(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Stony Hill Players presents Rehearsal for Murder from March 5-8, 2026 at The Oakes Center. This is an exhilarating mystery by the creators and writers of Murder She Wrote and Columbo which will leave you guessing who did it all the way through to the end!
A year following the untimely death of Monica Welles, a famous onscreen actress and an up-and-coming Broadway star, playwright Alex Dennison (and the former fiancé of Monica) assembles all those who last interacted with the actress under the pretense of reading excerpts from a new play he is writing.
Even though the actress's death was ruled as a suicide, the playwright believes otherwise, and he plans to prove it and trap the killer as the scenes from his new play come to life. This is more than just a rehearsal as the playwright has found a novel way to catch a killer! Everyone is a suspect! And no one is who or what they seem!
The cast includes Brian Madden (Alex Dennison), Ruth Otterburn (Monica Welles), Jennifer Padley (Bella Lamb), Chris Tully (David Mathews), Sarah Sterling (Karen Daniels), Dennis Ryan (Lloyd Andrews), Rachelle Mandik (Leo Gibbs), Scott Petritis (Man in the Auditorium 1), Erin Feith (Sally Bean), Jose Rivera (Ernie), Leslie Schwartz (Loretta), Lydia Case (Police Officer #1), Rosy Lum (Police Officer #2), Allan Gershenson (Man in the Auditorium 2), and Amy Lewis (Santoro).
Performances take place Thursday through Saturday nights at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:00pm. Tickets are available for purchase online. The Oakes Center is located at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit, New Jersey.
The production is directed by Peter Curley with Jayne Myers as Executive Producer.
Stony Hill Players was founded in 1946 by a small group of theater enthusiasts in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, who gathered in homes to read plays and poetry, as well as to share their theatrical experiences and aspirations. Stony Hill Players was incorporated on June 20, 1952. Stony Hill Players has been staging operas, dramatic plays, and musical events ever since.
Their mission is to produce a wide selection of high-quality staged productions, including musicals and plays, by calling on the area’s top performance talent from student performers and adult performers, to promote and foster interest in all aspects of community theater in the area, including adult and youth theater; to offer a learning opportunity to amateur and youth actors, singers, and production staff in the community; and to reach as broad and diverse an audience as possible.
