BROWNSTOWN — In real life, Paul and Megan Keller are a married couple.
In the well-known suspense thriller “Dial M for Murder,” Tom and Margot Wendice are a married couple.
In Jackson County Community Theatre’s production to close the 2022-23 season, the Kellers are playing those roles.
In the show, Tony pursues the perfect crime. He married Margot for her money, and now, he plans to murder her for exactly the same reason. The plan goes awry, but Tony is not deterred. He changes his method from murder for hire to framing Margot.
Will the inquisitive Inspector Hubbard or Max the American writer learn the truth and be able to prove it before it is too late?
Find out by going to see the show at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday or 7:30 p.m. April 28 and 29 at Royal Off-the-Square Theatre in Brownstown.
In all of their years onstage and behind the scenes, this is only the second time for the Kellers to share the stage.
“I really enjoy the fact that I actually get to be in a drama with my wife,” Paul said. “It’ll probably be the only time we do this between both of us working, volunteering, church, everything. Oh yeah, and we have children. It’s a big time commitment.”
Megan said it has been an interesting experience.
“I love acting with him, but it does put kind of a toll on the home life,” she said. “Thankfully, our children are fairly independent, but they looked at us this week and they were like, ‘We can’t wait for this show to be over so that you guys can hang out with us again.’”
Their three daughters know what the theater life is like, though, because they have been involved in several JCCT shows, too.
While Paul has acted in several shows, he also has been in the background as director and other roles.
With this show, he’s playing the role of a former tennis star.
“So we are not typecasting,” he said, smiling.
“I don’t think there’s anything weird. I just found some guy to murder my wife so I can steal all her money. That’s normal,” he said in describing his character.
Margot, on the other hand, is a socialite.
“She has kind of a lively, interesting group of friends, and she married Tony because he’s a famous former tennis star,” Megan said, noting she couldn’t give many more details without spoiling the show.
The Kellers agree the show, which is based on a classic Alfred Hitchcock film, is a good way to end the JCCT season.
“It’s a fun thriller that’s going to keep you interested and entertained,” Megan said.
“We have really appreciated the opportunity to be able to work with Larry (Hartley, the director) and also some new cast members that we haven’t met before,” Paul said. “And it’s just exciting to be able to be back onstage.”
Hartley also has done a variety of acting roles in recent years. He likes having the opportunity to direct “Dial M for Murder.”
“It’s a classic show. I think it’s a worthy piece to do. It’s a good piece for us,” he said. “It’s got great hooks in it. It keeps you guessing unless you know the show, and even when you know the show, then you know what’s going to happen. That’s fun, too. It’s kind of like ‘The Sixth Sense.’ The first time you see it, it’s one show. Then the second time you see it, it’s a whole other show. It’s like a ‘Columbo’ show.”
As a matter of fact, he said it’s a forerunner of the classic American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk.
“Where he says, ‘Just one more thing,’ it’s that sort of thing,” Hartley said. “We know what’s wrong, but the people involved don’t know. Only the bad guys know. It’s a good whodunit.”
The Kellers aren’t the only family connection onstage. Hartley’s son, Micah Hartley, plays the role of Max, a good-looking American writer who writes crime stories.
This is Micah’s first show at JCCT. The only other time he was onstage was a couple of years ago, but it was a minimal role in a dinner theater show. So why now?
“I told (his dad) if he ever directed a show that I would try out for it, so here I am,” Micah said, smiling.
With this show, Micah said he really likes the ending. But of course, he can’t give that away.
“Like (his dad) said, even after you see it, it’s a different show the second time, so I still like the ending,” he said.
As of now, he doesn’t think he has caught the acting bug.
“I’m busy. This takes a lot of time, dedication,” Micah said. “Seeing all of these people do this gives me a new appreciation for what this is.”
Other actors are Paul Angle as Chief Inspector Hubbard, Derrick Maxie as London policeman Thompson, Zach Thompson as Capt. Lesgate and C.J. Sharp as the announcer. Also, Thompson, Maxie and Mark Murray play different voice characters in the show.
Angle said he had a small part in the fall show, but before that, 1998 was the last time he was onstage. He just finished directing JCCT’s dinner theater show, “Xanadu.”
“I missed it a lot,” he said of acting. “I like directing a lot, too, so it’s hard to find the time. Things kind of cleared up to give me a little more time to spend doing things.”
He said Hubbard’s job is to interrogate and find holes in the stories.
“I like how logical he is, and I like how he’s the classic detective,” Angle said. “He’s open to the facts, he’s looking for that truth, so I really like that. And I’ve been a fan of the movie forever. I’m a big Hitchcock fan.”
Maxie said his voice character is called O’Brien.
“I can definitely say it’s a challenge to work on the voice to make it sound like where it’s all taking place, but it’s just really good to participate, being involved in something that I love,” he said. “I get to work with people I’ve worked with for several years, get to meet new faces. What can I say? I love this theater group here in Brownstown.”
Murray said he likes playing a variety of voice characters, and he likes the show.
“I like the mystery and the intrigue. I really like it,” he said. “At Brownstown Central High School, I was Class of 2010 and I did musicals all four years, and I figured after 13 years, it was time to see if I can get back in the swing of things.”
If you go
What: Jackson County Community Theatre’s production of “Dial M for Murder”
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. April 28 and 29
Where: Royal Off-the-Square Theatre, 121 W. Walnut St., Brownstown
Cost: $12 for adults and $10 for senior citizens and students (purchase at Artistic Impressions in Seymour or Ewing Unique Boutique in Ewing, online at jcct.org or by calling 812-358-5228)
Director: Larry Hartley
Assistant director and production manager: Brinna Sharp
Stage manager: Erin Ortman
Tech: Shane Meek
Cast: Paul Keller, Megan Keller, Micah Hartley, Zach Thompson, Paul Angle, Derrick Maxie, Mark Murray, C.J. Sharp