opens.”

Spencer explained how this method will benefit the cast and will bring a higher quality production to the community.

“With working in our garage the cast is able to work with the set and props several weeks in advance rather than having to work on the set a week before the show,” Spencer said.

“Tonight we don’t have every prop or the set 100% completed we are getting closer and closer to that and hopefully by the end of next week we will be rehearsing on a painted set so by the time we go to Prater Hall it will simply be the matter of relocating the wall panels and putting a final polish on the performance.”

The play by Frederick Knott is a midcentury melodrama which had a highly successful run on Broadway and later gained popularity as a movie of the same title, directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

The play tells the story of Tony and Margot Wendice who have had a terrible marriage for several years, resulting in Margo’s affair with Max Halliday, an American crime writer.

As the affair ended and Tony retired from his professional tennis career, the couple reunited and reignited the flame of their love.

In this suspense thriller, Tony pursues the perfect crime Despite Tony’s planning, the attempted murder goes awry. Tony soon becomes wrapped up in his own web of lies and his guilt is exposed.

“This show is very detailed and intricate. You have the murder mystery genre which is very fun to work with but it’s very demanding from a standpoint when certain lines contain very important clues and details to the story and if you don’t say it a certain way you’re not conveying the message correctly. Our cast have been very diligent in preparing the lines,” Spencer said.

He explained that although the production will be true to the story, the show will be a once in a lifetime performance.

“It will be true to the original story. If Fredrick Knot was there I would want him to say ‘yes that’s the story,’” he said.

“We have a different troop of actors so the way it will be performed for the Theatre Guild, with this group, will be different than it’s ever been before and ever will be again. I talked with the cast and told them that the beautiful thing of live theater, every show is a once in a lifetime thing. We will have 6 performances and before it starts no one will have ever seen it like this and when it’s over no one will see it like it again.

“It will be the traditional story, I like the original story. I’m not interested in directing something I felt I needed to change. That’s why I was interested in this title because it’s something I enjoyed very much. I try to create an intimate enough atmosphere for the audience that they feel they are in that room. I want folks to feel like they are sitting in the flat with the characters.”

The Guild’s production cast includes: Jay Wall, Autumn Leming, Sean Watts, Dale Stanton, Carson Grimes and Bob Trinklein. Chris Wylie is the Tech Manager and Toni Gutierrez is the Stage Manager.

“I love working with the cast and they’re interpretation of each character and how they portray them,” Spencer said.

Spencer is no stranger to the Guild or directing. He has been with the Guild for the past 6 years and this is the second production he has directed.

“I began with the Guild in 2017. My first show was Something Wicked This Way Comes. I really enjoyed being a part of that production,” he said. “We did a one night only dinner theater fundraiser for the Animal Shelter and absolutely loved it; the hooks were in me after that.

“My professional experience is in engineering, I have no professional theater experience before working with the Guild, but I have years and years of project management experience which helped me direct a show.”

However, it credits the stellar cast as to the success from last year’s production of the ‘The Rainmaker.’

“’The Rainmaker’ went really well last year largely because of having an outstanding cast,” he said.

The Morristown Theatre Guild has been a part of the community since the 1930s and Spencer explained that now more than ever does it need the community’s support.

“We are about to complete our 89th year in Morristown. We want to see that history maintained, thriving and continuing to move forward to the 100th year and beyond,” Spencer said. “Live theater has to fight for its place in the era of streaming and instant entertainment. It is certainly an art form worth performing and we want to get more people involved.

“We can use support of all types. Whether its hands on or monetary support. If you are a good carpenter that could help build a set or volunteer their time in general. All skills can be utilized here at the guild.

“Financial support is absolutely a huge factor because we want the opportunity to have a facility again so we can have our own stage and directors don’t have to build a set in their garage. That could be the basis for more productions for the community and higher quality productions because we are able to do all those things we are trying to simulate if we do have that permanent facility.

However, the lack of a home has hindered the Guild in some cases, but it has made them stronger in the long run.

“The last several years COVID had a devastating impact on some theaters but that was one instance that the lack of a physical facility to maintain was a blessing in disguise. It helped us become more resilient and we were one of the first theaters to bring live theater back to the area,” Spencer said. “We are now back in our stride and continuing to put high quality productions on the stage.”

Spencer explained that the Guild is a true nonprofit, and everyone volunteers their time to ensure the success of the Guild.

“We are a nonprofit in the literal sense,” he said. “No one takes a salary, everyone is a volunteer. Everyone who is trying to advance the guild’s mission is of their own volition with no compensation expected. We hope people are wanting to move that forward.”

The production of ‘Dial M for Murder’ will run the weekends of September 29-October 1 and October 6-October 8 at Rose Center’s Prater Hall.

For more information about the guild or how to support its mission, either call 423-586-9260 or send an email to theatreguildinc@gmail.com.