Stop Kiss by Diana Son

Experience a story that’s as heartfelt as it is unforgettable. When Callie, a New Yorker drifting through life, meets Sara, a spirited teacher new to the city, an unexpected friendship blossoms into something deeper. But their first kiss triggers a violent attack that changes everything—forcing both women to confront love, loss, and what it means to be truly brave.

Told with warmth, wit, and raw honesty, Stop Kiss moves fluidly between moments of laughter and heartbreak, showing how one instant can transform two lives forever. Hailed by Variety as “a poignant and funny play about the ways, both sudden and slow, that lives can change irrevocably,” this production celebrates human resilience and the power of connection in the face of adversity. Stop Kiss is an emotional journey you won’t soon forget—poignant, powerful, and deeply human.

Content Advisory: Stop Kiss explores themes of anti-LGBTQ+ violence. The play includes graphic description of a hate crime, which is not depicted onstage; adult language and situations, homophobia and homophobic slurs, and sexism.

DIRECTOR: Maren Maclean Mascarelli
ASST DIRECTOR: Jackie Horn
CULTURAL CONSULTANT: Elaine “E.E.” Moe
STAGE MANAGER: Courtney Kenyon
SCENIC DESIGN & TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Cheryl Briley
LIGHTING DESIGN: Justus Burkitt
SOUND DESIGN: Clayton Caufman
COSTUME DESIGN: Mickey Courtney
PROPS DESIGN: Dolores E. Mendoza
CAST: Thommi A’mal, Natalie Andrews, Phillip Beaupre, Mitchell Glass, Kate Haas, and Paul Perkins, with UNDERSTUDY Erin Leigh Beale

Stop Kiss is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC,
servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. www.dramatists.com.
This production is partially funded by a City of Tempe – Community Arts Grant.

Photos by Jason K. Walz