Sally Selwan, director of Hammond's Towle Theater's production of the comedy "Kissing," sees a moral to be found in the play amidst the jokes.

"A lesson to be learned might be to hang on to the dreams that you have," she said. "Don't let the things in life that excite you go by."

 Opening today and running through May 23, "Kissing" chronicles the outcome a kiss between 50-something Sam and 20-something Tess at their company softball game brings to the unlikely pair as well to as their significant others.

"Kissing" was penned by American playwright Robert Caisley, who has also written acclaimed stage productions such as "Letters to an Alien," "the Apology" and "Santa Fe." "Kissing" made its debut at Chicago's Bailiwick Theatre in 2007 and is making its Indiana debut with Towle Theater's production.

"We all just loved it (when we read it)," Selwan said. "There's only four characters in the play, but you can understand where each of them are coming from."

Highland's Rich Wotkun and Griffith's Sherry Ver Wey portray Sam and Tess in  Towle Theater's production of "Kissing." They are joined onstage by Andrea Walczak from Dyer, who plays Sam's wife, Helen and Hammond's Shawn A. Smith as Tess' boyfriend, Andrew.

"I try to make (the production) fairly collaborative and let the actors find things in their characters and their performances," said Selwan, a veteran director of Towle productions. "As we get farther along (in the rehearsals), I give them ideas and suggestions that I have for different ways they can approach the material. It's always a lot of fun."    

Due to some mature situations, "Kissing" is not recommended to sensitive viewers and children younger than 13 years of age.

Next up for Towle Theater is a production of the musical "Rent," which is scheduled to open July 9.

 

 

'Kissing,' 8 p.m. today, Saturday, May 14, 15, 20, 21, 22 and 2 p.m. May 16 and 23

WHERE: Towle Theater, 5205 Hohman Ave., Hammond

COST: $15

FYI: (219) 937-8780, TOWLETHEATER.ORG