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Somewhere in the middle of “Rehearsal for Murder,” one of the lead characters, a playwright who specializes in musical theater, announces to the other characters that he’s written a different kind of play, a murder mystery where you lead the audience in the wrong direction and then give them a completely different ending than the one they're expecting.

Such is the play in which he’s speaking, according to Ray Sullivan, director — or should that be “mis-director”? — of the upcoming Fairfield Footlighters’ production.

“This is very much like an Agatha Christie story,” Sullivan said. “I think it’s going to keep the audience guessing right up until the last five or six minutes.”

Rehearsal for Murder was originally written for a 1982 television movie starring Robert Preston and Lynn Redgrave.

“We’re doing it a little bit differently since it’s being done on stage,” Sullivan said. “There are a lot of black-outs and spotlights and an unusual presentation. We’re even putting in a few wrinkles of our own.”

The play takes place in an empty theater where one year earlier a young actress apparently took her own life after the opening night performance of a play written by her fiance, the aforementioned playwright.

“The playwright calls everyone involved in the show in on the anniversary to find out who did her in because he believes that she didn’t commit suicide, but was murdered,” Sullivan said.

The cast of the production includes several veterans returning to the stage, including Carter Bratton, Brigette Horan, Dick Bell and Michael Potter, all of whom last seen in the Footlighters production of Neil Simon’s “Rumors.”  Michael Watson last appeared as a policeman in “Arsenic and Old Lace,” while  John Vanderplough, Kevin Noll and Kent Wrampelmeier are all veterans of last season’s production of “Dracula.” Alli Hershner was last seen on stage in the Footlighters production of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”  

Newcomers to the Footlighter ensemble include Jennifer Drake, Sandy Gahan, Eric Tomeo, Lisa Tippett, Kristel Cunningham and Bob Kelly.

how to go
WHAT: “Rehearsal for Murder,” adapted for the stage by D.D. Brooke from the teleplay be Richard Levinson and William Link
WHERE: Fairfield Community Arts Center, 411 Wessel Dr., Fairfield
WHEN: 8 p.m. Oct. 11-13; 2 p.m. Oct. 14 
COST: $12 adults; $10 students/seniors
MORE INFO: (513) 867-5348; www.fairfield-footlighters.org