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| Photo by Erin Lartonoix. |
"This
is a play about two women who fall in love, but it's less controversial, and more
human," says director, Be Boyd. "It's a beautiful piece. Whether you are
straight, or whether you are gay, and whatever your age, you are going to be
able to relate to the themes of Stop
Kiss... restlessness, finding true love, fulfillment, and the loss of a loved
one."
Gracie
Winchester plays one of the lead roles of the play. A junior in the BFA Musical
Theatre program, Winchester has had a busy year on the UCF stages. Her first
role at UCF was in last fall's production of The Pajama Game, and since that time she has also acted in Bury the Dead, No Sex Please, We're British,
and Spike Heels.
"The
past year has been a lesson in balance and in learning how to juggle school,
learning lines, and extracurricular activities. Plus, it's been an emotional
journey, especially with Bury the Dead [where
the character commits suicide]. In that show, I learned to leave my personal
drama at the door and pick up my character's when I enter rehearsal. But then I
have to leave the character's emotions on the stage and not take them home with
me," says Winchester.
"In
Stop Kiss, I draw an emotion from my
past and picture someone that I love in my mind hurt and bruised. Once the
scene ends, I try to shake it off, laugh, and it is over."
The
other lead will be performed by Shanel Sparr. Sparr is a newcomer to the UCF
stage, and a sophomore in the BFA Acting program.
Stop Kiss will be presented in
repertory with Good Boys and True by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Both shows
address homosexuality as a theme. Where Stop
Kiss examines the friendship between two women, Good Boys and True focuses on two young men.
"Both
shows encompass a variety and scope of areas including themes of gender,
sexuality, entitlement, and the morality of society," says Theatre UCF Chair
and Artistic Director Christopher Niess. "We are living in a time of growing
acceptance, but these plays, set in the 1980s and 90s, offer a look at relevant
issues that just a couple of decades ago were suppressed, and even taboo."
To
help address questions and concerns that may arise from the content of the plays,
Theatre UCF has invited departments and organizations on the UCF campus to
participate in pre-show discussion panels and to have information available to
patrons in the lobby. The preshow panels will take place on October 5 (before Good Boys and True) and October 10 (before
Stop Kiss) at 7 pm in the Black Box
Theatre. The panels are free and open to the public.
Theatre
UCF is on the UCF campus near the intersection of University Boulevard and
Alafaya Trail in east Orlando. Performances begin at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays,
and Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. on Sundays.
To
purchase tickets or for ticket information call the box office at 407-823-1500.
Standard tickets are $20 ($18 for seniors; $10 for students) and group rates are
available. It is recommended to purchase tickets in advance, available through
the Theatre UCF box office. UCF offers accommodations to make the theatre more
accessible to patrons with disabilities; for assistance, call the box office in
advance.
