Using a high school debate club to take a down a sexual predator at their school? A seemingly onerous task, but one that will develop three misfits into becoming a complex, somewhat fully-functioning squad of friends.
Sarah Sosland, a senior in the College of Communication, serves at the helm of Stage Troupe’s “Speech and Debate” this week as director, with Francis Smith, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, as technical director. HwaYoun Kang, a sophomore in CAS, and Elle Nava, a junior in CAS, produced the show.
On stage, Michelle Sandler, a sophomore in COM, stars as Diwata, a high-school girl in desperate need for a role — the character’s only flaw is her lack of talent that will never get one.
Aditya Jain, a freshman in the College of Engineering, plays Solomon, a school newspaper reporter desperate to talk about controversial issues and defying authority while stressing this mission to everyone he meets (and perhaps annoying them too).
Rama Lauw, a sophomore in COM, plays Howie, a gay transfer student grounded in his confidence over his sexuality, yet battling ever-lasting restrictive stereotypes.
The play takes place at a high school in Salem, Oregon; each of the three students become interconnected over their conversations about their predatory teacher, yet they find a little bit of commonality within their lives’ sexual upheavals and tackle the issues headfirst.
While their precarious journey leaves them transforming the rules of speech and debate club to make a powerful and controversial statement, they get more than that through their interactions with each other over the taboo topics they all experienced.
The set is beautiful, filled with handcrafted elements used and every minute detail accounted for. The homemade nature of the set allowed the play to feel ever-so natural and engaging.
The production itself is smooth — aside from a few transitional blips, the movement between scenes was carried out very well. Even so, any technical missteps are overshadowed with the connection the audience feels to the performance.
In terms of acting, every actor had their own spirit and energy, but some clearly stuck out more then others.
Lauw, in his interpretation of Howie, is at a stark contrast to Jain as Solomon. Their lives could not be more different, but the common thread between them — their sexuality — allows the intensity of their relationship to foster an open dialogue on two differing outlooks within the gay community.
Lauw successfully completes this mission as Howie, but in certain moments of high emotional expulsion, the actor seems to get carried away within the anger, focusing more on the emotional takeaway compared to comprehensible and impactful line delivery. While this is not necessarily a huge problem, it casts a little doubt on the authenticity for future scenes between the two.
Jain, meanwhile, breaks into the mold of an overconfident reporter perfectly. His performance in that aspect can make allow the audience to feel the struggle he endures when confronted with a situation he’s not used to — people investigating him.
In this way, Jain shines, but the speed and fumbling of his telling of specific lines can distract from what makes for an otherwise great portrayal.
Even though Lauw and Jain’s characters have the same emotional journey as Sandler’s Diwata, there is an effortless quality that attracts attention onto her story for the entirety of the play.
From perfect delivery in a musical rendition of a time-travelling Mary Warren meeting a pre-pubescent gay Abraham Lincoln to the quirky introduction of her podcast, Sandler brings to life a character that progresses this rendition of “Speech and Debate” in a beautiful fashion.
The embodiment of a young primadonna can be considered cliche in art forms, but there is something refreshing about Diwata, and Sandler’s performance of her, that makes the character commendable.
While balancing her need to make a name for herself on her own volition and caring about the people around her, Sandler drops important statements through Diwata, an inflection and delivery that makes you want to listen to everything she is going to say.
Stage Troupe’s “Speech and Debate” is worth the watch for its pleasant visual quality and high-caliber acting. Even though Diwata chimes in her song with Howie to “just hold it in,” it’s the last thing audiences will want to do watching this truly humorous yet emotionally taxing performance.
