A&E
Original play depicts anxiety on stage
By Andres Aguilar ’19
March 3, 2016
Tags a+e
This past Saturday, Feb. 27, Michael Breslin ’13 and Alison McLaughlin ’11 performed their original piece, kiss me just once more, which provides an interesting approach to theatre. The play, which premiered off-off-Broadway in September, has been in the works for over a year and has undergone several revisions in that time. Breslin told The Spectator that throughout the process and production of the piece, changes have been made to enhance the performance. Interestingly, the script was constructed from pieces by various playwrights and authors, including Chekhov and Shakespeare. The originality of the production lies in the delicacy of its composition of other famously recognized works.
Portraying a mother and son’s relationship, Breslin, who plays both the queer male protagonist and his mother, takes the audience on a journey through the realities and struggles of the mentally ill, with live technical support and a minor speaking part from McLaughlin. The story opens with the male protagonist’s desire for a good night kiss from his mother. This soon runs deeply into a sexual fetish. The son, suffering from an anxiety disorder, plots to somehow get his mother to give him his good night kiss without his father’s discovery. The father, voiced by Breslin, functions as the masculine voice of the play as he condemns his son’s desire for the kiss. The audience does not realize the son’s anxiety disorder until a chaotic scene in which the boy erupts, frantically tying a rope to each side of the stage. The erotic tugging and musical amplification allowsthe audience to understand the anxiety attack as the son struggles to receive his kiss. Soon after his attack, the falling action and conclusion rely on the acceptance and understanding of his disorder by both parents.
The production used limited lighting, music and props to accomplish its mesmerizing aesthetic. A spotlight was projected on an assembly of chairs, wrapped in ropes, creating a sense of isolated space, which added to the anxiety of the play. The artists also incorporated recorded music and synchronized dancing throughout the play, giving the piece a sense of fluidity and performance artistry. Every movement was clear and added to the overall tension the character faces in his attempt to attain his kiss. Furthermore, every prop used in the production was pre-set on stage at the start of the show, and was utilized at various points to unravel the story.