Mainstage Production
SPEECH & DEBATE
by Stephen Karam
directed by artistic director Aimée Hayes
Regional Premiere
EXTENDED! 4 ADDED SHOWS
Now through October 12
THE PLAY
SRT starts the Mainstage season with a bang September 10th, when the “flat-out funny” (Associated Press) Off-Broadway smash SPEECH & DEBATE by young playwright Stephen Karam hits the stage.
Extended twice, audiences couldn’t get enough of SPEECH & DEBATE at The Roundabout in NYC when it originally opened. In this comedy with music, three high school misfits find each other over the internet and decide to combat local corruption, sex scandals and bad casting when they sign up for the newly formed Speech & Debate team to take their grievances public, BIG TIME. Their hard-won exposé culminates in a time-traveling George Michael-inspired musical version of Miller’s The Crucible. Young playwright Karam tellingly explores identity, our boundaries for sexuality, and what it’s like to be without a voice in this less than brave new world.
THE PRESS ON SOUTHERN REP'S SHOW
"I have seen Stephen Karam's audacious, awesome comedy "Speech and Debate" twice now and am available, even eager to see it again."
"It is intelligent, insightful, cleverly plotted contemporary playwriting...It's a play of abundant humor, with a serious subtext..."
"At Southern Rep, director Aimee Hayes makes a smashing debut as artistic director in a production that teases and coaxes the play's truths, questions and complexities onto the stage through fresh, committed performances by a uniformly fine cast."
"[Natalie] Boyd is the show's buoyant spark plug." / "The most complicated role is that of Solomon...Sean Glazebrook delineates every uptight moment this kid experiences...It's a great performance." / "Sean Knapp makes Howie so much fun...seeing his giddy enjoyment...is to look straight into Howie's eager heart." / "An actress of uncommon ability, Pattison brings a natural
Backstage Talk from David Cuthbert's blog at the Times-Picayune . "Theater Guy palavers with performers"
"At Southern Rep, which, if there's any justice, has a hit on its hands with Stephen Karam's comedy "Speech & Debate" (see review in Friday's Lagniappe)..."
SOME RAVES FROM THE ORIGINAL NYC SHOW
“…bristling with vitality, wicked humor, terrific dialogue and a direct
pipeline into the zeitgeist…” — Variety
“The play’s real accomplishment is its picture of the borderland between
late adolescence and adulthood...we never feel we’re being educated,
just immensely entertained.” — The New York Times
“…hysterical notes of absurdity…” — Backstage
THE ARTISTS
Natalie Boyd plays Diwata, the sassy young woman who vows revenge after some bad casting in the high school play. Boyd recently graduated from UNO and has been working steadily ever since. Sean Knapp has replaced actor James Bartelle as Howie, a senior who's been "out" since he was eleven, was an Eagle Scout, but oddly, has no friends. Knapp is studying piano at Tulane and has appeared in several shows there. The overly-determined 17-year old reporter, Solomon, will be played by Sean Glazebrook who has been on Southern Rep's stage before as a NOLA Project member. A relative newcomer to the area and Broadway veteran, Liann Pattison, will play the adult roles.
Under-30 playwright Stephen Karam has been making a name for himself with new work at major theatres such as The Roundabout, The Kennedy Center and Arena Stage. Karam is the co-author of COLUMBINUS (2006 Helen Hayes nomination), which ran Off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop, and several other produced full-length plays. He is currently working on a commission for Roundabout Theatre Company and a screenplay adaptation of the play for Overture Films. A graduate of Brown University, Karam is a winner of many honors, including a Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLADD) Award nom for SPEECH & DEBATE. Artistic director Aimée Hayes has directed more than thirty productions in New York, regionally and in NOLA, including Clean House at Southern Rep last season. Local audiences will remember The Red Light District Variety Show, which Hayes directed at Le Chat Noir. She’s sure to bring her special blend of visual magic and comic virtuosity to this play’s regional premiere.
Scenic design by John Raley, lighting design by Liz Waldman, costume design by Laura Sirkin-Brown, and sound design by Brandon Epperson. Sarah Z. Singleton is the production stage manager and properties designer.
SPECIAL PERFORMANCES . . . NEW HORIZONS
“Free Night of Theatre”
Wednesday . September 10
GET TICKET HERE!
Southern Rep is thrilled to join the Theatre Communications Group’s (TCG) “Free Night of Theatre” for our Wednesday night performance, introducing new audiences to Southern Rep’s offerings at absolutely not cost. Free Night of Theater is TCG's national audience development program designed to build awareness of America's high-impact not-for-profit theatre community and to attract new theatregoers.
Free Night of Theater is now entering its 4th year. Introduced in 2005 as a three-city pilot program in Austin, Philadelphia and San Francisco, TCG’s 2008 program is now in 120 cities with between 600 and 700 theatres participating from coast to coast.
Ok, there’s a teensy catch. When you order, please give us your email address so we can get back to you with a short survey about your experience at Free Night. That’s it.
Bold, fun, professional theatre -- free. A great way to feed the adventurer inside us all.
TCG is making a special exception for Southern Rep to hop on-board this year to “test pilot” the program in New Orleans. The idea is that next year participation will broaden to include theatres across the city and the state. For more information on TCG'S national FREE NIGHT OF THEATRE, go to www.freenightoftheatre.net.
NOLA Young Urban Rebuilding Professionals (YURP) Night
will be rescheduled for later in the season. Thanks for your interest!
EXTRAS OF INTEREST
- Southern Rep will host TALKBACKS for the audience after the Sunday matinees.
- We've rescheduled the September 21st TALKBACK to October 5th, where we're hoping to involve some local Speech & Debate teams in an EXHIBITION of what its really all about. We'd love to shine some light on what so many wonderful kids are doing in our region.
- Here’s a great link to the National Forensic League, if you’re interested in finding out about the truly cool Speech & Debate activities in real life.
September |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Tues | Weds | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| 1 | 2 | 3
canceled |
4 canceled |
5
canceled |
6 canceled |
7 canceled |
| 8 | 9 | 10 8pm preview Free Night of Theatre |
11 8pm |
12 8pm |
13 8pm |
14 3pm |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 8pm |
19 8pm |
20 8pm |
21 3pm |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 8pm |
26 8pm |
27 8pm |
28 3pm |
NEW OCTOBER DATES |
||||||
| 29 | 30 | 1 | 2
8pm |
3
8pm |
4
8pm |
5
3pm |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
8pm |
10
8pm |
11
8pm |
12
3pm |
TICKET PRICES VARY BY DAY OF PERFORMANCE
| “Free Night of Theatre” | $0 |
| Previews | $18 |
| Opening Night & reception | $35 |
| Thursdays & Sundays | $25 / $20 students (with ID) & seniors |
| Fridays & Saturdays | $27 / $22 students (with ID) & seniors |
| Every performance | $10 Student Rush (with ID) at door . Cash only . 15 minutes before curtain |
If you had tickets to a canceled performance (September 3 – 7), please contact the box office at 504.522.6545 to reschedule your attendance dates.
- If you were scheduled to attend a PREVIEW OR SUNDAY MATINEE, you are welcome to exchange your tickets at no charge for any performance other than Opening (when tickets are $35)
- If you had tickets to FREE NIGHT OF THEATRE, it has been rescheduled for September 10th
As noted on your receipt, Southern Rep cannot make refunds for any reason. If you cannot attend SPEECH & DEBATE before the new closing date of October 5th, your ticket purchase can become a tax-deductible contribution to this nonprofit theatre. We thank you for your understanding and support.
