Overview
Synopsis
When the Republican mayor of Salem, Oregon, is caught in a sex scandal involving underage boys and the Internet, a local high school student sits up and takes notice. Intelligent and aggressive Solomon, a nerdy, single-minded teen with ambitions of journalism, wants to investigate homophobic closeted men in positions of power in the state capitol… whether or not they are actually politicians. Howie, a gay high school senior who has transferred from Portland, is disgusted by the comparatively Puritan culture of Salem, in which he can’t get a Gay-Straight Alliance sponsored at school... but he can get picked up by a teacher in a chat room. And dramatic, determined Diwata, a frumpy young diva with adult burdens and a grudge against the Drama teacher who refuses to cast her, is the nervous witness to an illicit student/teacher encounter. When the three students realize that they each have a piece of the same scandalous puzzle, purposes are double and triple crossed, conversations explode, secrets are bartered, and ultimately, and in spite of themselves, an alliance is formed. Tony Award-winner Stephen Karam’s Speech and Debate is a snappy dark comedy, sarcastic yet sincere, a, genuinely hilarious and genuinely emotional story of misfit teens who explore sexuality, identity, and personal power, as they learn to deal with misunderstanding and dismissal from the adult world.
Show Information
- Book
- Stephen Karam
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 2007
- Genres
- Drama, Dark Comedy
- Settings
- Contemporary, Multiple Settings, Simple/No Set
- Time & Place
- 2000s, salem, oregon
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Late Teen, Adult, Mature Adult Characters
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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