TheatreLAB's Stephen Karam's SPEECH & DEBATE Begins Today

TheatreLAB is proud to present Speech & Debate by Stephen Karam as part of their 2013 Summer Session. Speech & Debate will be directed by Artistic Director Deejay Gray, and will be performed at Richmond Triangle Players, today, August 9-14, 2013. Cadence Theatre Company recently produced Karam's Sons of the Prophet as part of the 2013-2014 Acts of Faith Festival.

Speech & Debate: Three teenage misfits discover they are linked by a sex scandal that's rocked their town. When one of them sets out to expose the truth, secrets become currency, the stakes get higher, and the trio's connection grows deeper in this searching, fiercely funny dark comedy with music.

"Sometimes I think the best part of being young is knowing that there are all of these unhappy older people around who wish they were my age. Like, the good part isn't going to football games or hanging out on the corners...it's just...the best part is being envied. Is that awful?" - Solomon, Speech & Debate

The cast features TheatreLAB Company Members Kelsey Cordrey, Marquis Hazelwood, and Zach Barnard, with Guest Artist and Richmond Theatre Favorite, Katrinah Carol Lewis. Speech & Debate will play at Richmond Triangle Players in running repertory with their hit rock musical, bare: a pop opera.

From Deejay Gray, Artistic Director of TheatreLAB and director: "Speech & Debate is about much more than a sex scandal in a high school, this is a new American play that examines the struggles that we all face in order to be heard, understood, and accepted. In a society crippled by an alarming number of teenage deaths caused by bullying - both online and in the classroom - this play is more relevant than ever. We are thrilled to bring Speech & Debate to Richmond, and getting to produce it with our dear friends at Richmond Triangle Players is really the icing on the cake."

Speech & Debate will be presented at Richmond Triangle Players, 1300 Altamont Avenue, Richmond, VA 23230, from August 4th - 19th. Performances on August 4th, 5th, 11th, 12th, and 19th will take place at 8pm. There will be a 4pm matinee performance on August 18th with a post-show talkback discussion. Pre-sale tickets are $15 regular price, $10 for seniors and students. Tickets purchased at the door are $20 regular price, $15 for seniors and students. Tickets are available for purchase at speechanddebate.brownpapertickets.com.

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