A production of Frederick Knott’s “Dial M for Murder” caps the 4th theater season (AY 2014-2015) dubbed as “Misteryo” of The Xavier Stage (TXS), a resident repertory company of Xavier University.

In celebration of the National Arts Month (NAM), the company premieres Dial M for Murder with a fresher adaptation by contextualizing the play in a contemporary Cagayan de Oro setting.  Though some might take the play’s plot as unimaginable to happen, TXS makes sure to portray the “greed for money, power, contempt and suspicion” for these are dominant themes that determine the characters’ motives and intentions in the play.

The characters are entangled with the mystery of solving who imposed “the perfect crime to an endangered woman” whose string of power is the source of love, infidelity and betrayal. The play somehow presents a “hyper-macho world,” where a woman has to stand firm to triumph her femininity. Despite her flaws and weaknesses, her nature befalls much sympathy, compassion and love offered and rendered to her advantage.
 
Palanca winner Don Pagusara adapted Dial M into Bisaya. Carl Cyril Manere, Tracy June Dy, Rosell Velez, Roger Garcia, Noli Paglinawan, Lila Gianneli Ang, Edmund Telmo, Simon Pierre Salera, Ken Francisco and Ryan Ilogon compose the cast who also form part of the actors’ pool of TXS.

The play premieres on February 23, 7:30PM at the XU Little Theater.  The play runs until February 28.

The company has presented Agatha Christie’s “Ten Little Indians” (adapted by Pagusara) in September 2014 and Joseph Kesserling’s “Arsenic and Old Lace” (adapted by Roger Garcia) in December 2014 with a re-staging on January 5 to 7 this year due to popular demand.

This staging of Dial M for Murder is supported by Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts (XCCA), XU - Office of Mission and Ministry (OMM) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).     

For seat reservations, please call the XCCA office at (088) 858-3116 local 2059.