Prejudice and Pride: “Stop Kiss,” at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre through June 18

I'd been wanting to see author Diana Son's Stop Kiss, which made its off-Broadway debut in 1998, ever since I missed it locally (twice!) – at St. Ambrose University in 2008, and Augustana College in 2017. Therefore, I took my seat on Saturday at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre with anticipation, and director Erika Seabloom, an Ambrose graduate, has assembled many talents to create a polished, satisfying production. It's part of the venue's Barn Owl Series, which spotlights newer works, and as such, the play contains what some call "profanities" and others call "the way people talk." No cockadoodie euphemisms here: It's got s-words, f-words, and c-words.

Stop Kiss' Callie, a veteran New York City transplant, is helping out friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend Sara, who's new in town. They click almost immediately, despite their differences. Callie hates her job; Sara loves hers. Callie got breaks through connections with a friend; Sara fought to leave her hometown by winning a coveted job opportunity. Callie is a bit uptight; Sara is mellower. Yet as they spend more and more time together, they eventually realize they're dating, although neither wants to acknowledge it. Just as they admit it, however, with a kiss on the street, a brutal attack leaves Callie injured and Sara unconscious with critical head trauma. (I normally avoid giving away such details, but we learn all this by scene two.)

Jaren Schoustra makes Callie likable and relatable from the get-go. Another Ambrose grad, Schoustra, as we learn in their program bio, hadn't previously performed in a show this long (about two hours, no intermission). Here, they're in all but one short scene, and exhibit laudable stamina, plus the skills of a more experienced actor. I particularly admire their wordless moments; their face and body always speak clearly, even while silent. McKenna Coskie, as Sara, is new to the venue and the Quad-Cities, but not to the stage. She gives Sara a transparent enthusiasm tempered with a touch of shyness and uncertainty. The character is sweetly deferential to Callie at first; later, emboldened to disagree with her, as even good friends do.

Drew DeKeyrel plays George, Callie's friend with benefits -- but he's not just a boy-toy booty call. George is a real friend; they spend non-naked time together, too, and truly care about one another. His loose-limbed, everyday ease around Callie contrasts startlingly with his anger when he hears about the assault. DeKeyrel impressed me mightily when I first saw him as Chuck in She Kills Monsters at this venue, and I enjoy his prowess more with each new role. Rishem Bhogal, a University of Northern Iowa theatre-performance graduate, portrays Sara's ex, Peter. His scenes also require conflicting emotions, which he plays with an honest, believable flow. I hope to see him onstage again.

Longtime area-theatre MVP Mattie Gelaude portrays the sharp-eyed Detective Cole, who meets repeatedly with victim and witness after the attack. Her pressuring Callie for details feels like an attack in itself: Is she accusing the pair of provoking the assault? (While I discerned otherwise, you might come to a different conclusion.) Playwright Son's screenwriting résumé is packed mostly with TV cop procedurals, which is perhaps why there are so many interrogation scenes here. (This is the one unrealistic aspect of the script – that one cop would devote this much time to an assault which, though undeniably horrifying and a felony, must be just one of thousands of battery incidents in New York City every month.) Finally, Cynthia Taylor, versatile both onstage and off-, plays a witness to the crime, as well as the role of a compassionate nurse in a few scenes.

All of Stop Kiss' dialogue is true-to-life, with lots of interruptions and unfinished sentences built in. It reads like real conversation, but it's difficult to perform such a script so that it sounds natural. However, every actor accomplishes this. As an additional challenge, the narrative alternates between the run-up to the attack and its aftermath, which not only makes the actors emote out of sequence, but also forces another tough feat: costume changes between every scene. Costume designer Bailey Hager consequently deserves respect, too. I was delighted by the attention to detail, including Sara's authentic hospital-issue socks that are grey with white gripper treads.

Speaking of changes, I was also impressed by the stage crew each time the lights went down. The quick hustling of furnishings on- and offstage, including one particularly heavy and bulky one, were as smooth and silent as silk. A standing ovation for stage manager Mel Maylum (an Ambrose Theatre Arts graduate!) and her team of Carson Vincent, Leah Manning, and performer Gelaude.

As an actor and director (and, yes, an Ambrose theatre grad myself), I had a few ideas. Under the ICU scenes, I'd have included heart-rate monitor beeps and quiet footsteps to enhance the tension. Also, near the end of Saturday's show, there was a crucial moment that I felt deserved distinct pauses, but the cue pickups were so quick that the lines and responses were almost throwaways. However, these small nitpicks don't diminish my appreciation of this admirable production of Stop Kiss, which affirms life and love beyond any opposition.

Stop Kiss runs at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre (4950 35th Avenue, Moline IL) through June 18, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)762-0330 and visiting Playcrafters.com.