by Stephen Karam

The Varscona Theatre
Preview APRIL 8, 2010
Opening APRIL 9 Closes APRIL 18
7:30PM nightly, except Mondays
Saturday pay what you can MATINEE

“Children should not be asked to keep special secrets from their parents and, of course, children should not be asked to touch anyone in the bathing suit areas of their body or allow anyone to touch them in those areas.” --Department of Public Safety

Stephen Karam’s savvy dark comedy is about three teenage outsiders grappling with sexual secrets and drawn together via the Internet- linked by their particular affiliations with a local sex scandal whose introduction results in the school’s first Speech and Debate team. Diwata (the theatre geek) publishes a video blog insinuating that she knows something about the scandal. Howie (the gay one) leaves his phone number on her site, insinuating he knows something more. And Solomon (the too-eager school reporter) contacts them both to get the scoop. As more and more of their individual secrets are willingly and unwillingly revealed, the stakes get higher and their bonds grow stronger.

The play’s real accomplishment is its picture of the borderland between late adolescence and adulthood, where grown-up ideas and ambition coexist with childish will and bravado, and no one can be sure of who they truly are.

Speech & Debate is presented by arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc. in New York.