Fri 5/29-Sun 6/28
Celebrated Pennsylvania-native playwright Stephen Karam’s work has been produced by theaters across the country. His adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard and his 2016 play The Humans had runs on Broadway, and the latter was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and won the 2016 Tony for Best Play. His 2007 play, Speech & Debate, was initially workshopped at Brown University, his alma mater.
Now the Beck Center in Lakewood is staging the play, which revolves around three Salem, Oregon high school students, who are outsiders in their school, and two of whom have had traumatic sexual experiences. They form a sort of debate club and present a musical version of The Crucible, seeking justice for the actions of their corrupt drama teacher.
The production opens Friday May 29 and runs through Sunday June 28, with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:30pm in the studio theater. Go here for tickets.