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The Morristown Theatre Guild has released the cast list for its upcoming production of “Dial M for Murder.”

The play by Frederick Knott is a mid century 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 Guild’s production has Jeff Spencer as the director and his cast includes: Jay Wall, Autumn Leming, Sean Watts, Dale Stanton, Carson Grimes and Bob Trinklein.

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. He married Margot for her money and now, after finding out about her affair, he plans to murder her for exactly the same reason.

After contemplating killing her himself, Tony decides to hire an old university acquaintance and cunning criminal, Captain Lesgate, to do the dirty work for him.

Despite Tony’s planning, the attempted murder goes awry and Lesgate is killed, while Margot survives. With a little quick-thinking and a lot of deceit, Tony manipulates Scotland Yard into believing that his wife was being blackmailed by Lesgate and kills him to protect her reputation.

However, thanks to the determination of Max Halliday to prove his ex-lover’s innocence and the experience of Inspector Hubbard, Tony soon becomes wrapped up in his own web of lies and his guilt is exposed.

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

The Guild has been providing entertainment to the Lakeway Area for more than 80 years.

It is dedicated to inspire, challenge, educate and empower artists and audiences in order to make the Lakeway area a more conscious and compassionate community.

It started in the 1930s when a group of locals formed the Morristown Little Theatre. Over the coming years the group of thespians would change into the Morristown Theatre Guild which still remains one of the oldest community theaters in the state of Tennessee.

With the help of volunteer Miriam Caldwell, the Guild was able to purchase performance space.

It was originally built as a Lutheran church in 1880 and was used by local church groups and it also was a school.

However, due to years of wear and tear the building was condemned and demolished.

Currently, the guild is without a home and is performing just like its original founders. Plans are continuing to find a permanent home that can be used, not only for the normal season of shows, but offer workshops, children’s theater and other entertainment opportunities.

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.