JOEL MARINAN

YOUR ROLE IN STOP KISS:

Peter

BRIEFLY TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF (JOB, HOBBIES, PASSIONS, UNIQUE TALENTS, ETC).

I am currently in my 17th year of teaching Kindergarten for the Wauwatosa School District. I was recently named a recipient of the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Fellowship for excellence in teaching. I have been a volunteer for the Miss Wisconsin Organization since 1998 and I have served on judges’ panels for Miss America local pageants in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Virginia. I am getting married to my fiancé, James Nathan, in August.

HAVE YOU WORKED WITH TT BEFORE?

This is my third production with Tt. My previous roles with Tt include: CORPUS CHRISTI (James) and THE NORMAL HEART (Mickey Marcus).

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER IN STOP KISS.

Peter is Sara’s ex-boyfriend from St. Louis. He’s a well-meaning guy who sees himself as Sara’s protector– despite the fact that she’s uprooted herself to move to New York and ended their relationship. Even though Peter now finds himself without Sara, he still has deep feelings for her. The two biggest challenges Peter faces are his need to bring Sara back to St. Louis and Callie, the one person who stands in his way.

WHAT DO YOU APPRECIATE MOST ABOUT STOP KISS?

I really appreciate (the playwright) Diana Son’s honesty and humor. She tells the story of two women who happen to find one another at just the right time in their lives. The story isn’t told chronologically– it jumps back and forth in time– filling in the gaps with some wonderfully humorous and heartfelt moments. While STOP KISS does wander through some difficult subjects, it isn’t a play about coming out or hate crimes. It’s a story about how the choices we make and the people we love shape who we are and how we see the world around us.

WHY SHOULD AUDIENCES COME SEE STOP KISS?

When audiences come to see STOP KISS, they should expect to see a story about a mosaic of individuals whose lives are brought together by acts of love and violence. It’s a story about new love, trauma, shattered dreams and finding the strength within ourselves to keep moving forward.