Photo Courtesy: FB of One World Theatre

Callie Pax (Ranjana Bhattarai), a girl with short hair and short height enters the room grooving to the peppy music. The room is messy and she seems to care less about it. Then, there is a knock on the door, and Sara (Samapika Gautam), a tall girl with red hair and thick glasses, just opposite Callie, enters the room.

This is the first scene of the drama 'Stop Kiss'. Not only their appearance but their characteristics too contrast. Callie is a happy-go-lucky girl and does not have any aim in life as such, she works as a radio traffic reporter; whereas Sara is methodical. It’s all her plan that led her to where she is now. She is a teacher to third-grade students in the Bronx who moved from St Louis, against her parents’ wishes.

Yet, they perfectly bond together, and their first-ever kiss together at 4 AM in a park turns out to be a nightmare, they haven't even thought about it. This life turning event forces them, especially Callie, to understand her own identity and what she wants in her life.

Stop Kiss, is a production of One World Theatre which is directed by Loonibha Tuladhar and co-directed by Kavita Srinivasan; penned by Diana Son, an acclaimed Asian-American writer for theatre and television.

The drama depicts gender-based violence and showcases the suffering and pain one has to go through. It began on November 25 at Shilpee Theatre, Battisputali. The drama also marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the start of the United Nation’s 16 days of activism against Gender-Based Violence.

Set in New York in the nineties, the characters in the drama and their dialogue delivery is flawless and the direction has been executed in a seamless way where the stage has two dominant settings—Callie’s apartment and Hospital room. Meanwhile, it is commendable that characters promptly change their attires in the situations that take place in chronological order before the assault and flashback technique after the assault. The graphics used to show the violence as well as the New York City is mind-blowing.

Ranjana and Samapika have justified their characters through well-executed dialogue, expressions, and action. And Gaurav Bista as George, Tuladhar as Mrs. Winsley, Sushrut Acharya as Detective Cole, Anahita Sarabhai as a nurse, and Bruno Deceukelier as Peter, too did their job well, making the play realistic and connecting the audience with their performance.

The play is engaging and surely makes you think about the issue of gender-based violence, violence that is life-threatening and cruel.

The play is scheduled to run on December 1, 2, 3, and 4 at 5:30 pm with a matinee show on Saturday at 1:30 pm.