Ithaca College Theatre presents “K-I-S-S-I-N-G,” a play about teenagers navigating emotional baggage and economic inheritances written by Ithaca College alumna Lenelle Moïse ’02.
The play will be performed at Ithaca College’s McCarroll Studio Theatre on February 23 and 24, and March 2 and 3 at 8:00 p.m., and on February 24 and 25 and March 3 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are free and must be picked up at the entrance to the McCarroll Studio Theatre on the ground floor of Dillingham Center 15 minutes before the scheduled start of the performance. Reservations are recommended and can be made on Facebook or by emailing icstudio2tam@gmail.com. Audiences are advised that this production includes mature content.
“K-I-S-S-I-N-G” tells the story of Lala, an “around-the-way-girl” who meets the brainy and affluent Dani. Their instant flirtation grows into an inseparable season of firsts. The pair’s playful debates about everything from visual art to old-school music seem romantic. So why haven’t they started K-I-S-S-I-N-G?
Moïse is an award-winning poet, playwright, composer and performance artist. With humor, charm and power, her solo performances address intersectional feminism, LGBTQ identities, black history, Haitian-American culture, immigration and inclusion. She is the author of the poetry collection “Haiti Glass,” a Lambda Literary Award finalist and winner of the 2015 PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Award, and her poems and essays have appeared in numerous publications. Her plays include “Merit,” winner of the 2011–12 Ruby Prize, the off-Broadway hit “Expatriate” and “The Many Faces of Nia.”
Moïse has returned to campus several times to speak and perform since graduating from Ithaca College in 2002 with a planned studies degree in “women in storytelling.” She is currently the college’s playwright-in-residence, sponsored by the Department of Theatre Arts and the women’s and gender studies program. She also hold an MFA in playwriting from Smith College, and was a Huntington Theatre Company Playwriting Fellow and a Next Voices Fellow at New Rep Theatre. Moïse leads energetic writing and movement workshops for students and creative adults.
The cast of “K-I-S-S-I-N-G” includes Tyler Sapp ’18, Mariah Lyttle ’19, Dharon Jones ’20, Kellik Dawson ’20, Erin Lockett ’20, Drew Nauden ’20, Jahmar R. Ortiz ’21, Maya Jones ’20 and Jake Forehlich ’19. The production is directed by Ithaca College associate professor Dean Robinson and assistant directed by Devin Gatlet ’19. The design team includes scenic/costume designer Brock Viering ’19, lighting designer Shane Hennessy ’19, sound designer Ron Ziomek ’19 and art curator/movement consultant x rance ’18. The stage manager is Karley Davis ’19 and the dramaturg is Vanessa Reyes ’18.
A nationally recognized professional theatre-training program, the Department of Theatre Arts attracts students from across the globe. Throughout the school year, undergraduate students present all aspects of theatre in a professional model.
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Dillingham Center proudly accommodates all patrons. Individuals with special needs are asked to contact 607-274-3224 or email icstudio2tam@gmail.com to request accommodations as soon as possible.