SPEECH & DEBATE Plays TheatreWorks Hartford 6/12-7/26

TheaterWorks, Hartford's home for hot new plays, presents the Connecticut premiere of the underground hit comedy Speech & Debate, by Stephen Karam, a quirky tale of three teenagers who get tangled up in cyberspace, a debate club, and a musical version of "The Crucible."

Director Henry Wishcamper, who staged TheaterWorks' recent acclaimed production of The Seafarer, returns to Hartford with a young cast of fresh faces including Ben Diskant, Jee Young Han, Carl Holder and Eva Kaminsky. Speech & Debate, which features cutting-edge projections and videography, runs June 12 through July 26, 2009 at TheaterWorks at City Arts on Pearl, 233 Pearl Street, Downtown Hartford. (The play opens to the press Friday, June 19th at 8 p.m. Speech & Debate replaces Wonder of the World as the fourth production of TheaterWorks' 2008-2009 Season.) Speech & Debate is sponsored by The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation.

In Speech & Debate, three high school teenagers in Salem, Oregon are drawn together when a scandalous story threatens to erupt in their community. Despite having their own secrets, the students pull together a unique "Speech & Debate Club" as a means of airing the school's dirty laundry. The resulting gossip spreads from classrooms to chat-rooms and beyond. A New York comedy sensation when it debuted Off-Broadway in 2007, Speech & Debate is "a triumph...hilarious, cliché-free and immensely entertaining" (The New York Times).

Stephen Karam's Speech & Debate was produced Off-Broadway by Roundabout Theatre Company as the inaugural production of Roundabout Underground. He is the co-author of Columbinus (2006 Helen Hayes nomination), which ran at New York Theatre Workshop following a co-production by Round House/Perseverance Theatres. Karam is currently working on a new play commissioned by Roundabout Theatre Company and a screenplay adaptation of Speech & Debate for Overture Films.

Director Henry Wishcamper returns to Hartford having made his TheaterWorks' debut with Conor McPherson's The Seafarer in 2008. His New York directing credits include the acclaimed revival of McPherson's Port Authority for Atlantic Theatre Company. He also served as Assistant Director for the Tony Award-winning August: Osage County. Wishcamper is Artistic Director of Katharsis Theatre Company.

All four cast members of Speech & Debate are making their TheaterWorks' debuts.

Ben Diskant (Solomon, a nerdy reporter for the school paper) received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for his performance in The History Boys for Studio Theatre and appeared in Anything Goes for the Williamstown Theatre Festival.

Jee Young Han (Diwata, a thwarted high school musical diva) is making her professional stage debut after recently graduating from New School University.

Carl Holder (Howie, a gay student with a deep affinity for cyberspace) appeared in New York in the Signature Theatre's production of Home and Away and regionally in Romeo and Juliet for the Shakespeare Theater.

Eva Kaminsky (dual roles of an inquisitive newspaper reporter and a teacher) has appeared in the national tour and the Long Wharf production of The Syringa Tree, as well as in Off-Broadway's Made in Poland.

The Speech & Debate design team includes Luke Hegel-Cantarella (sets), Jenny Mannis (costumes), Matthew Richards (lighting), and Bart Fasbender (sound). John Carrafa, two-time Tony-nominated choreographer, will stage the play's dance sequences. Production Manager is Michael Lenaghan.

Speech & Debate runs June 12 through July 26, 2009 at TheaterWorks (FULLY AIR CONDITIONED) at City Arts on Pearl - 233 Pearl Street in Downtown Hartford (wheelchair accessible). Performances are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. (The play opens to press on Friday, June 19th at 8:00 p.m.)

A completely free matinee for college students and faculty is offered on Saturday, June 20th at 2:30 p.m. TheaterWorks' "ALL-FREE" matinee is hosted by Trinity College Department of Theater and Dance. The "ALL-FREE" matinee includes a pre-show mixer, complimentary bistro lunch, and a post-show discussion with the cast.

Free seats are also available to high school students for select performances of Speech & Debate thanks to Lincoln Financial Foundation.

Throughout the run of Speech & Debate a stunning exhibition titled "Hidden Identity" by Hartford photographer Christine Breslin will be presented by New Britain Museum of American Art in TheaterWorks' Gallery of American Art.

TheaterWorks' Main Lobby and Gallery of American Art open 90 minutes prior to performances of Speech & Debate for audiences to enjoy "Hidden Identity" along with other works drawn from New Britain Museum of American Art. The Gallery of American Art is sponsored by The Hartford. Bistro cuisine and wine from bin228 are available in the gallery.

Tickets for Speech & Debate are $37 for weeknights and matinees; $47 for Friday and Saturday evenings. Seating is general admission. Center reserved seats are $11 extra. College-age student rush tickets are $11 at show time with valid school ID (subject to availability). Discounts are available for groups of 11 or more. A limited number of complimentary tickets for residents of downtown Hartford are available for select performances, thanks to United Technologies.

Discounted parking is available to TheaterWorks' patrons for $5 at CityPlace Garage (diagonally up Pearl Street from TheaterWorks) or the outdoor A & A Lot (corner of Asylum and Ann Street, across from Mayor Mike's Restaurant).

For complete information and reservations, call TheaterWorks at (860) 527-7838. Visit TheaterWorks at www.theaterworkshartford.org.