Get Schooled with Wilkes University Theatre’s Production of Speech & Debate

Get Schooled with Wilkes University Theatre's Production of Speech & Debate

Ready to go back to high school?

Under the direction of Sean Patrick Gibbons, assistant professor of theatre, when the cast and crew of Speech & Debate take the audience back to 2006, it's not for a reunion, but a reckoning.

Speech & Debate, written by Stephen Karam, a Tony Award-winning playwright from Scranton, Pennsylvania, splits open a time capsule and exposes intertwined scandals under a town's conservative façade.

A trio of misfit high school students drives the dark comedy. Howie, Solomon and Diwata wrestle with hidden truths while searching for community, identity and a sense of self. To navigate hurdles put in place by the adults in charge, the unlikely friends work to use their high school's speech and debate club to accomplish their goals. Though each student has a personal angle, when they come together to speak truth to power, their voices become impossible to ignore.

"It's a hard play, but it's also a funny play to watch," says Gibbons. "I think it's really universal in its themes of acceptance and belonging and this idea of wanting to find one's community no matter what the cost."

Karam workshopped the play at his alma mater, Brown University, with the Brown/Trinity Playwrights Repertory Theatre. Gibbons, who, like the playwright, was raised in Scranton, saw Speech & Debate when it moved off-Broadway to the Roundabout Underground in 2007.

"It was seared into my brain, not only because of the brilliance of his language and writing, but the play felt familiar to me because he grew up where I was growing up," says Gibbons. "So when I heard this fast-paced dialogue, it felt like my high school."

The dialogue that helps to establish a realistic high school setting also puts the play's action firmly in 2006, giving the audience a peek inside a 20-year-old time capsule. Though the trip back in time may not always be a comfortable one, that's part of the message of Speech & Debate.

"Some of the language that is used feels dated. The language is harsh and can be, dare I say, offensive in some ways," says Gibbons. "But the language automatically brings you back to a time where it was acceptable to say these things out loud. So, rather than trying to update the play or smooth away the things that reveal its age, we've sort of embraced them."

Gibbons and the production team have created some innovative staging to enhance the show's storyline, providing a unique experience for ticket holders. The technical elements feature a multimedia approach with music, dancing and projections of real-time texts and blog comments, while the set itself offers back-to-school vibes.

"I really want our audience to feel like they are part of the action, experiencing young people exploring difficult topics," says Gibbons. "I wanted the audience to feel like they are in the classroom with them."

The unusual set has created a new experience for the cast as well. "It requires a different process for our actors. It's a positive challenge for them to experience a really big, funny story in a small, intimate setting," says Gibbons. "The students have really approached the work with a sense of curiosity."

With just a few rehearsals left until the first bell, Gibbons hopes audiences will bring their curiosity along, take their seats in the classroom and hear what the students of Speech & Debate have to say.

"We have to stop and listen and not always agree but support our young people through difficult times without them feeling like they're on their own. That's what the play is about. And I don't think it's preachy at all," says Gibbons. It just makes people think and confront and laugh and experience joy communally, and that is the power of theater."

The production features Elias Brix (Howie), Alby Lopuhovsky (Solomon), Abby Olander (Teacher), Cally Williams (Diwata) and Elena Disciullo (Reporter), with Gabby Greffen (production stage manager), Annaleigh Dietke (assistant stage manager) and Lydia Federici (assistant stage manager).

SPEECH & DEBATE

Thursday, Oct. 8 | 8 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 9 | 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 10 | 2 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 10 | 8 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 11 | 2 p.m.

SEATING IS LIMITED. Tickets are available online at wilkes.edu/theatre. Cost is $15 for general admission, $10 for non-Wilkes students/senior citizens and free for Wilkes students, faculty and staff. The box office will open one hour before curtain for purchases in person.

Speech & Debate is a dark comedy that contains strong language and mature themes, including discussions of sexuality, homophobia, bullying, sexual content and alleged inappropriate adult/minor relationships. This production is recommended for mature audiences.