A KISS IS JUST A KISS?

7. December 2010 by admin.

Guest reviewer Michael Buzzelli fills in this week for F.J. Hartland

Sometimes a kiss is just a kiss, but in Diana Son’s riveting play Stop Kiss (at the Off the Wall Theatre, Washington, Pa) a kiss can be everything.

Two allegedly heterosexual women meet over a pussycat.  Sara (Karen Baum), a naïve school teacher from St. Louis just arrived to Manhattan, but she can’t keep her cat in her new apartment. She finds Callie (Erika Cuenca), a jaded New York City traffic reporter, to take care of her beloved pet.  A fast friendship develops between the women.

As time goes by, their friendship evolves.  Finally, one night Callie grabs Sara, puckers up, and plants one on her.  Unfortunately, a malevolent man catches them and wants to join in, but Sara curses him. Suddenly, he brutally attacks them both, and nearly kills Sara.

Sara is beaten into a coma. Now, Callie must decide where she really stands. Is she Sara’s lesbian lover? Are they just friends? What is really going on?

When Detective Cole (F.J. Hartland) interviews Callie about the attack, she is hesitant to explain the details. It’s a cathartic moment when she finally reveals the truth about herself and her newfound friend.

The play shifts back and forth through time quicker than an episode of “Lost,” but it is easy to follow the action. Director Robyne Parrish uses a Brechtian technique to define time jumps. In the present, the actors face the audience instead of facing each other. It’s a little disconcerting but pays off with emotional resonance later in the play.

Squonk Opera’s own Autumn Ayers provides hauntingly beautiful musical transitions. 

The cast is exceptional. Erika Cuenca’s Callie is a walking billboard for the Missed Connections section of Craig’s list. She hesitantly reaches out and withdraws in a variety of ways. You’ll want to cheer when she finally plants that wet one on Sara, but, unfortunately, the dark consequences will keep you quiet.

Sara is double cast in the production. There’s Sara and Sara Lite. One is the bubbly Past-Sara and the other is the mute coma victim Present-Sara. The part is alternately split between Karen Baum and Theo Allyn (this reviewer saw the Dec. 4^th performance). It’s difficult to imagine anyone in Karen Baum’s sensible shoes after her vibrant performance.

Atom Pribila delivers a multi-layered portrayal as Callie’s on-again-off-again bartender beau, George. It’s a role that could easily be played for over-the-top comic buffoonery, but Pribila delivers a more nuanced performance.

Matt Lamb reminds us that there are no small parts. He bites deep into his role as Peter, Sara’s ex of the wrong sex (when Sara gives up Peter, she REALLY gives up peter…wink, wink, nudge nudge).

Linda Haston stands out in dual roles. She is the Mrs. Winsley, the only witness to the hate crime, and the Nurse, a gentle Jamaican hospital worker.

Son’s dialogue is crisp and sharp. There are plenty of laughs, considering the gloomy subject matter. Some of the best moments are completely silent. A good playwright knows that actions speak louder than words.

Off the Wall Theatre is dong daring works for quaint, little Washington, PA. From the outside the theatre doesn’t look like much, but it’s what’s-on-the-inside that counts. 

Stop by Stop Kiss and let a brisk 90 minutes of your time go by. You’ll be glad you did.

(Stop Kiss runs through Dec. 18 at Off The Wall Productions, 147 N. Main St., Washington. Dates and times vary. More info: www.insideoffthewall.com or 724-873-3576. Tickets: 412-394-3353 or www.proartstickets.org)

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