Speech and Debate presented by Brown Paper Box Co. at The Edge Theatre

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...Friendships form, uplift dawns, Deanalís Resto does bedroom diva angst to a T as Diwata, who dreams of adapting Arthur Miller's The Crucible into a striptease musical. Playwright Stephen Karam (The Humans) hammers home the injunction to be yourself at all costs, but what truly impresses here is Diwata's duet with Howie (Trevor Bates), in which they play Miller's accused Salem witch Mary Warren and a gay teenage Abraham Lincoln respectively."

Picture This Post - Recommended

"...Written by Stephen Karam (2016 Tony Award for Best Play, The Humans) and directed by David Lipschutz, Speech & Debate follows a group of three high school students in Salem, Oregon – Howie (Trevor Bates), a new transfer student trying to start a Gay/Straight Alliance; Solomon (Darren Patin), a young journalist with a passion for the truth; and Diwata (Deanalís Resto), an artist who just wants a chance to shine as a performer. Each has their own secrets to hide, from sexual identity to past choices and actions they wish they could change."

NewCity Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"...Brown Paper Box Co.’s “Speech & Debate” tells the story of three teenagers working together to rebel against the toxic and abusive behavior of their teachers and the other adults in their community. It’s a timely premise and all of the very young actors in this production are exciting to watch; keep your eyes on the career trajectories of Darren Patin and Deanalís Resto in particular, they’re going places. But the execution falls a little bit flat."