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Stop Kiss
written by Diana Son
set design concept by Jade Lo
venue: Shiva Theater

Set Design II, Spring 2023

Set across various real-life locations in New York City’s West Village, Stop Kiss weaves a narrative about love and healing in the prelude and aftermath of an assault in a park. Building upon by the play’s nonconventional structure, I identified this park as the emotional heart and narrative crux of the story, and thus chose to set the entire play within its context - allowing the urban greenery to encompass the story’s main settings: Callie’s apartment, Sara’s hospital room, and a detective’s office. Through a brief series of iterations, I explored ways in which this park could be concealed then fully revealed to the audience in the final scene. This transition ultimately mirrors the evolution of the park from a more metaphorical, distant space into a distinct reality as Callie finally comes to terms with the events surrounding the assault.

This project also presented an opportunity to begin the collaborative process with lighting designers. My partners and I discussed preliminary ways of using lighting to support the overarching park concept, such as through scrim walls and projections.

1/2” scale massing model

My research board detailing intial subjective impulses and site-specific research of locations in the West Village.
massing model iteration #1
massing model iteration #2


© 2024 Jade K. Lo
New York, NY