IF WE KISS

by Rachel Vail

directed by Zachary Elkind

WINTER 2025 • A.R.T./NY MEZZANINE THEATER

with
Jordan Bellow, Caroline Grogan, Katie Hartke, Jeffrey Omura, and Frankie Placidi

scenic design: Anna Grigo
costume design: Alyssa Korol
lighting design: Riva Fairhall
production stage manager: Natalie Wagner
choreographer: Susannah Millonzi
producer: Spencer Lutvak

PRESS:

“A romantic comedy acutely attuned to the interior weather of adolescence—the charged silences, the moral vertigo, the way a single, impulsive act can reorganize an entire social universe. […] The inciting incident is almost laughably small yet the production and director Zachary Elkind understand, with admirable seriousness, that for a young person this is nothing less than an earthquake. What If We Kiss captures, with rare delicacy, is the way young people experience such convergences as both comic and catastrophic. The play treats adolescent feeling with respect, refusing to condescend to its intensity while still allowing space for humor and grace. In doing so, it reminds us that first love is never merely personal: it is social, moral, and—when the generations begin to rhyme—quietly political.” — Theaterscene

“For all the comedic touches, the show accurately captures the outsized terrors of high school. […] It also does the parents justice — when Charlie’s mom tries to articulate the differences in her feelings for and relationship with her ex and now with Kevin’s dad, the show skips the jokes and slows down to treat this more mature relationship as seriously as it does Charlie’s.” — Theater Pizzazz

“Sweet coming of age tale of teenagers figuring out about first kisses, navigating friendships & changes in one's life with phenomenal cast that become different characters seamlessly. Grab a date and hightail it to If We Kiss!” — 6 Second Review

IF WE KISS

by Rachel Vail

directed by Zachary Elkind

SPRING 2024 • WEST END THEATER

with
Jordan Bellow, Caroline Grogan, Katie Hartke, Sean Boyce Johnson, and Natalie Shinnick

scenic design: Gill Gold
costume design: Alyssa Korol
lighting design: Celia Frey
production stage manager: Rebecca Hanai Malamud
choreographer: Susannah Millonzi
assistant director: Mattie Tindall
producer: Spencer Lutvak

Charlie Collins has never been kissed. She’s never been in love, either. Charlie’s beautiful best friend, Tess, has kissed three boys and has loved each one of them. Then Charlie unexpectedly finds herself falling for Kevin, and she’s in a mess of trouble right away. For one thing, Tess is in love with Kevin. Even worse, his father seems to be dating Charlie’s mom, who suddenly can’t stop smiling. With no one to confide in, Charlie has to figure this one out for herself. But even as she tries to pull away from Kevin, she can’t stop wondering, What would happen if we kiss? Adapted from the novel of the same title by Rachel Vail, IF WE KISS is a romantic comedy about first kisses and new families.

IF WE KISS is available for licensing!

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