Chicago Tribune
- Highly Recommended
"...I’d argue that “Speech and Debate” has a few sags toward the end and doesn’t entirely execute its own premise. But those are minor complaints. Demonstrably, American Theater Company is now on a whole new track. Paparelli’s top-drawer production is comparable to what you’d see at America’s leading progressive theaters. And, just as important, it’s an exceptionally stimulating show in which the stakes remain at top pitch."
Chicago Sun Times
- Somewhat Recommended
"...There is some zesty writing by Karam here and masterful, ingenious work by Marty Higginbotham and Bobby Richards (video-projection design) and Lindsay Jones and Scotty Iseri (sound). But in the end, "Speech & Debate" is just too YouTube."
Daily Herald
- Recommended
"...Paparelli's smart, swift production stars Patrick Andrews, Jared McGuire and Sadieh Rifai, whose bold, self-aware performances as angsty, hyper-articulate teens are as convincing as they come."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...P.J. Paparelli's production--his auspicious first as artistic director of the American Theater Company--offers marvelous set pieces, running from the silly (a debate club presentation in which The Crucible's Mary Warren meets Abe Lincoln) to the sweet (a laptop sing-along). He draws winning performances from Jared McGuire, Sadieh Rifai, and Patrick Andrews as the three teens, but Rifai's precocious, lonely Diwata is something special: a girl poised heroically between pudgy awkwardness and a thrilling kind of egotism that absolutely refuses to accept anything short of its full expression."
Windy City Times
- Highly Recommended
"...The questions are provocative, the players winning. In all, Speech and Debate is a fast-paced, enjoyable evening ... aimed squarely at those for whom high school is still relevant."
Gay Chicago Magazine
- Highly Recommended
"...The cast is confident, talented and darling. The truly remarkable aspect of this show is Sadieh Rafai’s portrayal of Diwata. Karam has written one of the funniest roles for a young woman that I have ever seen. Rafai accomplishes humor on so many levels so her performance is a must see for anyone who loves to laugh. Her humor is subtle and broad, physical and intellectual, sarcastic and self-effacing. She achieves a combination of Karen and Jack, from Will and Grace, along with many of the characters created by Molly Shannon. Diwata is a dream role and Rifai makes the dream come true."
EpochTimes
- Highly Recommended
"...The use of video (designed by Marty Higginbotham and Bobby Richards) and the lighting by Charlie Cooper along with the music (Amy Gerace & Stephen Karam) and Ed Koss's choreography all enhance this marvelous little story that lets us look into the lives of these teens who seek their rights- to be who they are, what they are and to say what they want to say without fear of being punished or taunted for doing so. This is a wonderful 90 minutes that I would suggest parents bring their 16 years old to see, and then discuss the issues with them either at dinner after or on the ride home."
Copley News Service
- Highly Recommended
"...Theater artistic director P. J. Paparelli directs this hugely tricky script with a savvy sense of the show’s absurd humor and underlying dramatic tensions. This is a ramshackle script but Paparelli has managed to gather the random scenes into a cohesive whole. The show runs for 1 hour and 40 minutes without an intermission and could be cut at least 10 minutes, but doubtless many spectators would object to being denied 10 additional minutes of fun in the company of the offbeat teen threesome."
Time Out Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...New ATC artistic director Paparelli makes a startlingly sure-footed Chicago directorial debut. Drawing inventive, colorful designs out of his entire team, especially scenic artist Keith Pitts, Paparelli unpacks a dynamic stage vocabulary, keeping a casual but always-buzzing energy behind the action."
ChicagoCritic
- Recommended
"...This play’s humor is more for younger audiences but it also serves as window into the minds of today’s teens for all of us. The production is slick, fast-paced and well acted. Sadieh Rifai’s zany humor is a treat while Jared McGuire and Patrick Andrews offer excellent, emotionally truthful performances."
