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STOP KISS

A Dramaturgical Casebook

Written by: Diana Son

Drew University Department of Theatre and Dance

The Directing Lab

September 28

th - October 1 st

, 2016

Directed by Ciana Proto, C’

Dramaturgy by Philipe AbiYouness, C’17 and Michelle Taliento, C’

Stop Kiss Production Team

Directed by Ciana Proto Set Design by Emma Barakat Costume Design by Hailey Benson Light Design by Everton Johnson Props Design by Mikaela Simon Sound Design by Production Stage Manager: Aliyah Keisler Production Assistant Stage Manager: Alcides Costa Dramaturgs: Philipe AbiYouness and Michelle Taliento CAST Callie: Ava Serene Portman Sarah: Milly Pinkos George: Carlos Pajaro Peter: Shafer Ward Mrs. Winsley: Shanna Quackenbush Nurse: Marley Crank Detective Cole: Maliik Hall

Introduction

This production casebook was developed in part through the influence of the Fall 2015 Dramaturgy class at Drew University. This casebook includes research about the play and playwright, as well as miscellaneous research including character-based topics. There is also an annotated script, and an annotated map of New York City including locations that are mentioned within the pages of the script. It also includes production related planning and research relating to community outreach, lobby displays, and further program information.

Letter to the Director

Hey there friend and (now) collaborator!

We are so excited to embark on this project with you! We can’t wait to see how you bring this compelling script to life with your vision and creativity. Let’s talk about the ways that we, as dramaturgs, can serve this production. Our job spans from pre-production, through the rehearsal process, and potentially throughout the run of the show. Pre-production is when we perform all the preliminary research and create the casebook. The casebook is supposed to be a resource for you, the cast, and the production team. It has information on production history, dramatic criticism, character research, socio- cultural research, as well as an annotated script and map. It’s meant to serve as a foundation of information and ideas that will hopefully inspire and drive your work and the work of the entire team. The casebook will live in the Google Drive and in the rehearsal room once we create the physical copy. Our function during rehearsals is to be a resource to you and the cast. We will be there to ask questions that will make sure the world of the play is consistent and factual. We will also be there if you or anyone else on the team has questions! We can look up information, find images, and provide background. We are there for all of your Googling needs. A very important thing for our collaboration in this process is communication. We don’t want to overstep any boundaries, but we want to be as useful as possible to the entire team. If we have questions or information that we think will inform and improve the show, we will siphon it through you. Our voices are meant to guide your vision while your vision guides the show. This casebook includes some of our preliminary ideas for the lobby and board display. These ideas very well may change as we continue to have discussions about audience experience. That’s another part of our job, audience outreach. So if you think you’d like us to coordinate things such as talkbacks, informational packets, or promotional materials, let’s talk about it and we can come up with something. With that, hopefully our job seems a little clearer. Did we say we’re excited? Probably. We’ll leave it at that. Your Dramaturgs, Michelle Taliento & Philipe AbiYouness

Production History

“(It is a political play) in the sense that politics is a way of looking at events that

happen to people. I would never personally say ‘This is a play about homophobia.

This is a play about gay bashing. This is a play about the civil rights of gays and

lesbians in America.’ I would describe the play as a love story.” – Diana Son

5 The play Stop Kiss was commissioned by Horizons/Amblin-Dreamworks in 1997, and Playwrights Horizons held the first staged readings that same year. 6 Son continued developing the project in 1998 at Playlabs in Minneapolis, the Mark Taper Forum, and finally, the 1998 Public Theater production marked the official opening. 6 Eventually, the production moved to the Royal National Theatre in London in 1999. 6 The original production garnered a number of nominations and awards. This includes a nomination for the 1999 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play, and a nomination for the John Gassner Award for Diana Son. 7 Sandra Oh won the 1999 Theatre World award for her performance as Sara. 7 Son also won the GLAAD Media Award for Stop Kiss. 5 Generally speaking, reviews for the Public Theater’s production of Stop Kiss were overwhelmingly positive. Shows were frequently standing-room only, and the show was extended twice. 5 The play gained such popularity that in 2000, director Robert Greenwald optioned the play for film, with Son herself at the helm of the screenplay. 5 Unfortunately, the project never came to fruition. However, the play continues to see major success as it has been produced hundreds of times around the world at community theatres and colleges. 5 When asked about writing the play, Son often describes the process toward her interesting changes in chronological time. She wrote the “scenes she thought would be in the play ... then filled in the rest.” 5 The order of the first 12 scenes were rearranged in previews. 5 Son says this about themes in Stop Kiss: I am consistently interested in the conflict between how other people identify you and the more complex way in which you know yourself. I am 5 Yurgatis, Daniel. “Director’s Notes on Stop Kiss.” Nova Southeastern University. February 2007. Accessed May 27, 2016. 6 Saxton, Brian. “Defining the Themes of Diana Son’s Stop Kiss: Analyzing the Design Process.” Georgia Southern University. 2006. Accessed May 27 th , 2016. 7 “Stop Kiss – Lortel Archives.” Lucille Lortel Archives. Accessed May 27, 2016.

quite aware of the contrast between how you assume things are one moment, and how they can utterly, irrevocably change in the next.” 5 I. Original Production Production Information: Stop Kiss was originally produced at the Public Theater in New York City. Previews began on November 17 th , 1997, and It was officially opened on December 5 th , 1998. It was extended twice, first until January 31 st , 1999, and then again until February 21 st . The production closed on February 21 st , 1999. It ran for 40 performances. Cast and Crew: Directed by Jo Bentley; Starring: Jessica Hecht, Sandra Oh, Kevin Caroll, Rick Holmes, Saundra McClain, and Paul Stein; sets by Narelle Sissons; costumes by Kaye Voyce; lighting by James Vermeulen; sound and orignal music by David Van Tieghem; production dramaturg; Mervin P. Antonio. Presented by the Joseph Papp Public Theatre/New York Shakespeare Festival, George C. Wolfe, producer; Rosemarie Tischler, artistic producer; Mark Litvin, managing director. Reviews: The New York Times: “Manhattan growls like an underfed pit bull in ‘’Stop Kiss,’’ a sweet, sad and enchantingly sincere play by the young American writer Diana Son. The sirens, the horns, the tattoos beat by unknown hands and feet on doors and floors: the sounds of the city are edged in threats, signs of violence that has happened or is waiting to happen. Yet it’s all so irresistibly exciting, isn’t it? ... ‘’Stop Kiss’’ has probably generated the warmest advance word of mouth of any downtown production this Original Poster for "Stop Kiss," Dec. 1997

effectively uses the poet’s technique of telescoping action and character ... While scheduled to run only until December 20 th , I’ll bet my critic’s hat that Stop Kiss will be extended. After all, in a season not notable for freshness, this play is the breeze we’ve all awaited – bouncing from laughter to pathos without missing a beat and engaging your interest and emotions unflaggingly.” – Elyse Sommer 10 II. Seattle Repertory Theatre Production Information: Stop Kiss opened at Seattle Repertory Theatre on January 31 st 2000, and ran until March 4 th , 2000. Cast and Crew: Directed by Steven Dietz; Starring Amy Cronise, Jodi Somers, David V. Scully, Alban Dennis, Mike Regan, and Tamu Gray; Sets by Scott Weldin; costumes by Carolyn Keim; lighting by Rick Paulsen; and sound by Steve LeGrand. Reviews: Seattle Times: “Son’s two-deck shuffle of many short scenes, past and present, is dealt out quite smoothly by director Steven Dietz, with help from lighting designer Rick Paulsen ... it takes a while for the 90-minute production (no intermission) to catch the nuances of Son’s surprisingly delicate script, the subtle hesitations and interactions that should add up to making us care deeply whether Callie pierces the veil of flippant passivity that keeps her at a safe, ironic distance from life. And whether the over-sheltered Sara comes into her own ... “Stop Kiss” dances a bit nervously around the question of whether there’s a difference between falling madly for one member of the same sex, and being “really” gay. But it’s rare these days to see any tender stage courtship unfold between two believable individuals. And in “Stop Kiss,” there’s much at stake for both of them.” – Misha Berson 11 Seattle Weekly: “A kiss can be either the most innocent or the most intimate of moments between two people, a moment filled with ambiguity or complete certainty. It’s this central dichotomy of an everyday but extraordinary act that Diana Son’s outstanding new play Stop 10 Sommer, Elyse. “A CurtainUp Review: Stop Kiss.” CurtainUP. December 06, 1998. Accessed May 27, 2016. 11 Berson, Misha. “Unflashy ‘Stop Kiss’ goes beyond girl meets girl.” The Seattle Times. February 1 st , 2000. Accessed May 27, 2016. Amy Cronise (L) and Jodi Somers (R)

Kiss examines, an act that has consequences past what either of its participants could have dreamed. Despite the way in which the later scenes constantly undercut the light mood of the early romance, Stop Kiss is unexpectedly light and optimistic in its approach to its dire subject matter. Instead of ending in an image of intolerance, the final two scenes between the women, in the uncertain present and the perfect past, exhibit how accepting love into our lives can be a source of courage and freedom.” – John Longenbaugh 12 III. First College Productions I. Simpson College – Indianola, Iowa Production Information: February 23-24, March 2-4, 2001. Cast and Crew: Directed by Professor Jennifer Ross Nostrala; Scenic designer: Kevin Bautch, Light designer: Craig Kaufman, Costume designer: Annie Cady, Props designer: Jennifer Fenton, Sound designer: Allison Smith, Production Stage Manager: Joey S. Begovich, Assistant Stage Manager: Nicole Goble. Starring Brooke Jackson, Katie Braden, Sue Gerver, Josh Mann, Steve Rich, and Jared Gerlock. II. Willamette University – Salem, Oregon Production Information: 2001- 2002 season, specific show dates unknown. Cast and Crew: Directed by Professor Julie Akers, Scene design: Bobby Brewer- Wallin, Costume design: Bobby Brewer- Wallin, Lighting design: Clay Everett. III. Princeton University (Theatre InTime, student organization) – Princeton, New Jersey Production Information: March 28 - 30, April 4-6, 2002. Cast and Crew: Directed by Chris Wendell, Starring: Barbara Luse, Jean Su, Micah Baskir. Review: “The play’s many themes are presented in such a way that the audience is not moved to anger over the hate crimes. Instead, Wendell’s treatment of narrative diminish those big issues to a more personal treatment. It becomes the story of Sara and Callie and 12 Longenbaugh, John. “Stop Kiss: Weight issues get an effectively light treatment.” Seattle Weekly. February 09 2000. archive.seattleweekly/2000- 02 - 09/arts/stop-kiss/ Accessed May 27th 2016. Willamette University Production

Historical Context

While this play was written in 1997 and produced in 1998, the script indicates that the action of the play occurs in, “New York City” “Now.” This can be interpreted as each production being relevant and accurate to the New York City of the time. Here is some info on New York City in 2016. As of the 2015 US Census, there are apprx 8 million people living in New York City. Although the majority of individuals are described as white, according to the census, NYC continues to be a melting pot with a decent size of it’s population base being Black or African American (25%), Hispanic or Latino (28%), Asian (12%) or Mixed race (4%) 14

Crime Rates—

Crime rates have decreased significantly since the 1990s at rates predominantly over 50% across the board. 15 How does this speak to this production? One could argue that an occurrence like what befell Sara and Callie would be much more likely when this play was written and originally produced. Although it is important to note that statistics only show so much and assaults still occur almost on a daily basis in the city.

Labor—

New York City labor has been on a productive rise in recent years. According to the Bureau of Labor Market Information Division of Research and Statistics (a division of the New York State Department of Labor) between the years of 2009 and 2014, which were marked by a countrywide recession, several industries of New York labor increased their employment. 9 of these 13 industries are projected to grow faster than the US economy until the year 2022. Among these industries are construction, trade transport and utilities, information, educational services and leisure and hospitality. This is reflected in Stop Kiss because several of the characters work in these industries. Sara works in Education, Callie works in transport as well as information, George in hospitality and leisure. 16 14 “New York City Quickfacts,” US Census Bureau. census/quickfacts/table/PST045215/3651000 Accessed August 20, 2016. 15 “Police Dept NYC Compstat,” NYPD Compstat Unit. Accessed August 20, 2016. 16 “Significant Industries: A Report to the Workforce Development System,” New York State Department of Labor. September 2015. Accessed August 20, 2016.

LGBTQ—

The fact that this play is set in New York City and focuses on a homophobic assault on two women could be read as a critique on the supposed progress of equality for LGBTQ individuals. New York is a city that is acclaimed and recognized for its emphasis on diversity and acceptance and many might see it as a city that can provide a sense of cohort for LGBTQ individuals with local landmarks like the crossroads of the West Village and Chelsea, which includes several sites which are synonymous with gay culture like, Big Gay Ice Cream which is a, “LGBTQ-owned soft serve spot with a unicorn painted on its window.” 17 Most would agree that New York City provides a welcoming culture for LGBTQ individuals, but setting this play in such a diverse and cultured city shows that hate still exists and progress is a continuous journey.

Gentrification—

New York City, like most big cities in the United States, has been subject to a good deal of gentrification (PBS defines gentrification as, “Gentrification is a general term for the arrival of wealthier people in an existing urban district, a related increase in rents and property values, and changes in the district’s character and culture” 18 ). Gentrification is a complicated issue and reports have shown that the influx of more wealthy individuals into areas that are being turned around socio-economically cause real estate prices to rise, thus pushing out traditionally non-white, economically disadvantaged individuals who lived in these areas previously. According to the Wall Street Journal, individuals living in poverty in gentrifying areas dropped by 4% between 2000 and 2009 which supports the idea that poor individuals are being displaced. 19 However, antithetical arguments suggest that data is inconsistent and individuals might not be pushed out because institutions like public and subsidized housing generally exist in these areas. While gentrification is not a black and white issue especially concerning New York City, it is apparent that areas of the city like Williamsburg, Bushwick, and all of Harlem are definitely affected in many concurrent ways by the gentrification process. 17 Sokol, David. “Gay NYC,” NYC The Official Guide. 10 May. 2016. Accessed August 20, 2016. 18 Grant, Benjamin. “What is Gentrification?” Flag Wars. PBS. Accessed August 20, 2016. 19 Barbanel, Josh. “Gentrification Effect in New York City Is Overblown, Report Suggests,” Wall Street Journal. 10 May. 2016. Accessed August 20, 2016.

Miscellaneous Research

I. Orlando Shooting and Hate Crimes “A hate crime or bias-motivated crime occurs when the perpetrator of the crime intentionally selects the victim because of who the victim is. While an act of violence against any individual is always a tragic event, violent crimes based on prejudice have a much stronger impact because the motive behind the crime is to terrorize an entire group or community.” -- “Hate Crimes and Violence Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People.” 24

General background:

25 On June 12 th Omar Mateen opened fire on Pulse gay bar and nightclub in Orlando, FL. It is believed that Mateen had affiliations with terrorist group, ISIS. This has been massively described as a hate crime, driven by terror and hate. There is minimal evidence surrounding Mateen’s motivation, but he had exhibited a history of violence and homophobia during his life. According to his father, Omar had displayed anger, “at the sight of two men kissing in Miami a few months ago.” This shooting has been described as the most destructive act of terror in the US since 9/11 and the biggest hate crime against a gay target in US history.

Articles:

“In Orlando Massacre, Terrorism and Hate Crime

Collide”

26 nbcnews/storyline/orlando-nightclub-massacre/orlando-massacre-terrorism- hate-crime-collide-n 24 Marzullo, Michelle A and Libman, Alyn J “Hate Crimes and Violence Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People.” Human Rights Campaign. 2009. Accessed July 26, 2016. 25 Domonoske, Camila. Kennedy, Merrit. Bowman, Emma. “Suspect Purchased Guns Legally Ahead of Deadliest Shooting In Modern U. History.” National Public Radio. 12 June. 2016. Accessed July 31, 2016. 26 Melber, Ari. “In Orlando Massacre, Terrorism and Hate Crime Collide.” NBC News. 12 June. 2016. Accessed July 26, 2016.

QUOTES:

“The mass murder at a gay nightclub in Orlando is both the deadliest terror attack inside the U. since 9/11 — and the deadliest hate crime against a gay target in American history.” “[the attacker’s] father, Seddique Mir Mateen, also told NBC News that his son was angry at the sight of two men kissing in Miami a few months ago, which may have motivated his attack on Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando.” “According to the most recent FBI statistics, for the year 2014, there were 1,017 hate crimes against gay Americans — or 18 percent of all hate crimes. That includes 65 in Florida.” “After Sunday's attack, the Human Rights Campaign stated that "22 percent of all hate crimes in Florida" are based on sexual orientation, "trailing only race as the most common motivation," according to data from Equality Florida.” “In most states, people convicted of misdemeanor hate crimes may still legally purchase guns. The majority of states "have not enacted laws to prevent convicted misdemeanant hate criminals from having easy access to guns," according to a 2016 report, "Hate and Guns," by the Center for American Progress.” “For the deadliest attack on U. soil since September 11, 2001, one fitting tribute began Sunday evening at Ground Zero in New York, where the skyscraper was shining with rainbow colors.” “an attack on one is an attack on all”

“Orlando shooting: 49 killed, shooter pledged ISIS allegiance”

27 cnn/2016/06/12/us/orlando-nightclub-shooting/ QUOTES: “Mateen was a normal husband at the beginning of their marriage but started abusing her after a few months, she said. She said Mateen was bipolar, although he was not formally diagnosed. 27 Ellis, Ralph. Fantz, Ashley. Karimi, Faith. McLaughlin, Elliot C. “Orlando shooting: 49 killed, shooter pledged ISIS allegiance.” CNN. 13 June. 2016. Accessed July 26, 2016.

hrc/resources/hate-crimes-and- violence-against-lgbt-people “On May 16, 2007, [Sean] Kennedy was leaving a bar in Greenville, S., when a man approached, called him an anti-gay name and punched him. Kennedy fell to the ground and later died in a hospital. Local law enforcement officials asked for the case to be prosecuted as a hate crime. But because South Carolina has no hate crimes law, charges were reduced from murder to involuntary manslaughter, and Kennedy's assailant was sentenced to three years in prison.” 293031 “Since 1991, more than 100,000 hate crime offenses have been reported to the FBI. In 2007 alone, 1,265 LGBbiased hate crimes were reported to the FBI, which is a 6-percent increase from 2006. Sexual orientation consistently ranks as the third-highest motivator for hate crime incidents (17 percent of total attacks). Attacks motivated by race-based bias are the most prevalent (51 percent in 2007), followed by religion-based attacks (18 percent in 2007). Bias-motivated attacks on the basis of gender identity are not tracked on the federal level.” “Anecdotal evidence suggests that hate crimes against LGB and transgender persons are under- reported in the United States. Some victims do not report sexual orientation-motivated hate crimes because they do not want to be identified (“outed”) in police reports as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender.” In 1990, the Hate Crime Statistics Act was passed. “The purpose of the act was to develop a systematic approach for documenting and understanding bias-motivated crimes in the United States.” - This is nine years before Stop Kiss was published, eight years before it premiered. Other pieces of legislation that work to make sure hate-driven crimes are reported and investigated as such include: 29 “Charleston Shooting: What is a Hate Crime?” USA Today – Federal Bureau of Investigations Report. Accessed July 26, 2016. USA Today published an FBI Report on victim demographics

The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act/Matthew Shepard Act “The FBI hate crimes statistics from 2007 show that the most common location of sexual orientation bias crimes is a residence or private home ( percent). Twenty-four percent of the crimes occurred on streets, highways, roads and in alleys, and 11 percent occurred at schools. Seven percent of sexual orientation-motivated hate crimes occurred in parking lots or garages, and 4 percent occurred at bars and nightclubs.” Studies have shown a huge trend of blame towards gay and lesbian victims of violence and abuse “A study of 320 adults found that lesbian and gay victims were blamed for being attacked at a higher rate than heterosexuals.” “The study also found that when lesbians and gays made eye contact or verbally responded to their attackers with a question or an obscenity, the victims were blamed more often for their attack than their heterosexual counterparts.” “It was also found that observers blamed lesbian, gay and bisexual victims more when attacks occurred just after publicly displaying affection for their partner (handholding, kissing hello or goodbye).” “Though most people feel sympathetic toward hate crime victims, lesbians and gays are blamed for their attacks at higher rates. When a person survives a particularly severe hate crime, the incident may go on to impede their well- being, leading to higher attempts at suicide, drug or alcohol abuse and sexual risk-taking behaviors, including possible exposure to HIV/AIDS” II. Real Life Cases of Hate Crimes Angie Zapata – July 17th 2008 Angie Zapata was an 18-year-old Transgender woman who was brutally beaten and murder by Allen Ray Andrade while they were on a date Zapata was raised in a family of six in Fort Lupton,

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