In the wake of several highly positive reviews, the Public Theater has extended its production of Diana Son's new play Stop Kiss until Jan. 10, 1999. The show was to have closed Dec. 20. The show joins the ranks of a lucky handful of Off-Broadway productions which have proved hits this fall, including Wit and This Is Our Youth.

Jessica Hecht, who last appeared on a New York stage in Christopher Kyle's Plunge at Playwrights Horizons, and Sandra Oh star in Stop Kiss. The production, directed by Jo Bonney, began performances Nov. 17 for a Dec. 6 opening.

Stop/Kiss tells of a woman (Hecht) whose life is turned upside down when she kisses another woman (Oh). Oh is best known for her role in the HBO series "Arli$$." Hecht's other theatre credits include the role of Lala Levy in the Broadway production of The Last Night of Ballyhoo, and the recent Williamstown Theatre Festival production of Paul Rudnick's new work, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told.

Also in the cast of Stop Kiss are Kevin Carroll, Rick Holmes, Saundra McClain and Saul Stein.

Bonney has made a name directing one-man shows by Eric Bogosian (Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll, Pounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead ) and Danny Hoch (Some People, Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop ). She also mounted The Flatted Fifth for The New Group. Other works by Son include Boy, which was directed by Michael Greif at CA's La Jolla Playhouse. Son's comedy Fishes played at Off Off-Broadway's New Georges Theatre.

For information, call (212) 239-6200.

-- By Robert Simonson