SU Theatre Presents 'Stage Kiss' Through Oct. 14

SALISBURY, MD---Art imitates life. Life imitates art.

That’s the basis of Sarah Ruhl’s Stage Kiss, opening the fall theatre season of Salisbury University’s Bobbi Biron Theatre Program Thursday-Sunday, October 11-14, in the Black Box Theatre of Fulton Hall.

Directed by Robert Smith, Music, Theatre and Dance Department co-chair, curtain is 8 p.m., 2 p.m. Sundays.

The comedy centers on two actors with a shared past thrown together as romantic leads in a 1930s melodrama. As the play-within-a-play progresses, they lose touch with reality as the onstage story follows them offstage.

Stage Kiss was The New Yorker’s “Best Theatre of the Year” award winner for 2011 and was named one of New York Magazine’s “Nine Best Plays (and one Best Musical) of 2014.”

The New York Times called it a “romantic comedy … suffused with warmth and humor.” New York Magazine hailed it as “a gift and a rarity … flat-out hilarious.” The Chicago Tribune lauded the play as “a knockabout farce.” The New Yorker placed it “right up there with Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys.”

In the SU production, Kai Mellarkey portrays She, and Joe Groth plays He. Additional cast members include Alyssa Chiarelli, Shane Love, Brandon Maher, Brett Stiles and Claire Thomas.

Costume designer is Megan Murphy. Scene designer is John Raley. Lighting designer is Ryan Bailey, and musical director is Lee Knier.

Sponsored by the Music, Theatre and Dance Department, admission is $12; $9 for seniors age 60-plus and SU faculty, staff and alumni; $5 for non-SU students; $3 for SU students with Gull Card. The production is recommended for mature audiences.

Advance tickets are available online, via phone at 410-543-6228 or in person at the SU Box Office, Fulton Hall Room 100. Box Office hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.

For more information call 410-548-5588 or visit the SU website.