Nebraska Repertory Theatre Presents ‘Stop Kiss’
calendar icon03 Mar 2023
Lincoln, Neb.--The Nebraska Repertory Theatre continues its 2022-2023 season with a production of Diana Son’s award-winning “Stop Kiss.”
Performances run Wednesday, March 1 through Thursday, March 9 in the Studio Theatre in the Temple Building on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln campus. For showtimes and ticket information, visit https://nebraskarep.org.
“Stop Kiss” is part romantic comedy, part tragedy and part societal reflection. The play is set in late 1990’s in New York City. Sara leaves the Midwest on a fellowship to teach third grade in the Bronx and befriends Callie, a New York City native. An unexpected attraction develops between the two friends. Their first kiss provokes a shocking act of violence that transforms their lives in unexpected ways.
Guest artist Keira Fromm directs.
“I love the relatable and complex characters playwright Diana Son has created,” Fromm said. “I love how easily the play toggles from humor to the more profound conversations it's having about identity and self-actualization. I love the two women at the center being brave, taking risks and falling in love with one another. But more than anything, I love how the play encourages its audience to open their hearts and minds to the world and people around them, and reminds us that we all deserve love.”
David Long, artistic director of Nebraska Repertory Theatre, is excited about the approach Fromm is taking with the production.
“We are thrilled to welcome guest director Keira Fromm to Nebraska Rep. Ms. Fromm’s clear vision and expert handling of the poignant, tragic, and often comical elements of the play will undoubtedly make for an entertaining and thought-provoking theatrical experience,” he said. “Our students are doing an outstanding job in grappling with the human complexities of their chararaters including that of commitment and identity. It is a challenging and rewarding process that many of our patrons watching will find relevant.”
“Stop Kiss” features Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film (JCSTF) performance majors Aeris Esterly-Tillmon, Mariana Hermosillo, Seamus Doyle and Trace Harre along with Chicago-based guest artists Christopher Meister and Sarah Rachel Schol.
“Working on Stop Kiss has been the most validating and satisfying experience I’ve had during my time at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. I’m proud of all my hard work and the art I’m creating with the wonderful people involved in this production, “ said Hermosillo, a senior performance major who plays Sara in the production.
Members of the design team include JCSTF graduate students Kennedy Wilcher, lighting design, and Taylor Walters-Riggsbee, set design, JCSTF undergraduate student Hannah Hansen, costume design, and guest artist Christopher Kriz, sound design.
Set designer Walters-Riggsbee has a history with the play.
“I designed a production of ‘Stop Kiss’ as an undergraduate and now this production is my graduate thesis project,” she sajd. “It’s really exciting to see how I have evolved as a designer and the impact that my training at JCSTF has had on my work.”