Meet Heidi Bibler, who is playing the role of Sara in our upcoming production of Tallgrass Theater's Fifth Annual Dream Project, “Stop Kiss” by Diana Son. Opens Jan 19th and runs through Feb 3rd. Heidi is new to the Tallgrass stage and we are excited to have her part of the family! Here is what Heidi has to say about “Stop Kiss” and Tallgrass Theater: About my character: Sara has recently moved to New York, eager to break out of the mundane shell of a life she’s been living in St. Louis, Missouri with parents and (now ex-) boyfriend, Peter. She has left nearly everything behind in order to start a new chapter in her life - and a life of her own choosing. What I find admirable in Sara’s character is her bravery and honesty to herself and others, as well as a willingness to step up to any challenge that comes her way. What I enjoy most about Tallgrass Theater is the feeling that you have become part of a family, starting day one. I immediately felt welcomed into the Tallgrass community and respected as part of the creative team. Everyone is so friendly, so passionate, and so talented in their craft! I look forward to every day that I am able to work with the wonderful people of this theater company. What I like most about the Stop Kiss script. Diana Son has an incredible ability to weave the subtleties of honesty and emotion into realistic encounters between human beings. The dialogue is not forced, the characters are true, and the themes of love, honesty and self-discovery are universal. I am so honored to play the role of Sara in such a beautiful and bittersweet work such as “Stop Kiss”. To purchase tickets and learn more about how you can submit your Dream Project, please visit: http://www.tallgrasstheatre.org

Dreaming big! Check out this backstage look at Stop Kiss. And get your tickets today. www.tallgrasstheatre.org/tickets

Meet Katie Fitzgerald, who is playing the role of Callie in our upcoming production of Tallgrass Theater's Fifth Annual Dream Project, “Stop Kiss” by Diana Son. Opens Jan 19th and runs through Feb 3rd. Katie is new to the Tallgrass stage and we couldn’t be happier to have her performing in this show. Here is what Katie has to say about “Stop Kiss” and Tallgrass Theater: About my character: Callie works as a traffic reporter for a 24-hour news radio station & although she doesn't enjoy it, she has no intention of looking elsewhere. She is an apprehensive person, someone who rarely takes risks & doesn't rock the boat, just sort of coasting through life. She relies upon the same group of friends she's had since college for most, if not all her social interactions. So, when she meets Sara, someone new who challenges her in both her professional & personal life, she is sort of blindsided. I think it's been a long time since anyone has pushed Callie to explore her potential, to become something more, & she really isn't sure how to handle it. Then, when those feelings of friendship start to mature into something more, Callie finds herself in a situation that she has never been in with no idea how to navigate it. It's a journey of self-discovery for her in many ways. Working with Tallgrass: This is my first experience with Tallgrass & I hope it won't be my last. The directing team has been open to discussing character choices, intentions, blocking, etc. from day one. It has been truly collaborative with no one's voice going unheard. As an actor, I feel completely supported & taken care of. About the script: Son's dialogue is so real & her characters are personally identifiable. The plot deals with social constructs & injustice, but at the root of the story are two people falling in love. Something I'm sure almost everyone in our audience has experience at one time or another. I have loved this script since the first time I read it back in 2006 in one of my college acting classes & have used a monologue from "Stop Kiss" for numerous auditions. Playing the role of Callie, because of the way the scenes are laid out, is easily one of the biggest acting challenges I have ever faced. But it has always been a dream role of mine & I am so thrilled to finally have the opportunity to play her & stretch myself as an actor. To purchase tickets and learn more about how you can submit your Dream Project, please visit: http://www.tallgrasstheatre.org

Meet Carl Lindberg, who is playing the role of George in our upcoming production of Tallgrass Theater's Fifth Annual Dream Project, “Stop Kiss” by Diana Son. Opens Jan 19th and runs through Feb 3rd. Carl is not only new to Tallgrass, but the Des Moines area after moving here last January to teach Theatre at DMACC. After performing with many theatre companies in Chicago, he is excited to be on stage in his first local production. Here is what Carl has to say about “Stop Kiss” and Tallgrass Theater: A Little About The Character I Play... George has been friends with Callie since college and the two of them still maintain a... special relationship. He serves the story by somewhat symbolizing where Callie was before meeting Sara. Hopefully the audience sees him as a pretty cool guy--someone you might want to have a beer with. A Little About Tallgrass... I remember looking through the Tallgrass website before moving here and thinking "this company has a cool aesthetic and seems to producing some cool theatre... I think I'd like to work with them." I haven't been disappointed in the least. A Little About The Play... “Stop Kiss” is one of those plays that seems to me to be a crucial play within the contemporary canon. Though I've never seen a production or worked on it before, so it's exciting to be working on an important play. One more reason it is special is that Diana Son is putting very recognizable, real, contemporary people in a theatrical, non-linear style of theatre. So we can work on (and hopefully present) great scene work while giving audiences something they can only get in a live theatre performance. Hope to see you at the theatre! To purchase tickets and learn more about how you can submit your Dream Project, please visit: http://www.tallgrasstheatre.org

Work it!

You could be a superhero and help out your local community theatre at the same time. We need help backstage for our next show. You get the chance to change scenery and move props and even wear a costume! email kelly@tallgrasstheatre.org for dates of rehearsals.

Meet Cheryl Clark, who is playing the role of Mrs. Winsley in our upcoming production of Tallgrass Theater's Fifth Annual Dream Project, “Stop Kiss” by Diana Son. Opens Jan 19th and runs through Feb 3rd. Cheryl is new to the Tallgrass stage and we are ecstatic to have her part of the family! Here is what Cheryl has to say about “Stop Kiss” and Tallgrass Theater: About my character Mrs. Winsley is not the typical "nosy neighbor” even though she comes forward as the only witness to the attack. Her own relationship with her husband is far from perfect and she recognizes that every couple faces challenges, thus she holds nothing but hope for Callie and Sara. She is genuinely concerned about them and wishes to support them in whatever way is helpful. About working with Tallgrass Theater. All the people I’ve met here at Tallgrass are so talented! It is a pleasure to work with dedicated and highly skilled directors, designers, and actors who are friendly and welcoming. This is my first acting experience with Tallgrass and I hope there will be many more! What do I like most about the “Stop Kiss” script? I like the way the playwright (Diana Son) weaves the present-day with the past as she unveils Callie and Sara’s story. The moments of discovering shared interests and tender beginnings of caring are so universal. I also appreciate how Son creates a tension within Callie to speak up for herself, to become a stronger woman. This is a significant positive outcome for Callie regardless of the future of her relationship with Sara. To purchase tickets and learn more about how you can submit your Dream Project, please visit: http://www.tallgrasstheatre.org

Meet Mark Littlejohn, who is playing the role of Detective Cole in our upcoming production of Tallgrass Theater's Fifth Annual Dream Project, “Stop Kiss” by Diana Son. Opens Jan 19th and runs through Feb 3rd. Mark is no stranger to the Tallgrass stage. You may have either seen him in past productions like “The Odd Couple” and “Elephant Man” or seen shows he has directed at Tallgrass, such as “Complete Works of William Shakespeare”, “Barefoot in The Park”, and “Women Playing Hamlet”. Here is what Mark has to say about “Stop Kiss” and Tallgrass Theater: A bit about my character: Detective Cole is a hard-boiled, New York detective. Attached to the Violent Crimes Division, he has worked the streets for years, has many contacts, and knows when someone is lying to him. Detective Cole aggressively interrogates the other characters in the play, because it’s extremely important to him to bring this particular assailant to justice. What I like about Tallgrass: From the moment I came aboard, almost eight years ago now, I was immediately welcomed into the fold and treated like part of the family. I have made some amazing friends because of that atmosphere. I like to call Tallgrass a “safe place” for theatre people because I have never been afraid to ask a question, make a suggestion, or take a chance artistically. I believe whole-heartedly in collaboration, and that is what I get at Tallgrass. There are no egos here. We all come in, do our thing together, and create something beautiful. What I like about "Stop Kiss": There are several things about this script that speak to me. First, I have always been a proponent of civil liberties and rights for all human beings. Everyone should be allowed to live in peace and to pursue love and happiness. This script does an excellent job of showing that underneath all the labels, we really are all the same souls trying to grasp a bit of joy as we go through life. Second, this script is very well written. There’s nothing contrived about it, the dialogue is very realistic, and the characters all seem like people any of us could know. Finally, without giving too much away, I enjoy the nonconventional way that the story is presented to the audience. To purchase tickets and learn more about how you can submit your Dream Project, please visit: http://www.tallgrasstheatre.org

Meet Ronnie Wells, who is our extremely talented Scenic Designer in our upcoming production of Tallgrass Theater's Fifth Annual Dream Project, “Stop Kiss” by Diana Son. Opens Jan 19th and runs through Feb 3rd. Ronnie has designed sets for Tallgrass Theater since 2016 and every show he wows us with his amazing designs and creativity. Here is what Ronnie has to say about “Stop Kiss” Working on “Stop Kiss” as the Scenic Designer has provided new opportunities and avenues for me to explore at Tallgrass. This being my fifth scenic design that I’ve worked on at Tallgrass, I wanted to take us into a new world of story-telling with this design since it is a design-driven Dream Project. In first reading the script as the scenic designer, I had several concepts running through my head in terms of what kind of a world these characters live in. There are five locations in the script that need represented on stage. Keeping that in mind, while also ensuring that the big picture is still clear. The scenic concept that I ended up focusing this design on “revolves” around the script being what I call a memory play. With each of the different locations referenced in the script, they become vignettes, or small pieces of their world. Some now, some then. So, in thinking of the design being these pieces and parts of a larger picture, you’re taken into a world that’s not often seen on the Tallgrass stage. It’s a design that allows movement and transition, in and out of past and present. With a need for such movement, it truly does become a choreographed dance from one scene to the next. I joined Tallgrass in the summer of 2016. I met Jim & Jessie (Founders of Tallgrass Theatre Co.) at a Theatre UNI Alumni Reunion earlier that year. At the time, I was living in Omaha, and was going to be moving to Des Moines to be closer to my family. I moved to Des Moines in April 2016, and immediately got involved with Tallgrass that summer. Tallgrass is unique in that each year we do a kick-off meeting with all of the directors and designers for the season, before the season even gets fully started. From that very first meeting, I knew that I had found my theatre family and home. We support each other both in and out of the theatre. From the countless hours spent getting a production up and on its feet, to the backyard summer gatherings and homemade cookies – the fun is never ending! I enjoy ”Stop Kiss” for a variety of reasons. From a designer standpoint - being able to develop a design that fits our specific production. Using our limited stage and space, and not having a strict ground plan allows the flexibility to create a living, breathing design that almost becomes a character in itself. To purchase tickets and learn more about how you can submit your Dream Project, please visit: http://www.tallgrasstheatre.org

Meet Michael Tallman, who is playing the role of Peter in our upcoming production of Tallgrass Theater's Fifth Annual Dream Project, “Stop Kiss” by Diana Son. Opens Jan 19th and runs through Feb 3rd. Michael was in Tallgrass’s production of “Calendar Girls” last season, and is our Assistant Director in our next theater production of “Rumors”, this spring. Here is what Michael has to say about “Stop Kiss” and Tallgrass Theater: Peter is the ex of Sarah, who comes to visit her after she is assaulted. Peter still loves Sarah, despite her moving to New York, and has to grapple with his feelings for Sarah and Sarah's feelings for someone else. I enjoy the script's use of jumping back and forth to tell the story - how we see what leads up to and what follows a tragic event, but never the event itself. We see changes in people, and where they started, with each scene leading us both closer and farther away from that point or no return. I've enjoyed Tallgrass for its sense of community and dedication. As an all-volunteer organization, you know that every who jumps on board is doing it because they love making theatre. To purchase tickets and learn more about how you can submit your Dream Project, please visit: http://www.tallgrasstheatre.org

Meet Ty Klobassa, our Assistant Director, lighting designer and dreamer of our upcoming production of Tallgrass Theater's Fifth Annual Dream Project, "Stop Kiss" by Diana Son. Opens Jan 19th and runs through Feb 3rd. Here is what Ty has to say about “Stop Kiss” and Tallgrass Theater: What about "Stop Kiss" inspired the design (lighting)? There are many shows that will begin by defining the space that actors are playing in and then we may never leave that space throughout the show. As an example, the setting may be a house - to which you might expect this house to be lit as such. Often times, we as Lighting Designers are confined to those parameters of the house setting and that is where the design ends. "Stop Kiss" isn't like that, we may have defined spaces on the stage but we have the ability to use the lights as a means to provide their own storytelling aspect to the show. With a recent technology upgrade to our lighting infrastructure at Tallgrass, this gives us the ability to elevate our design. We are no longer restrained to the static instruments we have had before. Now we are able to step outside the box, experiment with a range of emotion, and adapt the way we present live theatre. Stop Kiss is a show with a mixture of emotions that will only be enhanced by our lighting design, pulling the audience further in. What do I like about working with TTC and the TTC family? I truly believe that it was fate for me to have become a part of the Tallgrass family and was welcomed with open arms. Over the few years that I have been involved with Tallgrass, I have seen our numbers continue to grow where every individual is welcomed with those same open arms that I started with. By being a part of Tallgrass, I am able to continue doing what I love in theatre by being a lighting designer but also have the opportunity to pursue other areas. We are a family, and could not create the magic we do without everyone that is involved. I encourage you to become part of our family, the opportunities are endless. What do you like most about the "Stop Kiss" script? Having now read through "Stop Kiss" dozens of times and continuing as we progress in rehearsals, what I enjoy most about this script is my ability to relate to the characters. We are able to follow these characters on stage as they work towards finding who they are, work on discovering each other, and progress on falling in love. What moves me most is that I have spent time in my own life going through the same self-discovery that they are showing us - the good and the bad. Why did we choose this script to submit as a Dream Project? For a while now, Erica Spiller and I have been mulling over the idea of submitting a dream project that was focused on the design aspect instead of actor-driven. Obviously, every show will have actors in it, but it was about picking a show where we as designers could expand out of our comfort zones, think outside the box, and try something new. However, we didn't only want to pick a show that would help elevate Tallgrass from a design perspective in all areas, we also wanted to select a show that both Erica and I had the potential to relate to on a personal level. "Stop Kiss" fit both of these criteria beautifully. It presents itself as an emotional show as told to the audience by actors but leaves ample opportunities from a design perspective to also play a key role in the storytelling. From a personal perspective, the LGBTQ+ themes presented in this work are able to relate to our own lives and to so many others in our community. To purchase tickets and learn more about how you can submit your Dream Project, please visit: http://www.tallgrasstheatre.org

Ever wanted to know what goes on backstage? Want to work with these crazy kids? Email kelly@tallgrasstheatre.org to learn how you can help keep the Dream Project running smoothly by helping with shift crew!