Speech & Debate extends by two weeks

The Roundabout Theatre Company has announced a two-week extension of Stephen Karam's dark comedy Speech and Debate, now playing through to 30 Dec 2007.

The comedy opened at the Roundabout Theatre Company's new performance space 'Roundabout Underground' on 29 Oct 2007, following previews from 5 Oct, and was originally scheduled to close on 16 Dec 2007.

In Speech and Debate three teenage misfits in Salem, Oregon reluctantly form their school's first speech and debate team after discovering they are all linked by a sex scandal that's rocked their town. Secrets become currency, blogs are belted and 'bathing suit areas' exposed in this black comedy about what, if anything, it means to be an adult.

Directed by Jason Moore, Speech and Debate features Susan Blackwell as Teacher/Reporter, Jason Fuchs as Solomon, Gideon Glick as Howie and Sarah Steele as Diwata.

The design team comprises Anna Louizos (sets), Heather Dunbar (costumes) and Brett Jarvis (sound).

Roundabout Underground is an initiative to showcase new plays that will either allow an experienced director to go back to his/her creative roots or give a debut production to an emerging writer or director. Robyn Goodman (Artistic Consultant to the Roundabout), who has significant artistic development experience, is curating the initiative that will be a creative breeding ground for nurturing new talent.

The new 62-seat Black Box Theatre, below the Laura Pels Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre allows Roundabout to take artistic risks that are better suited for a more intimate space.