Dial “M” for Murder

For Dial “M” for Murder at Okoboji Summer Theatre, I wanted the room to feel precise. This play is about control, who has it, who loses it, and how long that illusion lasts. The apartment of Tony and Margot Wendice needed to look composed and intentional, almost curated.

I leaned into clean architectural lines, paneled walls, balanced bookcases, and a centered fireplace to create a sense of order. The palette stayed cool and refined, allowing the actors and lighting to drive emotional shifts. Surrounding the apartment, I let darkness take over. The negative space wasn’t empty, it was pressure. It made the room feel isolated, suspended, and slightly exposed.

The layout was built around movement and sightlines, with every door, threshold, and furniture placement supporting the mechanics of the plot. Suspense in this play is spatial: who can see whom, who can hear what, and who is trapped.

The design avoids clutter because clutter distracts from tension. The apartment feels elegant, but never comfortable. As the story tightens, the room does not change so much as reveal how fragile that control really is.