- By Megan Pugh
- Entertainment
Print 
Next on the Kitchen Theatre’s Main Stage: sex, secrets and video blogs with a Casio keyboard beat. This isn’t your typical high school debate team! An aspiring teen journalist, an awkward wannabe actress, and the openly gay new kid in town all have secrets. But when their straight-laced small-town high school refuses to acknowledge the messier aspects of being a teenager, this mismatched threesome set out to expose a scandal-and spark more debate than their high school ever bargained for.
Playwright Stephen Karam creates a hilarious and revealing portrait of the borderland between late adolescence and early adulthood in this clever and contemporary comedy about the life of the un-average American teenager. Full of unbridled dark humor, SPEECH & DEBATE tackles issues of politics, sexuality, and self-expression in the digital age. At the Kitchen Theatre February 24th through March 14th.
Directing the play is Samuel Buggeln, long-time Artistic Associate with the Ohio Theatre’s Obie-award winning resident company Soho Think Tank. He has developed numerous new works including THE FLIGHT OF ICARUS and the Drama Desk-nominated CRESSIDA AMONG THE GREEKS and directed the Off-Broadway premiere of RUM & VODKA by Conor McPherson. Buggeln is also the New York-based Artistic Associate at Portland Stage in Maine, where he oversees that company’s casting and has directed some of their top selling shows. He is a regular faculty guest director at SUNY Albany and the NYU/Tisch School of the Arts.
SPEECH & DEBATE boasts an exciting line up of KTC newcomers: New York City based actors Adam R. Deremer, Renee Petrofes, Alison Scaramella, and Conor Tansey.
Set design is by Abigail Smith, lighting design is by Max Doolittle, costume design is by Ainsley Anderson, sound and projection design is by Lesley Greene. Stage Management for SPEECH & DEBATE is by LaShawn Keyser.
SPEECH & DEBATE is underwritten by C.S.P. Management.
Planned Parenthood's Sexuality Education and Advocacy Program will sponsor a pre-show reception on Thursday February 25th at 6:00PM at the Kitchen Theatre's Clinton House location. The reception will be followed by a 7:30PM performance and a post-show talk-back.
This show is recommended for ages 16 & up for some profanity and teens engaged in discussions of sex, drinking and drug abuse.
Performance Dates:
Wed., February 24, 2010 at 7:30pm (preview 1 of 3)
*Thurs., February 25, 2010 at 7:30pm (preview 2 of 3)
Fri., February 26, 2010 at 8:00pm (preview 3 of 3)
Sat., February 27, 2010 at 8:00pm (press opening)
Sun., February 28, 2010 at 4:00pm
Wed., March 3, 2010 at 7:30pm
Thurs., March 5, 2010 at 7:30pm
Fri., March 5, 2010 at 8:00pm (wine tasting)
Sat., March 6, 2010 at 8:00pm
Sun., March 7, 2010 at 4:00pm
Wed., March 10, 2010 at 7:30pm
Thurs., March 11, 2010 at 7:30pm
Fri., March 12, 2010 at 8:00pm
Sat., March 13, 2010 at 8:00pm
Sun., March 14, 2010 at 4:00pm (closing)
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