URI Theatre encourages students to explore their vision with ‘Speech & Debate’
For directing students, there is nothing more valuable than applying one’s knowledge toward their own productions. David Weber, the student director for the University of Rhode Island Theatre department’s latest student fulllength show, said it was a wonderful experience bringing “Speech & Debate” to life.
Weber, the University of Rhode Island (URI) senior theater and physics double major, was chosen to be the “Speech & Debate” student director by Rachel Walshe, URI assistant professor of activating and directing. After working and collaborating with peers from the Theatre department throughout the rehearsal process, Weber said they felt an enormous improvement in their directing abilities. It was an excellent learning opportunity to be surrounded by those he was already familiar and comfortable with.
“The opportunity for students to create art that isn’t filtered through the lens of faculty or guest artists is how the theatre of the future generation begins,” Weber said. “[Opportunities] for young artists are so few, and many in the program will likely not have access to the resources we have for many years to come if ever. If you want [to] observe the development of the next generation of theatre shows, student shows are the way to do it.”
“Speech & Debate” opens for a four-day run beginning tonight and closing Sunday afternoon. The performances tonight, tomorrow and Saturday night are at 7:30 p.m. Sunday’s performance is at 2 p.m.
The dark comedy, by Stephen Karam, follows the story of three misfit high school students in Salem, Oregon as they work together to try and expose a sex scandal within their school. By joining together to be the only members of the Speech and Debate club, the students are brought closer together in their shared activism and art.
While directing “Speech & Debate,” Weber said he wanted to show how adolescents can explore processing trauma with humor in a real way.
“My work has been to highlight how classrooms often serve as spaces where students can deepen their connection to one another and push past pain that may be happening outside,” Weber said. “Through this, the art created when young may not be the quality we want, but there is a unique truth in it that deserves more than to be ridiculed.”
At the end of his directing realm, they noted it’s been truly a collaborative effort to bring “Speech & Debate” from page to stage.
“The team of actors, designers, managers, tech, and others have been so engaged and are working hard crafting a production like few you have seen before,” Weber said.
Weber said the production is “intensely distinct” from other high school-based comedies. He said he’s eager for the audience to witness a truth and power portrayed by adolescents that truly represents a young voice.
“While the comedy in the play is intensely funny and is sure to have the audience crying laughing, this play has a much deeper truth to it which I hope audiences are prepared to hear,” Weber said.
“Speech & Debate” is playing at the J Studio at the URI Fine Arts Center, located at 105 Upper College Road in Kingston.
Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for senior citizens and URI students, faculty and staff. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone at 401-874-5843 or in-person at the box office in Room 101H of the Fine Arts Center. For more information on the 2023-20234 URI Theatre department season, visit the URI Theater Department website.