Meet, greet, and murder

You know those conversations with strangers that you have on a train, plain, or bus that help pass the time? Well, in "Strangers on a Train," one of those innocent chats ends with murder and madness, a perfect subject for the 1951 Alfred Hitchcock film. The psychological thriller is an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1950 novel that introduces us to Charles Bruno and Guy Haines, who meet while traveling and decide to "swap murders." The film-noir-style production opens tonight at the Stoneham Theatre. 7:30 p.m. (through May 24). $40, $35 seniors, $20 students. Stoneham Theatre, 395 Main St., Stoneham. 781-279-2200. www.stonehamtheatre.org