Ruhl - Stage Kiss

BOOKS BY SARAH RUHL AVAILABLE FROM TCG Chekhovs Three Sisters and Woolfs Orlando (Two Renderings for the Stage) The Clean House and Other Plays ALSO INCLUDES: Eurydice Late: a cowboy song Melancholy Play Dead Mans Cell Phone In the Next Room or the vibrator play Passion Play Stage Kiss Stage Kiss is copyright 2014 by Sarah Ruhl Stage Kiss is published by Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 520 Eighth Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10018-4156 All Rights Reserved. Except for brief passages quoted in newspaper, magazine, radio or television reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that this material, being fully protected under the Copyright Laws of the United States of America and all other countries of the Berne and Universal Copyright Conventions, is subject to a royalty. All rights, including but not limited to, professional, amateur, recording, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio and television broadcasting, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are expressly reserved. Particular emphasis is placed on the question of readings and all uses of this book by educational institutions, permission for which must be secured from the authors representative: Bruce Ostler, Bret Adams Ltd., 448 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036, (212) 765-5630. 4255. 4255.

Some Enchanted Evening, By Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, copyright 1949 by Williamson Music (ASCAP), an Imagem Company, owner of publication and allied rights throughout the world. Copyright renewed. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission. The publication of Stage Kiss by Sarah Ruhl, through TCGs Book Program, is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

TCG books are exclusively distributed to the book trade by Consortium Book Sales and Distribution. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Ruhl, Sarah, 1974 Stage Kiss / Sarah Ruhl. pages cm ISBN 978-1-55936-429-4 (ebook) I. Title. PS3618.U48S73 2014 812.6dc23 2014019184 Book design and composition by Lisa Govan Cover design by Rodrigo Corral Design / Rachel Adam Rogers First Edition, December 2014 For actorsFor first lovesBut most of all, for my husbandContentsStage Kiss had its world premiere at the Goodman Theatre (Robert Falls, Artistic Director; Roche Schulfer, Executive Director) in Chicago on May 9, 2011. It was directed by Jessica Thebus.

The set design was by Todd Rosenthal, the costume design was by Linda Roethke, the lighting design was by James F. Ingalls, the sound design was by Andre J. Pluess; the dramaturg was Neena Arndt, the fight choreographer was Nick Sandys and the production stage manager was Joseph Drummond. The cast was:

The set design was by Neil Patel, the costume design was by Susan Hilferty, the lighting design was by Peter Kaczorowski, the sound design was by Matt Hubbs, the original music was by Todd Almond; the choreographer was Sam Pinkleton, the fight choreographer was Turner Smith and the production stage manager was Cole P. Bonenberger. The cast was:

Plays the role of Johnny Lowell.3. A director, Adrian Schwalbach.4. Kevin, the reader. Also plays the understudy, the doctor, the butler and the pimp.5. The husband, or Harrison.6. Millie and the maid in Act One; Angela in Act Two.

An actress in her early twenties who can believably play a teenager.7. Millicent in Act One; Laurie in Act Two. An actress in her late twenties or early thirties.SetThe set has three modes which should easily transform.A red curtain would be nice to set off the plays within plays.1. A raw theater space (emptiness, the thing itself).2. A 1930s stage set (artifice happy to be artifice; think: gorgeous painted drops and flats).3. Okay. Okay.

Is this?DIRECTORYes, Kevin will be reading with you.SHENice to meet you, Kevin. Do you want me to actually kiss Kevin, or Kevin do you mind if we kiss; you look young, I dont want to traumatize you.KEVINNoplease, go ahead.SHECould you position your chair this way then? Sorry, is that weird? I had sort of pictured your chair this way. Should I start?DIRECTORWhenever youre ready.SHEOkay. Ill start then. Wait, Ill just move my chair. Is that all right?DIRECTORGreat.A pause.SHESorrycan I ask one thing?DIRECTOROf course.SHEI just got the sides because my agent blah blah blah and I didnt have time to read the whole thing, so do you mind just telling me the plot a little bit because I only have these four pagesDuring the following, She vocalizes some responsesums and ohsthat register her narrative empathy and interest.DIRECTORSure.