by Miryam Gordon - SGN A&E Writer

Speech and Debate
Seattle Repertory Theatre
Through February 21

OMG, you gotta come see this! A tart, funny, high school angst play, Speech and Debate, by Stephen Karam, is being presented at Seattle Repertory Theatre. It's extremely current. Teens talk on cell phones and blog. Diwata (Erin Stewart) dreams of starring in her high school play and blames the drama teacher for overlooking her talent. She streams a live protest on the internet about it and makes songs about what she considers an upset (and demonstrating why the drama teacher might not have wanted to cast her). She also hints at the existence of a scandalous side to the drama teacher's activities, though it might be something she made up to get back at him.

Diwata starts a new club at school, the Speech and Debate club, in order to find a venue she can perform in. Solomon (Justin Huertas), a school reporter, hears Diwata's broadcast and comes to find out about the scandal. She recruits him to the S&D club, which he reluctantly agrees to in order to find out about her secret scandal.

A boy, Howie (Trick Danneker), realizes that he has met the drama teacher in a Gay chat room. Howie is part of the fortunate generation that is finding acceptance of homosexuality at younger and younger ages, and came out at age 10. His chat discovery is a bit sordid (the drama teacher likes boys on the young side), but since he's 18, it's not illegal. He is curious about Diwata's secret, and is drawn into the S&D club.

Andrea Allen directs a fast-moving, revelatory production with a tight cast, including Amy Thone as the two adults (a teacher and a reporter). Musical scene changes by sound designer Matt Starritt and video projections by set designer Matthew Smucker add an upbeat and quirky tone and mood. It's an infectious production, with the audience appreciating every scene with applause.

Stewart combines the gawky, nerdy, intense, emotional and slightly unreal expectations of the teen Diwata. She holds the play together with her intense drive to get where she wants to go. Huertas is great as the pushy school reporter trying to get the story, revealing his personal discomfort about sexuality as it turns out that his family has sent him to an odious "Camp Exodus" to "cure" him from wanting to be Gay. Danneker has a less complex character to portray, though he handles the new-kid angst well.

The dialogue sounds pretty realistic and truthful, though the ending is not as resolved as it might be. It just kind of ends, though Solomon seems to find an acceptance in himself and his sexuality, since we see him get online on a Gay chat board. Overall, it's a good show with an interesting exploration. Don't you wish you were able to be as comfortable as these high school kids are when you were younger?

For more information, go to www.seattlerep.org or call 206-443-2222.

Comments on reviews go to sgncritic@gmail.com.

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