Interview: Chatting with Jayson Heil And Eric Dean White of DIAL M FOR MURDER at The Repertory Theatre Of St. Louis

Last week The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis opened a thrilling and playful production of Frederick Scott’s DIAL M FOR MURDER. The production, running through October 13th, is filled with stellar performances from a cast of all St. Louis based actors. Broadway World had the opportunity to sit down with DIAL M’s Jayson Heil and Eric Dean White to talk about the show, their experiences acting, and their appreciation of St. Louis’ thriving professional theater scene.  

Heil and White share a lot of stage time as scene partners in the second act of DIAL M FOR MURDER. Heil plays Max, the television mystery writer who is intimately connected to the intended victim. White plays the sharp-as-a-tack Inspector Hubbard who is always one step ahead of his suspect. Their high-energy performances and exceptional timing keep the suspense high. Heil and White's spirited back-and-forth banter on stage is like watching a championship tennis match on center court at Wimbledon.Jayson Heil and Eric Dean White in DIAL M FOR MURDER; Photo Credit: Jon Gitchoff

Their dynamic performances are matched by the kinetic performances of the entire cast of local performers. White said, “Jayson and I were the only ones who knew each other prior to rehearsals, but Melissa (the director) pulled us all together quickly.”  

Heil agreed, “We all clicked from day one because of our ties to St. Louis.” Both credit director Melissa Rain Anderson for creating a positive working environment that made it easy for the cast of six to connect.  

Jayson Heil’s acting career has taken off rapidly since his recent graduation from The Conservatory at Webster University. Heil grew up in neighboring Godfrey, Illinois, a metro-east suburb of the St. Louis area. As a young boy he watched his mom perform in community theater at Alton Little Theater. He followed in her footsteps and played his first role in a production of Tom Sawyer in Alton. He said, “that experience gave me the bug.” It was his later experiences in high school drama that solidified his drive to pursue acting as a full-time career.

Since graduating from Webster University Heil has worked non-stop. Last year he performed in SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER and THE MOUSETRAP at Stray Dog Theater. Then in January he took the stage as Joe Keller in the New Jewish Theatre Production of ALL MY SONS. Heil impressed both audiences and critics in his first leading dramatic role. Broadway World called Heil’s portrayal “mesmerizing, raw, and unfiltered with threadbare emotion that creates scorching drama.”  

Eric Dean White has been working professionally as a stage and television actor for decades. He grew up in the Missouri bootheel town of Dexter and studied Marketing at the University of Missouri. After graduating, he had dreams beyond a corporate career.  

“I always wanted to study acting,” White said. So, he researched the opportunities and moved to New York. He enrolled in the oldest acting program in the United States at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts where Cecil B. DeMille, Robert Redford, and Grace Kelly also trained.  

He stayed in New York through most of his twenties. “I fell in love with the process, I beat the pavement, did some work, but burned out,” he shared. Following the attacks of 9/11 he made the decision to move back to St. Louis and took a job at a local advertising agency where he met his wife. After a few years he realized he missed acting and started auditioning again. "I have been working a lot since then,” He continued, “St. Louis offers a lot of opportunities for professional stage actors.” 

This year alone, White has performed with The Black Rep in HOLD ON, worked as part of the Tennessee Williams Festival cast in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, and is now starring in DIAL M FOR MURDER at The Rep. Broadway World’s review of his performance in HOLD ON said, “When White is on stage you cannot take your eyes off of him. He gives the best performance among a cast of spectacular actors.” 

There is no doubt that Heil and White possess remarkable talent, charismatic stage presence, and lots of humility. Heil has had the opportunity to work with experienced directors and equity actors at New Jewish Theatre and The Rep. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn from them. “What has helped me through the process has been the people,” Heil gushed. He said that he felt a lot of support and collaboration from the powerhouse actors with whom he is sharing the stage. “I’m still reeling from this opportunity to get to work in the big leagues with Eric and the cast at The Rep,” he said.  

White was asked about his leadership as one of the more experienced actors in the company. He blushed a bit and said, “I’m encouraging and try to lead by example.” He talked about how little rehearsal time you get on productions and the importance of preparation. He said, “I certainly do not know everything. Acting is a collaboration, and I am open to learning from others.” One thing that is apparent watching White engage with Heil, he is a natural leader and a generous mentor.  

Both men were asked about their favorite roles and what roles they would like to play in the future. White talked about how proud he was of his work with the now defunct Hot City Theater. “I played Felix in their production of Larry Kramer’s THE NORMAL HEART. It is a great play.” He went on to say that he would love to play Iago in a production of Othello.  

Heil’s favorite role in his short career has been Chris Keller in Arthur Miller’s ALL MY SONS. He said he would like to revisit that role again when he is a bit older. “As an actor I am excited about any role I get to play, but if I’m being 100% honest, my dream role since I’ve been in middle school is Sweeney Todd,” he said.  

Heil shared that his voice teacher at Webster, Robert Ayllón, told him his baritone voice would be suited to a lot of musical roles as he gets older. His baritone voice is going to be on display in his next job. Heil is returning to New Jewish Theatre in December for their production of the musical FIRST DATE. 

White and Heil both say they hope St. Louis audiences will come to see DIAL M FOR MURDER because it is very entertaining. “It’s not a murder mystery, it's a thriller. The audience is aware of what is happening and are trying to see if the killer can get away with it,” White said. They both talked about how much fun the audience is having and how many laughs are in the script. Heil says, “They’re waiting to see where this roller coaster goes!”  

You can catch St. Louisans Eric Dean White and Jayson Heil in the killer production of DIAL M FOR MURDER at The Rep through October 13, 2024. Click the link below to purchase tickets.   

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