Dial M for Murder

Mel Rayford, she/they, (Director) is thrilled to make her Virginia Rep debut with Dial M. Recent credits include Airswimming (RTP, 2024 RTCC Nom Best Director, Best Ensemble), Times Square Angel and The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey (also RTP), Bright Half Life and Gruesome Playground Injuries (TheatreLAB), Now Then Again and Private Lives (CAT Theatre) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tour, Richmond Shakes). Playwrighting credits include SHOUT! (Military Kid Art Project) and Luminous One: An Evening with Ethel Barrymore (Richmond Shakes). She is forever grateful to the loves of her life – wife Maureen and son Drexel.

Frank Foster (Scenic Designer) is a Richmond Designer who holds an M.F.A. in Scenic Design from VCU. He has designed scenery for several original productions, Including Barter Theatre’s Huck Finn, Cumberland County Playhouse’s Funny, You Don’t Look Like A Grandmother, and Playhouse on the Square’s production of A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline. Frank’s local credits include Virginia Rep’s Beautiful (RTCC Award), Steel Magnolias, The Music Man, and Blues in the Night; The Production Company’s August Snow; Riverside Center’s Jersey Boys, Ragtime, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Nunsense, Camelot, Bright Star, Annie, South Pacific, The Color Purple, On Golden Pond, and OKLAHOMA!; RTP’s The Inheritance, The Normal Heart, I Am My Own Wife, It Shoulda Been You, The Boy from OZ, La Cage aux Folles, Angels In America, Psycho Beach Party, and Cabaret; and Swift Creek Mill’s Gaslight, Cyrano de Bergerac, and Dracula: and numerous musicals at Dogwood Dell. Other favorite credits include Barnum, Drood, Big River, Little Shop of Horrors, Footloose, Singing in the Rain, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Tommy, Godspell, and Once Upon A Mattress.

Sarah Grady (Costume Designer) Most recent designs are Moriarty (VA Rep) and True West (Cadence).  She was a Costumer on the Pharrell Williams movie “Atlantis” a Costume Shopper for Apple TV’s Swagger and AMC’s The Walking Dead: World Beyond. She is a proud member of IATSE.  She was the Assistant Costume Director for Virginia Repertory Theatre for 17 years. Favorite designs include West Side Story (RTCC Award), In the Heights (RTCC Nomination), Dreamgirls (RTCC Award), The Music Man (RTCC Nomination), Spring Awakening, The Sound of Music (RTCC) (Virginia Rep); Fun Home, Violet, The Mountaintop, Caroline or Change, and Appropriate (Cadence).

Steven Koehler, he/him, (Lighting Designer) is happy to return to the Tavern. Previous Virginia Rep credits include Moriarty, Baskerville, Honky Tonk Laundry, Gross Indecency, the Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, The Syringa Tree, A Doll’s House Part 2, Pipeline, and many more. Additional design work through the Midwest and in Idaho, The Syringa Tree, Good People, Chicago, Grey Gardens. Steven is also the managing director of Swift Creek Mill Theatre and is married to local musician, Shellie Johnson, and proud parent to three mostly grown children.

Jonathan Pratt, he/him, (Sound Designer) is thrilled to be designing again at Virginia Rep where some of his recent designs include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty, Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Satchmo at the Waldorf, On Air, and 9 to 5: The Musical, the latter two winning the RTCC Award for Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical. At the Rep Family Theatre, Jonathan’s favorite shows designed include The Santa Clues and Grace for President. Jonathan also produces, writes, and directs his own audio dramas adaptations of classic literature including Dracula; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; War of the Worlds; Jane Eyre; and Alice in Wonderland. Previously, he was the resident sound and projection designer for Camelot Theatre in Talent Oregon where he designed over 40 shows. In addition to design, Jonathan directed Catch Me If You Can and wrote and directed tribute shows to Stephen Sondheim and Motown.

Casey Kaleba (Fight Direction) has arranged violence for nearly 600 productions, most recently at Signature Theatre (Soft Power), Wolf Trap Opera (Cosi fan Tutte and Silent Night), and the Glimmerglass Festival (Pagliacci and Elizabeth Cree).  He has worked throughout the country, including Northern Stage, Washington National Opera, Ford’s Theatre, Round House Theatre, Spoleto Festival USA, Guthrie Theatre, and as an audition choreographer for Marvel Universe Live.  A Fight Director and Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors, Casey holds a PhD in Theatre History from the University of Maryland – College Park.  For more of his work go to www.ToothAndClawCombat.com

Nicole Cowans (Dialect Coaching), was born in Virginia, raised in Puerto Rico, and Alaska grown; she’s an Afro-Latina fluent in English and Spanish. Her culturally unique upbringing fuels a deep desire to positively impact the world through performance and healing arts. Nicole is proud to be professionally represented for voice-over by Arise Artists Agency, and commercially by Arise Artists Agency. As an educator, she’s taught at; University of California Irvine, University of Southern California, Palo Alto University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Center Theatre Group, Pacific Residence Youth Conservatory, Laselle College of Arts in Singapore, The Open City Acting Studio, Seydways Acting Studio, Cal State University Fresno, Institut D’l Teatre in Spain, The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, and Adishakti Labratory for Theatre Arts Research in India. She loves spending quality time with her family and her dogs, nurturing a wonderfully rewarding private practice, teaching academically, and performing.

Hannah Hoffert, she/her, (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be a part of the Dial M team! This is her fourth season with Virginia Rep, and her previous credits include Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Beehive: The 60’s Musical, Mamma Mia!, Chicken & Biscuits, Moriarty, ‘Twas, She Persisted, Elephant & Piggie, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Santa Clues, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed and Grace for President. In addition to stage management, she works full-time at Virginia Rep as a Production Associate. Hannah is a proud alumnus of Carnegie Mellon University, receiving her B.S. (‘16) and M.S. (‘17) in Mechanical Engineering. She would like to thank her family, mentors and her service dog, Clara, who helped to make this dream a reality!

Amber Hooper, she/her, (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be working at the Hanover Tavern once again. She has assistant stage managed with Virginia Rep at the Hanover Tavern for a few years now, in shows such as Steel Magnolias, Honky Tonk Laundry, Martha Mitchell Calling, Baskerville, On Air, and Moriarty. She has also worked backstage at the November Theater on shows such as Ella and Her Fella Frank and Misery, but she prefers working at the Hanover Tavern due to its intimate space, delicious food, and friendly staff. Amber graduated from Eastern Mennonite University in 2020 with a degree in Theatre. In her free time, Amber enjoys crocheting, cosplaying, and playing video games with her wonderful boyfriend, Johnny.