ABOUT DIGITAL PROGRAMS
The Gallo Center has adopted the use of digital programs meant to be viewed on cell phones or other computer devices. This change has important public health, environmental and economic benefits: reducing close contacts between patrons and ushers, cutting our use of paper, and eliminating substantial printing costs. View the program only before shows begin or during intermissions. Please be considerate of other patrons and artists on stage by not viewing it during performances. Patrons who do not observe this courtesy and create distractions may be asked to leave. Thank you!
WHY YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS
The Gallo Center for the Arts is a non-profit performing arts center with a deep commitment to enriching the people and communities of California’s vast San Joaquin Valley. From the scintillating performances of its wonderful resident companies, to the great variety of world-class entertainment presented by the Center each season, to robust arts education programs for the region’s youth, this is where the magic happens.
From the beginning, the Center’s mission has been clearly defined: to provide an inspirational civic gathering place where regional, national, and international cultural activities illuminate, educate, and entertain. Since revenue from ticket sales and facility rentals only covers a portion of the costs associated with fulfilling this mission, the Center is dependent on the generous annual financial support from donors and program sponsors within our community.
LEARN MORE AT GALLOARTS.ORG/SUPPORTUS.
ABOUT THE CENTER
HOW TO BUY TICKETS
In Person: 1000 I Street, downtown Modesto
Online: 24/7/365 at GalloArts.org
By Phone: (209) 338-2100
TICKET OFFICE HOURS
Monday – Friday: 10 am – 6 pm, Saturday: Noon – 6 pm Closed Sundays
Ticket Office opens two hours prior to all events
EMAIL LIST
Sign up at GalloArts.org and receive e-news about events, added performances, and special offers!
GENERAL INFORMATION
The mission of the Gallo Center for the Arts is to enrich the quality of life in the San Joaquin Valley by providing an inspirational civic gathering place where regional, national and international cultural activities illuminate, educate and entertain. The Gallo Center for the Arts celebrates the diversity of the San Joaquin Valley by offering an array of affordable cultural opportunities designed to appeal, and be accessible, to all.
The Center opened in September, 2007 and consists of the 440-seat Foster Family Theater, the 1,248-seat Mary Stuart Rogers Theater, the Marie Damrell Gallo Grand Lobby and a plaza serving both theaters, and the Modesto Rotary Music Garden.
As a regional non-profit performing arts center, the Gallo Center for the Arts presents internationally recognized touring artists in all disciplines, and also is home to four resident companies: Central West Ballet, Modesto Performing Arts, Modesto Symphony Orchestra and Opera Modesto. The Gallo Center for the Arts is a unique public/private partnership. Construction was funded jointly by the County of Stanislaus, which owns the facility, and contributions from more than 4,000 individuals and businesses given to a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization which today operates the Center.
PATRON EVENT INFORMATION
• Emergency exits are indicated by green exit signs located above each exit. For your safety, please check for the location of the exit nearest to your seat.
• The Gallo Center for the Arts is accessible to disabled patrons. Wheelchair seating is available in both theaters. Portable wireless listening devices are available at the Coat Check room at no charge. Please inform the Ticket Office of any special needs when ordering tickets.
• Food and beverages are not allowed in the theaters. (with the exception of bottled water and beverages served in theater cups.)
• Smoking is prohibited inside the building and within 20 feet of all entrances.
• Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the Gallo Center for the Arts’ house managers.
• The use of recording equipment and the taking of photographs in Gallo Center for the Arts theaters is strictly forbidden. The Gallo Center for the Arts reserves the right to confiscate any such equipment and/or require offending customers to exit the premises.
• As a courtesy to artists and to your fellow patrons,
please turn off or silence any mobile device on your person. No texting, please!
• Restrooms are located on all three levels of the Center.
• Lost items will be held in the Coat Check room on the main level until the end of the performance. Thereafter, please contact Ticket Office at (209) 338-2100.
• All patrons MUST have a ticket to enter a performance regardless of age.
• Out of courtesy to other patrons, the Gallo Center for the Arts requests that no infants or toddlers attend any performance.
Groups qualify for discounts up to 15% on ticket prices to the many exciting performances offered by the Gallo Center for the Arts and its resident companies.
Secure your group reservation today for just 10% down of your total price!
EMPLOYEE PARTIES/REWARDS CHURCH OUTINGS CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS
BUS TOURS
CORPORATE ENTERTAINMENT
SENIOR CENTER OUTINGS
HOLIDAY, ANNIVERSARY & BIRTHDAY PARTIES
…AND MORE!
ONE CALL DOES IT ALL!
Our group sales manager, Jesica Sanchez, is at your service. Call her at (209) 338-5064, or send an email to jsanchez@galloarts.org.
October 10-18, 2025
PRESENTED
CAST
Margot Wendice ...................................................... Erica DeHart
Maxine Hadley ......................................................... Kayla Gomes
Tony Wendice ................................................................. Dalton Ell
Lesgate ............................................... Samuel Robinson Kruem
Inspector Hubbard ...................................................... Jeff Pierce
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director ………………………………….…………………….. Jewel Whitaker
Stage Manager ..................................................... Clara den Dulk
Technical Director ........................................ Dustin Venicombe
Costume Design ..................................................... Noelle Souza
Crew Chief ….......................................................... Thomas Garcia
Head Electrician .................................................... Iris Rodriguez
Head Audio ................................................................ Josh Reeder
Deck Audio ............................................................... Nathan Stiles
GALLO CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Director of Produced Theatre & Special Programming ............................................... Ryan Foy
Special Programming & Events Manager .............................................. Jewel Whitaker
Technical Manager of
Produced Theatre …………...................…… Dustin Venicombe
Director of Production & Technical Operations ………......………………… Jeremiah Lewis
Assistant Director of Production &
Technical Operations ……………...................… Thomas Garcia
Chief Executive Officer …………………….......………. Chad Hilligus
SPECIAL THANKS
Rossinis Formal Wear
CSU Stanislaus Theatre Department
Vance Whitaker
Director’s Note
Dial M for Murder was first presented on stage in London in 1952 and later that same year on Broadway. The 1954 film adaptation, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starred Ray Milland and Grace Kelly. Dial M tells the story of love gone very wrong. Tony discovers that his wife, Margot, has been cheating on him. The affair is over, but in his jealousy, Tony plots to kill his wife and live on her inheritance. The perfect murder is planned and executed. Or is it?
While Dial M for Murder may sound like a murder mystery, it is technically a thriller. In a mystery we try to figure out who did it. In a thriller, we wonder if they are going to get away with it. There are plot twists and snags along the way and in the end, the bad guy gets theirs. Or do they? It may depend upon who you think they bad guy is.
For me, Dial M was less about the murder and more about the love; or lack thereof. It is a love story, albeit, a dark one. What drives Margot to marry someone she doesn’t love? What gives her the courage to have a love affair, and in this expertly written adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher, a love affair with a woman? And why after taking such a risk, would she then call it off and resign herself to a lifetime of unhappiness? What kind of man would plot to kill his own wife over a love affair? Why not just leave her? Yes, he has a lot to lose - his wife, money, social standing - but is that really worth killing for?
While I may have had moments of doubt about directing a thriller (an Alfred Hitchcock at that), stories of love I know well. It is wonderful and horrible and so many things in between. That was the story I wanted to tell. I’m so grateful that these amazing actors understood that and were willing to explore this love story disguised as a thriller with me. Throughout the rehearsal process we explored what motivated each of their characters. Was it love for a spouse or lover? Was it love for money or fame? Was it love of the chase, or justice, or something else? And throughout that exploration, we also discovered that Dial M for Murder is not just a thriller. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
- Jewel Whitaker, Director
Dalton Ell
Kayla Gomes
Samuel Robinson Kruem
Jeff Pierce
Erica DeHart
CAST BIOS
Erica DeHart (Margot Wendice) is beyond honored and thrilled to be back with Gallo Center Repertory Company, to share this classic tale! Erica’s debut with GCRC was back in 2023 when she played the role of Mary Debenham in Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. Before that, Erica held roles in Modesto Junior College productions, including Agatha Christie’s Spider’s Web, Hairspray, Four Seasons and Aesop’s Falables, as well as productions with Waterford High School’s theater department (where her love for acting began), with roles such as Belle in Beauty and The Beast and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance JR. She couldn’t be more grateful for all of the support from friends and family that’s fueled her drive for acting and gotten her to where she is. To my bio and bonus parents, to Patrick and to Jenni: all of my love and gratitude for all of the love and endless support you give me!
Dalton Ell (Tony Wendice) is honored to return to the stage after years of film and television work. This is his second GCRC show, having played Paul Verrall in Born Yesterday during the 24-25 season at the Gallo Center. Born and raised in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Dalton moved to California to pursue a career in acting. Dalton holds a BS in Chemistry from King’s College and currently teaches Health Education and coaches varsity basketball at East Union High School in Manteca. He has film/tv credits in White Man Can’t Jump, Awakening, AMP House, Between the Sheets, Cannonball, To Tell the Truth, The Green Apple and many more. Awarded “Best SciFi Performance” for his role as Flynn in REACTION by the Independent Spirit Awards. His favorite role would be “George” in Awakening, which was just lauded at the Burbank International Film Festival. Dalton has been a performer since 8 years old, and is incredibly excited to play the role of Tony Wendice.
Kayla Gomes (Maxine Hadley) is a Central Valley native, where her early love for storytelling blossomed into a deeper artistic calling. She trained in both Los Angeles and New York City, studying under Susan Batson and top industry coaches. She’s appeared on stage as Hattie in Laundry & Bourbon at The Nubox Theater in New York City and brings layered, complex women to life in a range of indie projects. Kayla is currently developing a one-woman show inspired by the life of a legendary rockstar and producing a feature film that draws from the ashes of her own story — a love letter to loss, transformation, and the fire that remains. (Popculture
Immersives, San Francisco), and Alan in The Boys in the Band (Pacifica Spindrift Players). Tin’s performance in this show is for his sister Chelsea, who was born in 1984.
Samuel Robinson Kruem (Lesgate) is a lifelong lover of acting and film and he brings a deep passion for storytelling to every role. He was most recently seen in Any Number Can Die as Jack Regent at the Denair Gaslight Theatre. Sam has worked on the editing side of films with StudioCanal. His training stems from his love for cinema from a young age and two semesters at Modesto Junior College. Hobbies include hiking, reading, filmmaking, and creating family home videos. Special thank you to his wife Andrea and daughter Diana for supporting him in his acting endeavors.
Jeff Pierce (Inspector Hubbard) traveled the country in the Broadway First National Tour of Miss Saigon, understudying and performing many times as Chris. A theatre veteran, he has enjoyed playing Edward in Big Fish the Musical, Marvin in Falsettos, Sky in Guys and Dolls, and Curly in Oklahoma! Off-Broadway, he was nominated for a Best Featured Actor in a Play at MITF for his portrayal of Bill Clinton in Hillary and Monica: the Winter of Her Discontent. Other New York City credits include the title role in the MAC nominated Bring Back Birdie at the Duplex and Felix in the classic comedy favorite, My Three Angels. Jeff received great critical acclaim in NYC for his one man show Southern Man based on the true story of a WWII POW. Other personal favorites include Reverend David Marshall Lee in The Foreigner and Miles Gloriosus in Forum. Jeff received critical acclaim for his performance as Blane in the World Premiere of Trolls at the Coast Playhouse in West Hollywood. He can be heard on the original cast recording. Jeff has mentored, coached and directed numerous youth productions for Pied Piper Theatre of NYC. www.JeffPierce.net
Jewel Whitaker
Clara den Dulk
John Gromada
Dustin Venicombe
Noelle Souza
Jeffrey Hatcher
CREATIVE TEAM
Jewel Whitaker (Director) has been Gallo Center Repertory Company’s Stage manager since 2021. Shows include All is Calm, To Kill a Mockingbird, 12 Angry Jurors, Boeing Boeing, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She stage managed YES Company’s productions of Oklahoma! and Mamma Mia! She also stage managed and co-directed (along with Jim Johnson and Wes Page) Twisted Tales of Edgar Allan Poe. An active part of Modesto’s performing arts community, Jewel has performed with Prospect Theater Projects’ Radio Cavalcade since its inception, with Center Stage Conservatory in 2019, and with Opera Modesto in their 2022 World Concert. Jewel is also the Special Programming and Events Manager for the Gallo Center for the Arts, overseeing all Rentals and Resident Companies and their partnerships with the center.
John Gromada (Sound Design) is a multi-award winning, pioneering sound designer and composer, with a career spanning more than three decades. He has composed scores for 40+ critically acclaimed Broadway productions and hundreds of off-Broadway productions, and at major regional theatres across the nation and abroad. Highly sought as a collaborator for sound designs that combine original music, abstract sound, and found music to support detailed narratives, Gromada was nominated for a Tony Award for his score and sound design for The Trip to Bountiful, starring Cicely Tyson. Recipient of three Drama Desk Awards, the Obie, Lortel and Henry Hewes Awards, and an NEA Opera Music Theatre fellowship. Film and TV credits include original scores for feature films and television series. Producer of audio dramas for radio, theatres and commercial audio content producers.
Clara den Dulk (Stage Manager) has been a Stage Manager, Assistant Stage Manager, Prop Designer, and Associate Costume Designer for several different shows, but this is her first time stage managing for GCRC. She graduated from Stanislaus State in 2024 and since then has worked for the college and Gallo Center on shows like Anyone Can Whistle, Maddi’s Fridge, and Mamma Mia! She is thrilled to be working on this show with such an awesome group.
Dustin Venicombe (Technical Director) has been the lighting designer for GCRC since its conception; working on almost every show presented at the Gallo Center for the Arts. Known
as a creative problem solver and cool dude, Dustin has been working in technical theater since the age of twelve with YES Company (1996-2002). As an active part of the local performing arts community, he has had the pleasure of working with Central West Ballet, Opera Modesto, Sankofa Theatre Company, Modesto Performing Arts, and Prospect Theater Project, as well as several Modesto area high school drama programs. Dustin brings his dedication and attention to detail to this new chapter of life and is excited to learn and hone his skills as the Technical Manager for GCRC.
Noelle Souza (Costume Designer) is delighted to be back working with her friends at GCRC! For the stage, she has recently designed Boeing Boeing, 1984, Born Yesterday, 12 Angry Jurors, Winter Wonderettes, and Murder on the Orient Express for GCRC, Rough Crossing and Mother of the Maid for Prospect Theatre Project, and Oklahoma!, The Addams Family, Annie, YES Co’s 30th Anniversary Concert Spectacular, and Singin’ in the Rain for YES Company. For television, she has worked as the Costume Designer, Props Master, and Scenic Designer for over 40 national commercials for the brand, Grocery Outlet. Ms. Souza holds a degree from the University of San Diego and is passionate about sharing “costume magic” and storytelling through clothing. You can find more information about her work on her website: www.noellesouza.com.
Jeffrey Hatcher (Adaptation) is an award-winning writer for stage, screen, and television. Born in Steubenville, Ohio, he graduated from Denison in 1980 with a degree in Theater and Cinema, during the titanic era of Professor William Brasmer and Dr. R. Elliott Stout. After moving to New York and attending (briefly) New York University’s Graduate Acting Program, he shifted from performing to writing, encouraged by fellow Denison alumni Gram Slaton ’77. His first play, Impaired Faculties, was a comedy set in a small liberal arts college somewhere in the Midwest. Mercifully, according to Jeff, it has never been produced.
Since then, dozens of Hatcher’s plays, original and adaptations, have been produced on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in theaters around the world. They include the book for the Broadway musical Never Gonna Dance, Dial M for Murder, Three Viewings, A Picasso, Scotland Road, The Turn of the Screw, Tuesdays with Morrie (with Mitch Albom), Ten Chimneys, Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club, Compleat Female Stage Beauty, Mrs. Mannerly, Murderers,
Ella, Mercy of a Storm, Smash, Armadale, Korczak’s Children, John Gabriel Borkman, Brand, An Enemy of the People, Pillars of Society, The Government Inspector, The Good Soldier, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. His most recent adaptations are of Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The Critic, which premiered at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington D.C., and John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces, which premiered at the Huntington Theatre in Boston, with Nick Offerman starring as “Ignatius J. Reilly.”
He has written screenplays for the films The Duchess with Kiera Knightley and Ralph Fiennes, Casanova with Heath Ledger and Sienna Miller, Stage Beauty with Billy Crudup and Claire Danes, and, most recently, Mr. Holmes, starring Ian McKellen. He has also written episodes of Columbo, The Mentalist, and the TV movie, Murder at the Cannes Film Festival
Hatcher recently, after a 30 year hiatus, returned to the stage, acting in Educating Rita, The Heiress, and his own piece Jeffrey Hatcher’s Hamlet, a one-man show about adapting, directing and acting in his 5th grade school production of Shakespeare’s tragedy.
His awards and grants include: NEA, TCG, Lila Wallace Fund, 2013 IVEY Lifetime Achievement Award, Rosenthal New Play Prize, Frankel Award, Charles MacArthur Fellowship Award, Edgerton Grant, McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Barrymore Award Best New Play (A Picasso), and L.A. Critics Circle Award Best Adaptation (Cousin Bette). He is a member and/or alumnus of The Playwrights Center, the Dramatists Guild, the Writers Guild, and New Dramatists.
Frederick Knott (Original Author) was born on August 28, 1916, in China to an English missionary family. Knott earned a law degree from Cambridge University after attending Oundle School and served in the British Army from 1939 to 1946, achieving the rank of major. Knott only wrote three plays during his lifetime, yet his spine-tingling thrillers ran successfully on Broadway in the 1950s and 1960s, and have been standards in regional theatre and touring productions throughout the world. His most famous script, DIAL M FOR MURDER, is about a man who plots the murder of his wealthy wife but has to improvise once she staves off his plan, and was rejected several times before playing successfully on British television in the early 1950s. It then hit the London stage to rave reviews. In 1952 the play opened on Broadway, and in 1954 was adapted by Knott into a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Grace Kelly
and Ray Milland. His second most popular play, WAIT UNTIL DARK, ran for 374 performances on Broadway in 1966 and earned actress Lee Remick a Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of a blind woman terrorized by thugs. In 1967 the play was made into a popular film of the same name starring Alan Arkin and Audrey Hepburn. It was revived on Broadway in 1998 in a production starring Marisa Tomei and Quentin Tarantino. His third play, WRITE ME A MURDER, opened on Broadway in 1961 and ran for twenty-five weeks. Fredrick Knott passed away in 2002.
Saturday, December 6, 2025 2:00pm
Sunday, December 7, 2025 2:00pm
Thursday, December 11, 2025 7:00pm
Friday, December 12, 2025 7:00pm
Saturday, December 13, 2025 2:00pm
Sunday, December 14, 2025 2:00pm Presented by
Friday, March 13, 2026 7:00pm
Saturday, March 14, 2026 2:00pm
Sunday, March 15, 2026 2:00pm
Friday, March 20, 2026 7:00pm
Saturday, March 21, 2026 2:00pm
Sunday, March 22, 2026 2:00pm
Presented by Sponsored by
Friday, February 13, 2026 7:00pm
Saturday, February 14, 2026 2:00pm
Sunday, February 15, 2026 2:00pm
Saturday, May 2, 2026 2:00pm
Sunday, May 3, 2026 2:00pm
Thursday, May 7, 2026 7:00pm
Friday, May 8, 2026 7:00pm
Saturday, May 9, 2026 2:00pm
Sunday, May 10, 2026 2:00pm
Are you at risk for heart disease?
At Central Valley Doctors Health System, you can count on us for comprehensive heart care. We offer a full range of services, including cardiology, diagnostic testing and minimally invasive surgery options, plus experience performing over 22,000 open-heart surgeries.
Advanced heart care in the Central Valley. Take our
As
As of July 23, 2025
Mistlin Honda
Arts Education
As of July 23, 2025
$25,000+
Education Foundation of Stanislaus County
U.S. Bank
$10,000+
Jean-Charles Boisset & Gina Gallo
Kaiser Permanente
Make Dreams Real Foundation
Modesto Subaru
New Bridge ManagementAdrian Harrell
Silva Injury Law, Inc.
$5,000+
Ella Webb & Shelley Dameron
Robert & Cheryl Fantazia
$2,500+
Beard Land & Investment Co.
Enterprise Mobility Foundation
Jeff Gaudio & Karen Freeborn grantLOVE project
In Memory of Caleb Hurst
Star One Credit Union
Chris & Stephanie Tyler
$1,000+
Mr. & Mrs. William Gagon
Dennis & Kathy Hoskins
Ginger & Kent Johnson
Michael & Claudia Krausnick
Dr. Alex Mari
Katy & Ken Menges
Modesto Rotary Club Foundation
Freda Motto
Shirley Schmidt
$500+ Cindy & John Alba
Melvin & Barbara Bradley Ed & Jodi Felt
Christina & Victor Gomez Cortney Hurst
Modesto Sunrise Rotary
Judith Simms
USS Balthasar
Ann M. Veneman
$300+ Corie Coleman
Grace Lutheran Church, Lutheran Women’s Missionary League
Jerry & Diane Hougland
Pam, Dave, & Jill Robert
$150+
Debra Brady & Stephen Veglia
Grace Lutheran Church
Jerry & Diane Hougland
Alice Renfroe
Bob
National
Stanislaus
Creative
CHECK OUT THE BENEFITS FOR BEING A CORPORATE SPONSOR
Each season the Gallo Center partners with some of the region’s most prestigious companies, businesses that recognize the remarkable marketing value of associating with the Center.
Below are some of the ways* we connect corporate sponsors to Gallo Center patrons. Imagine how these might impact your marketing goals.
•
•
•
•
• Verbal pre-show recognition from the stage
•
•
•
Gallo Center
for the a r t s
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ginger Johnson, Chair of the Board
Marie D. Gallo, President Emerita† June Rogers, Director Emerita
Christina Gomez, Immediate Past Chair
Mel Bradley, Chair Elect
Sarah Grover
Juan Sánchez Muñoz, Ph.D. Jeff
Todd Aaronson
Angelica Anguiano
Rebeca Baeza
Victor Barraza
John C. Bellizzi
Jennifer Coehlo
Stacey Filippi
Robert Fores
Lou Friedman
Julian Gallo
Diane
Stephanie
Ann M. Veneman
Geoff Wong
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Mani Grewal Emma Grover
Irene Angelo†
Lilly Banisadre
Carl Boyett†
Joan Cardoza
Sheila Carroll
Suzanne Casazza
Paul Draper
Ron Emerzian
Ann Endsley
Kenni Friedman
Jaime Jimenez
Brian Kline
Johann Ramirez
Catherine Rhee
Rosalee Rush
Robert Soria
John Schneider
Kate Trompetter
Philip Trompetter, Ph.D. Aaron Valencia
Colleen F. Van Egmond
Julie Vander Wall
Sue Zwahlen
FOUNDING TRUSTEES
Kate
Barry Highiet†
Jeanne
M.D.
Tony Mistlin†
M.D.
Schrimp
Fred A. Silva
Ray Simon
Delmar R. Tonge, M.D.†
Tom Van Groningen, Ph.D.
Doug Vilas
Carol Whiteside†
Jeremiah Williams
Alice Yip
Memoriam