Photos by Emma Wainwright

Co-written by Shelley Farmer and Alex Hare
Directed by Alex Hare
Produced by Madeleine Goldsmith
Set and Costume Design by An-Lin Dauber
Lighting Design by Jennifer Fok
Sound Design by Gabriel Lozada
Stage Management by Abraham Marlett
Original Music by Michael Gildin
Film Consultation from John Zhao

You Can’t Kiss a Movie gazes back at the male gaze with curiosity, disgust, desire, and a hunger for alternative ways of looking. Inspired by the French New Wave, the show depicts a cameraman, a PA, and a pair of actors creating an original New Wave film that is simultaneously projected live on a screen, allowing the audience to witness both the completed film and the behind-the- scenes process.

The film centers on the disillusionment of a young couple -- he from his war experiences, she from the dawning realization that society values her only for her body. Their parallel tracks converge in a violent dénouement (naturally – this is the French New Wave). Meanwhile, control of the gaze shifts when others get a chance to go behind the camera, including audience volunteers. Ultimately, the leading lady must investigate what power she has, if any, over her own image.

Drawing on the freewheeling spirit of Jean-Luc Godard and the sensitivity of Agnès Varda, You Can’t Kiss a Movie creates a space for audiences to consider how movies have shaped the way we engage with each other outside the auditorium – and how we can recover.

featuring Shelley Farmer as Lola, Greg Balla* as Michel, Erin Healani Chung as Agnes, and Adam Weppler* as Cameraman (*Appeared courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association)