SPEECH & DEBATE by Stephen Karam To Be Presented At Beck Center for the Arts
Don Carrier directs the Studio Theater production featuring three misfit teens in Salem, Oregon.
Beck Center for the Arts will present Speech & Debate, directed by Case Western Reserve University's Don Carrier.
What happens when three high school students on the fringes decide to “take down” a corrupt drama teacher? The answer is Speech & Debate, written by Stephen Karam, running in the Studio Theater from May 29 through June 28, 2026. Three misfit high school students in Salem, Oregon form a unique debate club, complete with a musical version of The Crucible, an unusual podcast, and a plot to take down their corrupt drama teacher. With his signature wit, playwright Karam follows the trio's attempts to fend off the menace of encroaching adulthood with edgy humor and subversive antics.
Director Don Carrier shared, “While Speech & Debate was first produced (surprisingly) almost 20 years ago, its themes of alienation, hypocrisy, and the need to belong are all too relevant. This highly original and comic take on high school students navigating their way to graduation will strike a note of recognition to anyone who's been there, or is still on the journey!”
Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Preview performances are 7:30 p.m. the Thursday before opening night, with general admission seating for just $15. Smart Seats are available for each performance at just $15 per person. For more information on the 2025-2026 Professional Theater Season please visit beckcenter.org.
This production is presented in arrangement with Dramatist Play Service.
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