Stop Kiss
Encyclopedia
Stop Kiss is a play written by the American
playwright
Diana Son, and produced Off-Broadway
in 1998 at The Public Theater in New York City
. It focuses on the touching story of friends-turned-lovers, Sara and Callie, who are assaulted for kissing.
Sara: Sandra Oh
George: Kevin Carroll
Peter: Rick Holmes
Mrs. Winsley/Nurse: Saundra McClain
Detective Cole: Saul Stein
The story is told out of chronological order: alternating scenes take place respectively before and after the assault, which is not shown onstage.
Callie works as a traffic reporter in New York City
, where she has lived for some time. Callie helps Sara learn her way around the city, and, in the process, develops strong feelings for her. When Callie and Sara are attacked, Callie sustains only minor injuries and,along with Peter, nurses Sara back to health.
Sara, who recently moved to NYC from St. Louis to participate in a fellowship at an elementary school
in The Bronx
, looks to Callie to learn how to fit in in the Big Apple. When Callie and Sara are attacked in the park after their first kiss, Sara is injured, and falls into a coma, where she remains for some time.
George is Callie's "friend with benefits." He works as a bartender
in the city, and is somewhat bothered by Callie's relationship with Sara.
Peter is Sara's ex-boyfriend from St. Louis. When he hears of Sara's injuries, he flies to New York to be with her as she recovers. Peter is still in love with Sara.
Mrs. Winsley was a witness to the attack against Sara and Callie. She was interrogated by Detective Cole. The actress who plays this role usually also plays the small part of Sara's nurse.
Detective Cole is the detective assigned to Callie and Sara's case. He is the first to hear the story of what happened to Callie and Sara the night they were attacked.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
Diana Son, and produced Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
in 1998 at The Public Theater in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It focuses on the touching story of friends-turned-lovers, Sara and Callie, who are assaulted for kissing.
Original Cast
Callie: Jessica HechtJessica Hecht
Jessica Hecht is an American actress, known for numerous Broadway appearances and TV roles.-Background:Hecht was born in Princeton, New Jersey, the daughter of Lenore, a psychotherapist, and Richard Hecht, a physicist. Jessica moved with her parents and her sister to Bloomfield, CT, at the age of...
Sara: Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh is a Canadian actress. She is best known for the role of Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, for which she has won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award. She also played notable roles in the feature films Under the Tuscan Sun and Sideways, and had a supporting role on the...
George: Kevin Carroll
Peter: Rick Holmes
Mrs. Winsley/Nurse: Saundra McClain
Detective Cole: Saul Stein
The story
Sara and Callie are walking through New York City's West Village, when they share their first kiss. This leads to a vicious attack by an angry bystander, in which Sara is horribly injured. She falls into a coma, which becomes one of the major subjects of the play. George, Callie's good friend, tries to help with the situation, but there is little he can do. Peter, Sara's ex-boyfriend from St. Louis, comes to help nurse her back to health. Throughout Stop Kiss, relationships are explored, formed, and even ended. Diana Son elaborates on the depths of human emotion and compassion in this play.The story is told out of chronological order: alternating scenes take place respectively before and after the assault, which is not shown onstage.
Callie Pax
Lead.Callie works as a traffic reporter in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where she has lived for some time. Callie helps Sara learn her way around the city, and, in the process, develops strong feelings for her. When Callie and Sara are attacked, Callie sustains only minor injuries and,along with Peter, nurses Sara back to health.
Sara
Lead.Sara, who recently moved to NYC from St. Louis to participate in a fellowship at an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, looks to Callie to learn how to fit in in the Big Apple. When Callie and Sara are attacked in the park after their first kiss, Sara is injured, and falls into a coma, where she remains for some time.
George
Supporting.George is Callie's "friend with benefits." He works as a bartender
Bartender
A bartender is a person who serves beverages behind a counter in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. A bartender, in short, "tends the bar". The term barkeeper may carry a connotation of being the bar's owner...
in the city, and is somewhat bothered by Callie's relationship with Sara.
Peter
Supporting.Peter is Sara's ex-boyfriend from St. Louis. When he hears of Sara's injuries, he flies to New York to be with her as she recovers. Peter is still in love with Sara.
Mrs. Winsley/The Nurse
Supporting.Mrs. Winsley was a witness to the attack against Sara and Callie. She was interrogated by Detective Cole. The actress who plays this role usually also plays the small part of Sara's nurse.
Detective Cole
Supporting.Detective Cole is the detective assigned to Callie and Sara's case. He is the first to hear the story of what happened to Callie and Sara the night they were attacked.