Sunday January 28th & February 4th at 2pm
“LOVE IS FRIENDSHIP THAT HAS
CAUGHT FIRE.” – Ann Landers
Funny, sad and sweet , STOP KISS is the story of Sara and Callie, two smart, engaging young women who discover how a simple act can change everything in a single heartbeat – for better or for worse. Thought provoking and ultimately moving, STOP KISS reveals that Love Isn’t Something You Find. Love Is Something That Finds You.
Tickets $17 and $14 at ticketpro.ca, or call 1-888-311-9090.
For more info, visit www.dartmouthplayers.ns.ca.
Dartmouth Players is located at 33 Crichton Ave., across from Sullivan’s Pond.
Director’s Notes – Stop Kiss
Stop Kiss is a tremendous love story. It looks at the conflict between how other people identify you, and the complex ways that you know yourself. Following Callie and Sara as they meet and bond in NYC, this story is one that transcends time, and could just as easily be happening right outside your door as in the New York City of 1998.
When I first read the play I was in disbelief. I cried and immediately connected to it. Every day that I open my laptop and look at the news, this story has more relevance to our world: women being assaulted, the #Metoo movement, what it means to be a modern-day feminist, human rights, gender norms, LGBT+ advocacy. It’s easy to take a play like Stop Kiss and decide it is black and white, but I urge us all to look deeper. Look at the story within the story – at two woman who walked through a park, at the pain that goes into coming home to yourself, at the people who cross our paths and the ways a heartbeat can change a moment forever.
Recently a study was completed in London that looked at people’s emotional responses to a piece of theatre. The finding was that during a theatrical show audience members’ heartbeats started to synchronize, creating bonds amongst people that transcend any other boundary. By attending a play you unknowingly connect to the room full of people around you. If any story can bring an audience together on a journey that alters the heart, it’s this one.
While we are still early in the rehearsal process for Stop Kiss, it is already coming together as a beautiful and poignant show. There has been laughter and tears–and moments where all the oxygen seems to have left the room. I am proud of the cast and crew that are coming together to create what will sure to be a unique theatre experience for our audiences.
-Kathryn Reeves, Director
Producer’s Notes – Stop Kiss

Having said all that, Stop Kiss has been one of the smoothest productions we have ever created. Things are just appearing out of nowhere, on time and on budget. The cast is off book. There are 25 scene changes with hopefully no more than ten seconds between each – a real challenge for the costumer, Pam Wood, because Callie is in every scene. With the great number of scenes, we must establish quickly where conversations are taking place. Fortunately we’ve had the infusion of a number of new experienced people backstage and they are working like a well-oiled clock. Carl Anderson and Mike Ruxton came on board to put together some soundscapes. We are just getting started at this point so I’m not sure exactly if they will have time to finish the task, which is very time consuming. We have our gem, Judie, acquiring all the props and Sheila Greentree there for production nights. Marin Carey will be working backstage also, especially to help with costume changes. Richard Bonner has his hands full with lighting. Between entrances, light cues, sound cues, prop cues, and costume changes, stage manager, Eileen Carey will not get much rest backstage.
It’s been rewarding pulling this production together. Socially relevant shows are my favourite. I am greatly looking forward seeing Stop Kiss come to life.
-Holly Irving – Producer
Cast Photos – Stop Kiss

Bottom: Damir Allen, Sophie Trinacty, Joshua Lawrence
Charity Night – Stop Kiss
Monday January 22, 2018
Established in 1983, the ScotianAires Chorus is a 60-voice women’s barbershop chorus specializing in four-part a cappella harmony. Directed by Sue Kember, its members are a diverse group of women of all ages from across the Halifax Regional Municipality. The ScotianAires Chorus is a chapter of Harmony Inc., an international non-profit organization whose purpose is “to empower all women through education, friendship and a capella singing in the barbershop style. ”
For tickets, contact Kim Meechan at tickets@scotianaires.ca
Auditions: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Audition Dates: Sunday, January 7, 1pm – 4pm, Monday, January 8, 6pm – 9pm at Dartmouth Players Theatre, 33 Crichton Avenue (upstairs)
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is an absurdist, existentialist tragicomedy that expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the courtiers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
Characters
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: friends since childhood, caught up in the plot of Hamlet, without ever really knowing what’s going on or why. Guildenstern is analytical and prone to worrying; Rosencrantz is more literal and sanguine.
The Player: leader of a troupe of actors. Enigmatic and cunning: a puppet-master of sorts.
3-5 Tragedians: a ragged and bawdy group of travelling actors. These actors will need to have strong movement and physical comedy abilities. They will present The Murder of Gonzago and the final scene of Hamlet in dumb show, and will be part of the pirate battle.
The remaining six parts require actors who are comfortable with Shakespearian text. They will double as pirates. The characters are:
Hamlet
Polonius
Ophelia
Gertrude
Claudius
Horatio
The audition will be a reading from the text.
A note on casting: actors of all genders, ethnicities, and body types are encouraged to audition for any part.
Rehearsals will begin around January 14th. The exact rehearsal scheduled will be determined once the show is cast, but rehearsals will be held on evenings and weekends.
The show runs from April 5 – 21.
Questions: tamarasmith78@gmail.com
A PERFORMING ARTS AND STAGECRAFT WORKSHOP SERIES
Launching February 2018 at The Crichton Centre, 33 Crichton Avenue, Dartmouth
ANIMATED BY EXPERIENCED TEAMS OF LOCAL AND VISITING THEATRE PROFESSIONALS
ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE
Will enlighten, refresh, re-define, delight, and entertain.

We’d love you to “Come play with us” and enjoy fun- filled weekends onstage, backstage, front-of-house, and behind the scenes. And as a bonus, receive a red carpet, V.I.P. invitation to the 2018 Dartmouth Players’ mainstage productions’ Friends and Family Preview Nights.
The weekend workshops are age appropriate from ages 16 TO 106. Exceptions may be made.
Visit dartmouthplayers.ns.ca, or find our Facebook Group, for upcoming details.