THE STORY: At Peter and Rita’s wedding, a mysterious old man insists on kissing the bride. While honeymooning, Peter gradually realizes that the woman by his side is not his wife. The wedding kiss caused Rita’s soul and the old man’s to change places. Peter must track down the old man and free his young love’s spirit trapped in an aging and diseased body before it’s too late.
Winner of the 1990 Obie Award for Best New American Play.
“…a play that propels the audience through hairpin emotional turns, some soaring heavenward and others plummeting toward earth, until one is deposited at the final curtain in a winded and teary yet exhilarating state of disorientation…PRELUDE TO A KISS takes a most familiar genre, romantic comedy, in directions that are idiosyncratic and challenging.” —The New York Times.
“Like many a fairy tale, this isn’t a 'what you see is what you get’ happy-ending story. Like the brothers Grimm, Lucas knows that what you see in such stories embodies the unseen darker fears that haunt us from childhood on—in this case the fear of aging and its accompanying losses and the ultimate fear of death…Lucas’ smartly written and solidly structured script holds up very well indeed…PRELUDE TO A KISS is Lucas at his lightest and brightest. A rare combination of laughter, romance and throat-tightening substance.” —CurtainUp.
