REVIEW: Sweet simplicity at the heart of New Village's 'Kiss'

By PAM KRAGEN - Staff Writer | Wednesday, April 23, 2008 12:25 PM PDT ∞

Since its founding six years ago, New Village Arts has made its name producing dark and serious dramas. But over the past few months, the Carlsbad theater company has undergone a major management makeover, and a refreshing signal of that change is its newly opened production of "Prelude to a Kiss."

Craig Lucas' romantic fairy tale is simple, sweet and filled with laughs, quite a change from New Village's usual fare, and perfectly timed for spring. Lucas wrote the 1990 play in response to the AIDS crisis, and it takes an uncomplicated, uncynical look at love and finding one's soulmate (no matter what the age or gender). True to that spirit, director Delicia Turner Sonnenberg presents a pared-down yet fanciful production that's not afraid to celebrate the joy and guilelessness of true love.

"Prelude to a Kiss" is the story of Rita and Peter, a quirky young New York couple who fall in love at first sight. Rita's a free-spirited, fiercely independent Socialist who tends bar and so fears the ugliness of the world that she refuses to procreate, drinks too much and can't sleep at night. Peter's a bright, mild-mannered and spontaneity-loving archivist who's charmed by Rita's eccentricities ---- and when he proposes marriage just six weeks into their relationship, it feels as right as rain.

Then moments after their wedding, an old man happens into their reception and asks if he can kiss the bride. In that thunderclap moment of the kiss, their souls (but not bodies) are exchanged, and Peter unsuspectingly embarks on a two-week Jamaican honeymoon with the old man, while Rita (trapped in the dying old man's body) wanders out into the streets alone.

It doesn't take long for Peter to figure out something's seriously wrong with his bride. Rita may look the same, but her feminine softness is gone, she's now a teetotaler, she sleeps like a baby, wants to quit her job to get pregnant, and she's insensitive to the poverty around her. Peter eventually confronts her and uncovers the truth and the faux-Rita flies the coop. Eventually Peter tracks down the old man and finds the woman he loves buried beneath his moustache and wrinkles. They unite in a gentle, sexless "marriage" that works on sheer compatibility and mutual kindness, and plan a trap to ensnare the false Rita before the old man's body succumbs to lung cancer.

Starring in the production as Rita and Peter are longtime collaborators Kristianne Kurner and Joshua Everett Johnson. Kurner, now New Village's executive artistic director (since the departure of former artistic chief Francis Gercke a few months ago), and Johnson (who was named the theater's artistic associate on Monday) have a friendly intimacy with each other that creates an easy, honest chemistry onstage.

Johnson's won several acting awards for his dramatic roles, so it's a breath of fresh air to see him lighten up in a truly funny performance as the dazed and discombobulated Peter. And Kurner finally gets to show her soft side as the frank but tender-hearted Rita. As the third member of this love triangle, Charlie Riendeau offers a gentle, restrained performance as the Old Man.

Director Turner Sonnenberg wisely avoids obvious caricature during the body-switching scenes so the heavy lifting is done with the actors' voices and the script. This keeps the action focused on the relationship and the tone from veering into wacky farce.

Jack Missett delivers yet another hilariously oddball comic character as Rita's dentist father, Dr. Boyle, and Kathryn Herbruck is warm and maternal as Rita's well-meaning mom, Mrs. Boyle. Tim Parker, Li-Anne Rowswell, Carlos Darze and Anyelid Meneses complete the cast in smaller roles.

The action unfolds on Esther Emery's minimalist but evocative picture-book set, a quartet of large curving metal "vines" that roll on and off the stage to form a myriad of stylish curlicue shapes. Jason Bieber and Ashley Jenks designed the lighting, Amanda Sitton and Kurner created costumes, Tom Jones designed sound, Pat Hansen designed props and Missy Bradstreet is stage manager. The play runs two hours, with intermission.

Although there's a fairy-tale feel to Rita and Peter's story, it's not for children because of some frank adult language in the script. It's almost too bad these words are in the play, though, because the message of love without reservation and generosity of spirit is something we could all use, young and old, in today's far too cynical world.

"Prelude to a Kiss"

When: 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays; through May 18

Where: New Village Arts Theatre, 2787 B State St., Carlsbad

Tickets: $26, general; $22, seniors, students and military

Phone: (760) 433-3245

Web: www.newvillagearts.org

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