Eldred’s latest performance seamless

If you did not get a chance to see the production of Stop Kiss this past weekend…I’m so sorry.

From Aug. 28-30, the Players’ Theatre Group performed “Stop Kiss,” a play by Diana Son that tells the story of two women, Sara and Callie, who become friends (and eventually lovers) when Sara moves to New York to pursue her dream of being an inner-city elementary school teacher. The story unfolds when Sara and Callie share their first kiss, which leads to a violent assault by an upset onlooker that puts Sara in a coma.

But what makes the play so interesting is that the story is not told in chronological order: Many varying scenes take place before and after the assault and the play concludes with Sara and Callie’s first kiss—the kiss that changed everything.

The play’s main strength was the unmatchable on-stage chemistry between Caroline Canale (Callie) and Sara Bogomolny (Sara). The two actresses were believable, confident and passionate. They truly brought the story to life in a way that left the audience crying as they laughed and laughing as they cried. It requires true talent to move an audience the way these two did.

The other cast members supported the lead actresses perfectly. Anthony Newman, who played the part of the condescending detective, and Evan Bramberg, who played Callie’s boyfriend George, had outstanding stage presence. Newman, Katja Yacker, Nathan Hach and Paige Klopfenstein completed the show with sincere and credible performances.

Of course, the constant shifting of plot called for just-as-constant scene changes; the crew set up the scenes without distracting the audience from the plot or ruining the overall mood. Overall, the execution of both the actors and the technicians was seamless.

“Stop Kiss” is a play that reveals some very touchy subjects on college campuses (and in the real world) like sexuality, hate crimes and the struggles of young adulthood. The performance gave the audience a reminder that issues like these are real, and real people battle them every day. For this reason, I commend the cast and crew for bringing these issues to the surface in a way that was relatable for the entire audience.