Well we are about to enter the second full weekend of the run after opening and I am really enjoying being around the cast these days. Of course I always love being around them, but one can feel the energy radiating off of these actors, especially when they are together, because they know they have hit their stride-and that is pretty intoxicating. The cast had a 10 am matinee yesterday for a couple of school groups and standing in the lobby one would have thought there was a rock concert going on inside...the students and teachers alike were in love with this play and these characters from the beginning and stayed right with them to the end. There was so much hooting and hollering during "Freedom" the cast felt like they were in a burlesque show. We even had one of the most engaging post-show discussions I have ever seen afterwards. The buzz on the street is clearly good because tickets continue to fly out the door. If you have not booked your tickets yet do it soon because sooner than later there will not be ANY left. Of course the glowing reviews and the Jeff recommendation the show received have helped. You can read some of the raves about Speech & Deabte by following the links below:

Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/the_theater_loop/2008/04/speech-and-deba.html

Barbara Vitello, Daily Herald
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=185268

Christopher Piatt, Time Out Chicago
http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles/theater/29256/speech-and-debate

Catey Sullivan, Windy City Times
http://www.windycitytimes.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18251

Tom Williams, Chicagocritic.com
http://www.chicagocritic.com/html/speech_and_debate.html

Or click this link to find all these and more in one place:

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/review.php?playID=2242

~Jason Gerace, Assistant Director