Stephen Karam's Speech And Debate: Play Analysis

The adults in Salem, Oregon in Stephen Karam’s Speech & Debate had good reason to treat the teens as if they were children. If Diwata, Solomon, and Howie were an accurate representation of the other students at the school, it is no wonder that the parents, teachers, and school board sought to exercise an abundance of control and provide too much guidance in their lives. The three teens dealt with “grown-up” issues throughout the play, but they tried to tackle them in characteristically childish ways. In the opening scene of the play, viewers are introduced to Howie, an openly gay 18-year-old. Using the screen name “Blboi” (as in Blond boy), he is chatting online with a man who is 36; coincidentally, this man is a teacher at the high school Howie transferred to. Howie doesn’t see the man as being too old for him though and wants to assert his adulthood, while at the same time calling himself a boy in his username. In the second scene of the play, viewers are introduced to Solomon. He is a reporter for the school newspaper, but wants to take on far bigger issues than any high school newspaper would ever allow its students to do. He essentially wants to turn the school paper into the New York Times or USA Today. Solomon wants to write about religion, abortion, and even delve into politics by writing about the town’s

She is posting a blog on the internet in response to not being cast in a lead role for the school play. Using colorful language, and explicitly showing the audience why she in fact did not deserve the lead role, she condemns the teacher, Mr. Healy. However, through her attempts at singing it should have been blatantly clear to any viewers of the blog why she did not get the role; Mr. Healy cannot be blamed her atrocious lack of talent. In her mind though, she is a victim of the town and its ideals, going so far as to ask is she is living in Salem, Oregon or Salem,