Producer Bryan Quinn and writer Kristen Reed used this Lake Highlands house for the set of their feature film. Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Late at night, in a quiet Lake Highlands neighborhood, several people witness a bloody murder. They are neither horrified nor confused, for Tommy White, owner of the property on which the act occurs, has warned his neighbors in advance. “There is a film crew shooting a murder scene in our front yard,” he notified the homeowners group earlier that week. “Please don’t be alarmed.” White’s majestic colonial-style home plays a key role in the forthcoming feature-length indie film “The Dahl Dynasty,” a modern retelling of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” written by Dallasite Kristen Reed. Reed, who partnered with Fort Worth producer Bryan Quinn, found places to shoot the film the same way she rounded up actors — Craigslist. She advertised her need for a Dahl Dynasty mansion. White was one of several to volunteer his home. He’d recently revamped its façade. Once Reed saw it, she needed to look no further. “It was perfect. I didn’t need to look at any other homes.” They shot several scenes inside and outside the White House, as neighbors know it. They also shot at several locations around the city, including nearby Pocket Sandwich Theatre. Once she got going, Reed managed to shoot the low-budget feature-length film in about six weeks. The modernized Shakespearean tragedy revolves around Hamilton Dahl IV, heir to the Dahl family, and his quest for justice following the murder of his father by Uncle Claude. Once Reed is done with the editing, she hopes to shop it to film festivals. It’s all an exciting experience, she says. “I have written a lot of things, but I have never staged what I have written and seen what I’ve written come to life like this.”

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