Speech & Debate by Stephen Karam August 2nd - 24th directed by Lèo Fez Three teenage misfits in Salem, Oregon discover they are linked by a sex scandal that’s rocked their town. They may go to the same school, but misfits Solomon, Diwata and Howie have never met and their teachers and peers just don’t take them seriously—until a sex scandal involving one of their teachers brings them together. Soon they realize that three voices are stronger than one. And since their school has no speech and debate squad, maybe this is their chance to be heard at last—by the school and even the world. 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. Featuring Brandon Alexander Smith as Howie, Carolyn Demanelis as Teacher/Reporter, Keniel Keeney as Soloman, and Zoë Frager as Diwata. *A triumph…hilarious, cliché-free, and immensely entertaining…Stephen Karam’s dark comedy seems to be about a frumpy girl, a nerdy guy and an openly gay guy who band together to disclose the truth about a teacher who preys on his male students. But that topical plot is almost window dressing. The play’s real accomplishment is its picture of the borderland between late adolescence and adulthood, where grown-up ideas and ambition coexist with childish will and bravado.”* —The New York Times. *“…[A] savvy comedy…bristling with vitality, wicked humor, terrific dialogue and a direct pipeline into the zeitgeist of contemporary youth…Karam has a keen ear for how teens talk, move and think, how they view each other and the adult world … and uses both the advantages and perils of cyberspace to make amusing, original points…”* —Variety. Speech & Debate by Stephen Karam Thu-Sat at 8 p.m. August 2nd through August 24th Tickets are $23 general admission, $18 seniors (65+), $18 students. for tickets visit: www.convergence-continuum.org ~~~ All performances are held at the Liminis Theater 2438 Scranton Rd. Cleveland 44113 in the Historic Tremont neighborhood. ~~~ This production of Speech & Debate is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Cory Molner Executive Artistic Director convergence-continuum cmolner@convergence-continuum.org 216-308-9375 He/him (what this? <https://pronouns.org/>)