14 minutes. One boy. One backstage hallway. One kiss that changes everything.
A teenage boy navigates the final minutes before his first theater stage performance, which includes experiencing his first kiss. Despite his rising anxiety, he shares a romantic moment with a classmate.
Acting
Jack Walz's anxiety is so physical you'll hold your breath.
Sound
Stage call chaos vs sudden, pointed silence.
Writing
Economy of dialogue that trusts the unsaid.
Director
Josh Coppenbarger
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 14-minute runtime mirrors real-time backstage waiting, making the audience feel Josh's mounting panic in their own bodies.
Part of a wave of 2020s queer shorts that reject coming-out trauma for something gentler: coming-out-to-yourself joy.
US
