STOP KISS by Diana Son - Opening Night Gala

Son's story is deceptively simple: two young women in New York  meet, talk about their boyfriends, feel a growing, unspoken attraction for each other, and finally kiss. And that one innocent kiss sets off  a savage gay-bashing. But even as Stop Kiss confronts the reality of physical violence, Son's imaginative, moving, and surprising comedy  brings audiences -- and her principal characters -- to unexpected places. Callie is holding down a job as a radio traffic reporter when  she meets Sara, a Midwesterner who, against her parents' wishes, has moved to the city to teach third-grade students in the Bronx. Both  have boyfriends, but as they get to know each other, their shared experiences and sense of humor create a strong bond. The tragic  consequences of their kiss -- the center of this powerful drama -- serve as both an indictment of hatred and a moving study of the perils  inherent in living life fully.